Botswana
Pig production guide Part 1:
Introduction to pig feed
by Jaco Cilliers
E
ating like a pig might not be considered good table manners, but it also should not imply that pigs feed on scraps and leftovers from the table. The days when farmers kept pigs to dispose of unwanted organic materials are long gone. Modern pig farmers spend a lot of time, effort and money to ensure that their pigs are fed with only the highest quality pig feed. After all, good feed is less expensive than good medicine. Good, high quality feed is essential for pig production. It not only leads to healthier pigs, but also to more profit. Pig feed can drastically impact on the profitability of a pig farm due to the fact that the price of feed is linked to the market price of grain. If grain becomes more expensive, so does feed. This is why those farmers who can afford to do so, usually plant their own grain to make their own feed. Pig feed influences the growth and reproduction rate of your piggery. The quality of feed will also determine how much of it the animal can effectively absorb, and how much simply goes to waste. The better the absorption rates are, the better the quality of meat will be. If all these factors are managed correctly and effectively, it will help the farmer to keep the production costs lower and increase production, which ultimately leads to more profit. Not all pigs can eat the same feed. 28
The feeding requirements of pigs in the different production phases differ, therefore they need different feed mixtures. There are generally four categories that pigs can be divided into according to their feeding requirements.
Piglets should be weaned at the age of three weeks. For the first seven weeks after weaning they need to get a special feed mixture that will bolster their growth.
ProAgri BNZ 08
