What Forage for outdoor Pigs?

[NConnell]

What Forage do you feed along side concentrate? I've been feeding fodder beet and potatoes but am looking at trying Silage as have seasonal availability issues with the other stuff. If you have tried Silage do you feed on the floor with a round bale? Many thanks

 

[Pan mixer]

Why would you be feeding anything other than straw with the cake?

I give my sows some slightly spoiled bales of silage if I or my neighbours have any. They love it.

 

[NConnell]

They are actually wild boar. To keep feed costs down I supplement the concentrate with Forage for gut fill to keep them happy. I put straw in the sows shelter when farrowing but they don't seem to eat it.

 

[teslacoils]

I give my sows some slightly spoiled bales of silage if I or my neighbours have any. They love it.

That's interesting. I have read about pigs eating silage. Wonder of they would fatten on a mainly silage / haylage diet then....

 

[Pan mixer]

That's interesting. I have read about pigs eating silage. Wonder of they would fatten on a mainly silage / haylage diet then....

No, they can't digest the cellulose, they need starch.

However they do particularly like the alcohol that is in silage.

 

[JP1]

That's interesting. I have read about pigs eating silage. Wonder of they would fatten on a mainly silage / haylage diet then....

Man in Somerset rears forage diet pigs

http://www.gothelneyfarmer.co.uk/our-farm

 

[Old Boar]

I never fed my Wild Boar any forage. They had arcs which were mostly used to scratch against, prefering to make their own nests with rushes. They ate the grass of course, the brambles and everything else they could find (but not the rushes!). They had concentrate twice a day.
Wild Boar will only put on fat in the autumn, their way of seeing themselves through the winter. Lovely fascinating creatures.

 

[NConnell]

The Forage must make a difference. We only feed once a day, half concentrate and half Forage. Seem to control the fat year round by feeding more Forage when it's cold. Trying to get a reliable supply year round seems to be the challenge that's why I am hoping Silage works so we can make it on farm.

 

[NConnell]

This what got me thinking about it.

 

[Greenbeast]

Where might one get small (1-2 ton) amounts of fodder beet?
I also feed potatoes (pigs not boar) but my supply is not as healthy as I'd like.

 

[NConnell]

Where might one get small (1-2 ton) amounts of fodder beet?
I also feed potatoes (pigs not boar) but my supply is not as healthy as I'd like.

Where in the country are you?

 

[Greenbeast]

Where in the country are you?

East Sussex