Feeding pigs is an important process that requires careful planning. Pigs are omnivores and have a very diverse diet. They can survive on feed that has been left behind by other animals, though they do require a more balanced diet than this. Feed type, nutrient requirements, and growth are some aspects to consider when feeding pigs.

Pigs can be fed with a variety of feed types, including grains, concentrates, or a mixture of both. Grains are often used as a base for pig feed because they are relatively inexpensive and provide carbohydrates that help maintain the pig’s energy levels. However, grains do not provide all of the nutrients that pigs need to grow properly; therefore they must be supplemented with other types of food.

The nutrients pigs need are protein, energy (carbohydrates), minerals, fat, vitamins, and water. Each nutrient plays an important role in maintaining healthy growth in pigs; these nutrients are sourced in various feed ingredients and blended together to make different pig feeds. There are different pig feeds; the starter, grower, and finisher feed. The difference between these pig feeds solely lies in their nutrient composition, time of feeding, and age of pigs fed.

Types of Pig Feeds

Pig feeds take about 75 percent of the total cost of pig production; the type of feed fed to pigs determines the productivity of the pigs and the profitability of the pig business. Pig feeds come in different forms; they are pellets, mash, and crumbles, these forms enable pigs to utilize the nutrients present in the feed better.

Pigs have different growth stages; each stage requires different nutrient requirements, medication, and other management practices. There are different types of feeds fed to pigs at each stage, they are the best feed for pigs at the growth stage; the feed composition contains the nutrients pigs need at that particular age.

There are three types of pig feeds namely:

• Creep Feed
• Grower
• Finisher

All these feeds are formulated to perform distinct functions in the development or growth, both physiologically and metabolically, of the pig. These feeds are a function of the pig’s age. You do not just feed your pigs any type of feed because they are made of grains; piglets should not eat finisher feed and adult pigs should not be fed creep feed and still expect good performance. These are wrong feeding schedules that should not be practiced.

What is Pig Finisher feed?

Pig finisher is a blend of ingredients for pigs that are grown to market weight. Finisher feeds are usually used to feed growing pigs from 18 weeks of age. Pig Finisher feeds contain 16 % crude protein and can be fed to pigs either as a complete feed or a supplement to other food sources.

The main ingredient in finisher feed is corn, which provides energy and protein. Other ingredients include soybean meal, cottonseed meal, and wheat middlings. These ingredients provide energy and protein, while minerals such as calcium and phosphorus help with bone development.

Pig finisher feed is a special kind of feed that is used to help pigs grow to a large enough size for the market. It is usually fed in the last few weeks before slaughter. The main reason why pig farmers use finisher feed is that it can help pigs gain weight quickly. This can be especially useful when farmers want their pigs to reach a certain weight before slaughtering them.

What is Pig Grower feed?

Pig grower feed is a type of feed that is used to help young pigs grow quickly and reach their full potential at an earlier age. Pig grower can be made from many different ingredients; it usually contains protein and carbohydrates, as well as vitamins and minerals. Pig grower feed contains at least 18% crude protein and it is suitable for pigs of 20kg to 40kg body weight. Grower feed is usually given to pigs around the age of 6 -7 weeks.

Pig grower feed is made up of a variety of different ingredients. The first ingredient is usually corn (or wheat). This is high in carbohydrates and is what provides most of the energy for the pig. You’ll find soybean meal or cottonseed meal. These provide protein for growth and maintenance, as well as vitamins and minerals to help keep your pigs healthy and active. Some additional vitamins (Vitamin A and D) and minerals (Calcium and Phosphorus) are added to pig growers to boost immunity or support healthy growth. Salt is added to add flavor to the feed.

Grower vs Finisher Pig Feed: Nutrient composition

Grower pigs are weaned from their mothers at 6- 7 weeks old and fed a pig grower feed. Finisher pigs are older pigs that are close to slaughter, usually around 18 weeks. Pig grower feed contains 18% crude protein content while pig finisher feed contains 16% crude protein content. The difference in protein content is due to the age of the animal, as well as its stage of development.

Young pigs require more protein than adults because they are still growing and developing muscle tissue and bones. Young pigs need highly digestible ingredients to assist their developing digestive tract function better. Both young and adult pigs need to be able to digest their food efficiently in order to grow properly.

Grower vs Finisher Pig Feed: When to Give Pigs

Grower pig feed is usually given to pigs after weaning around 6 – 7 weeks to when they are closing up to slaughter age, around 18 weeks. Grower pig feed is designed specifically for young growing pigs. The idea behind this kind of pig feed is that you want your pig to put on weight as quickly as possible without becoming too fat.

Finisher feeds are generally given after 6 months old, although some farms use them earlier than others depending on how quickly they want their pigs to reach marketable size. Finisher pig feed contains less protein than grower pig feed. It’s designed specifically for finishing off a pig’s growth cycle, which means they’re fully grown and ready to be processed into meat products like pork chops or bacon.

In summary, feeding pigs the right type of feed helps them grow faster taking advantage of their rapid growth and feed utilization ability. Pigs are very efficient at digesting feed; they can convert feed into muscle twice as fast as humans. The most important thing to remember when feeding pigs is that they are sensitive to changes in diet and environment, so you should try to maintain consistency in their diets.