Heritage Hog Breeds

[Whitpirate]

What protein supplement are folks using?  I'm trying to avoid soy and corn for customers and whey isn't enough....

[jasnt]

What protein supplement are folks using?  I'm trying to avoid soy and corn for customers and whey isn't enough....

we use Purina hog concentrate but I believe it has some soy

[KFhunter]

I'm using sow & hog complete right now,  $14 bucks per 50lb sack.

expensive way to go but with all the oat hay I'm feeding I can cut back some on the sacked feed.


eventually I'll have a grinder like this


it takes whole hay bales and runs it through the hammers,  add grains and it'll hammer them too and then pour in a sack of supplement and you've got 100% control of the feed.
 

[jasnt]

That's similar to the grinder we where looking at, we made some huge cuts last year and now down to 2 hogs. Last year we where just under 70 counting the feeder's and weaners. Year before we had a HUGE demand for our hogs that we raised. So we decided to hold back 40 weaners and raise them up to butcher and also sold a few as BBQ hogs.we knew it would be a huge over head to cover at first but we thought we could handle it fine. We grew too fast and the feed bill was as much as a truck payment. Around $500 a month. In the end it turned out well but it wore us out and was he11 on our setup. I think we'll get back up there but slower this time. We need some more hut& yard setups and eventually our own grinder.

[black hog]

I raise purebred berkshire hogs I have my own breeding stock I have raised hundreds of different breeds of hogs abd can say Berkshires are amazing they have shorter muscle fibers and marble much better than standard breeds growth is somewhat slower 300 lbs in about 7months on good feed the fat looks different than a standard breed hog also I can pick my hogs out in the butcher shop with lots of other hanging hogs if you would like to talk more pm me and I will give you my number

[KFhunter]

this you?

http://lewiston.craigslist.org/grd/4773916778.html

[black hog]

Not me but be careful not all of those pigs are berkshire

[Birdguy]

Not me but be careful not all of those pigs are berkshire

  but it does look like the (2)boars they show for sale "look true to breed". I agree a couple hamps in there at least.

[Bigshooter]

Black Hog I sent you a pm.

[nwwanderer]

In the PNW small grains, wheat, barley, triticale, are the norm.  If they are good quality, high bushel weights, they are of higher feed value than corn since they usually have more protein.  The protein is expensive.  Common protein supplements here are peas and canola meal.  Peas are about 24% protein, canola 38% and about 80% the value of soybean meal.  The local canola meal is expeller meal, it has about 10% fat left in the meal so the energy is much higher than Canadian solvent extracted meal.  A vitamin mineral mix supplies all of the little things the pig needs.  Water first, feed second and a insulated draftless dry sleeping area third. 

[Boss .300 winmag]

Any of you guys ever feed brewery mash to your pigs?

I did to my beef one year, and it created lots of marbling of the meat.

[nwwanderer]

Brewers mash is high in fiber since most of the starch is in the brew, the yeast uses starch to produce alcohol.  Protein is higher in the mash but of poor quality for pigs.  Great for steers.