A Feeding Guide for Pigs Throughout Their Life Stages

Are you thinking about getting pigs? Are you new to raising pigs and want to feed them properly? We know it can be overwhelming to figure out what to feed. There’s a lot of information out there, and it’s hard to know where to start. That’s why we created A Feeding Guide for Pigs.

When caring for pigs, nutrition is usually split into different life stages. Each stage has unique goals and challenges. Today, we’ll focus on feeding pigs in each phase of their life.

Feeding Nursery Pigs

Nursery pigs are in their first few weeks after weaning. For commercial pigs, this is from weaning until they weigh about 25-30 pounds. Some may consider pigs up to 50 pounds as nursery pigs too. The nursery phase is crucial because piglets transition to eating on their own. This is one of the biggest changes in their lives.

At this stage, nutrition is essential for their growth and long-term success. Piglets move from an all-milk diet to solid feed. They also face new stressors, like a new environment, new peers, feeding routines, and a new diet. The younger they are when weaned, the bigger the adjustment. This diet change affects their gut and digestive system. It takes time, care, and attention to help them adjust.

Swine nutritionists consider these challenges when creating nursery diets. These diets help piglets eat well and grow. Key components of an early nursery feed program include:

Milk products: Ingredients like whey or lactose are easy to digest.
Highly digestible proteins: Proteins like soy protein concentrate or dried animal plasma help with fast growth. Young pigs need limited soybean meal initially, as their systems are sensitive.
Pellets: Pellets ensure piglets get balanced nutrition in every bite.
Tasty ingredients: Flavors and attractants encourage pigs to eat consistently.
Gut health promoters: Probiotics, prebiotics, and acidifiers support gut health during diet changes.

These ingredients can be expensive, so nursery programs often have phases. Each phase targets a pig’s needs as they grow. Ingredients like milk proteins are gradually replaced with grains like soybean meal. By the time pigs weigh about 25 pounds, their digestive systems are ready for grain-based diets.

Feeding Grower-Finisher Pigs

When pigs are considered growers, they are normally between 25-125 pounds. “Finishing” refers to pigs larger than “growers”, until the time they are ready for harvest. Today’s commercial pigs are normally harvested at 270-290 pounds. Younger pigs have higher energy and protein requirements as compared to older finisher pigs. Pigs in these phases can eat both pellets and meal feeds. Pigs eat to meet their energy requirement, so you can have clean, fresh feed and water out in front of your pigs at all times, and they can eat as they please. Providing feed at all times and letting them eat when they want is called “ad libitum” feeding.

Particle size of the grains is important here. If the grains are ground too coarse it can result in the feeds being digested less efficiently. However, too fine and it could possibly result in stomach ulcers. Similarly, to the nursery period, a growing-finishing pig can be split into different feeding phases that more closely targets these pigs’ specific nutritional needs which can also help maximize cost savings.

Feeding Breeding Swine:

Sows

Sows need feed to provide for their own bodies’ needs AND for 10-18 growing piglets. Maintaining proper nutrients within a healthy portion size is key for pregnant sows. It’s important to feed to meet the sow’s proper body condition. Genetics can affect how sows hold their weight. Several tools can help, such as back-fat meters, caliper measuring tapes, and industry materials. These tools can guide you in identifying ideal body conditions. A gestating sow usually eats around 5-6 pounds of feed per day, depending on her body condition. Overweight sows can face complications. These include lower milk yields, trouble during birth (farrowing), and difficulties breeding back. Feeding high-fiber ingredients can help sows feel full on limited feed.

When a sow has farrowed and is now producing milk for her litter, she needs access to clean, fresh feed and water at all times. Lactation is not the time to try and adjust feed intake for body condition concerns. Lactating sows should be fed ad libitum. Lactating sows require higher energy and protein diets in order to meet the highly demanding job of feeding a full litter.

In general, a big focus with sows is on health and longevity. Again, body condition will play a big role in this, but making sure you are feeding them a diet with adequate vitamins, minerals and ideally, gut health promoters, will support the best health and production from each sow.

Gilts

Older gilts, weighing about 230 pounds and more, normally have their own unique nutritional needs (i.e., lower energy to reduce over-conditioning) to help prepare them for future litters and to maximize their health and longevity. Bone strength is very important for both replacement gilts and sows.

Boars

Did you know that added vitamin C helps with sperm motility? Our swine nutritionists have formulated our breeding stock products with boars’ needs in mind to ensure their needs are covered, as well. Much like gestating sows, a boar’s body condition is important to maximize productivity and longevity.

Summary

For all life stages and sizes of pigs, if a change in diet is needed, gradually switching feeds over a period of a couple of days (if possible) helps them adjust to diet and possible taste differences. Additionally, pig diet formulation and ingredient inclusion differences should stay minimal. Our swine nutritionists formulate programs with a certain level of flexibility, but also with the main goal of creating a smooth transition for pigs as they grow. This also pertains to sows as they move back and forth between gestation and lactation diets. If pigs are switched to a feed and they aren’t ready yet, either nutritionally or a big change in taste, they could balk. This could open them up for additional stress and, potentially, health challenges.

We hope you will be able to keep some of these swine nutrition basics in mind as you continue learning about raising pigs. Remembering these tips can help highlight products that might work best in your feeding program. As always, if you have any questions, Kalmbach Feeds has a whole team of swine nutritionists that would love to answer your questions and help point you in the right direction with the best options for your pigs.

Article Source: Julie Salyer, written for Kalmbach Feeds.