Pig Nutrition 101

Words by Stacey Cosnett – Head of Animal Performance

Tempted to keep a pig or two or even some sows? Fully balanced compound feed formulated for growing pigs or finishing pigs provides peace of mind that nutritional requirements will be fully met, but to reduce costs or add variety pigs are often given a variety of extras.

Can I feed my pigs any food scraps?

- As omnivores pigs can digest a wide range of feed stuffs and enjoy a balanced diet, just like we do!  There are however some restrictions to be aware of when it comes to feeding scraps.

- Be wary of feeding too much high fibre feed such as veggie waste. Pigs are single-stomached animals, like humans, and fibrous feeds should only be fed in moderation, particularly for growing or lactating pigs that have higher requirements for energy and protein.  Alternative feeds can be bulky and may seem low-cost, but often turn out more expensive in the long term due to depressed growth rates and feed conversion.

- High starch feeds, like potatoes, can be a good source of energy for pigs but are generally low in protein and minerals required for muscle growth and bone integrity, so they are best complemented with a higher protein feed to balance the diet, especially for growing pigs.

- Pigs shouldn’t eat raw potatoes or eggs.  

- Any food waste that has been in contact with cooked or raw meat must be heat treated to 100oC+ for 1 hour to ensure that any bacteria or viruses present are destroyed. Although there are relatively few pig diseases present in New Zealand, the risk of spreading disease is the main reason behind this law.

- Don’t feed mouldy food.  

What can I feed to my pigs to keep my pigs healthy and prevent them becoming fat?

Overfeeding energy relative to protein results in pigs gaining weight rapidly. However, when there is too much energy in the diet and not enough good quality protein, lean tissue deposition is compromised and the end result is fat pigs. Feed a well-balanced diet which contains good quality protein sources to ensure that pigs get enough essential amino acids for lean tissue deposition. NRM Little Pig Tucker Pellets are perfect for young growing pigs and NRM Big Pig Nuts are for mature pigs as a maintenance feed. These feed are also both balanced with vitamins and minerals to keep pigs thriving. 

Can I feed whole grain to pigs?

Cereal grains must be cracked, rolled or soaked before feeding to pigs as whole grain will pass right through their digestive system.

What should I look out for if turning pigs into a new area?

Although wild pigs do pretty well in the bush, when confined they may eat things to excess they would normally avoid. Bracken (Pteridium aquilinum), ragwort (Senecio var), rhododendrum (Rhododendron spp.), and rhubarb leaves can be harmful to pigs in addition to the more obvious things like foxglove and deadly nightshade.  

Can I feed other animal feeds to pigs other than just pig specific ones? 

Its best to provide pigs feeds that has been designed for them that are correctly balanced to support efficient growth and optimum health, however as opportunist omnivores their diet can be more flexible than some animals. See below for some feeds to be wary of though: 

- Most calf feeds contain coccidiostats which should not be fed to pigs.

- Chicken layer feeds are very high in calcium which can be harmful to pigs.

- Multifeed options such as NRM Multifeed Nuts are not recommended as the amino acid profile and fibre level is designed for ruminants and not ideal for pigs.  

Can pigs eat grass?

Pigs are great cultivators if you want to turn over some old grassland as they will eat the grass roots and all. They do have some ability to utilise grass as a food source, but certainly not as efficiently as specialist grazers such as cattle and horses. Free ranging pigs with availability to eat pasture will eat some as part of a balanced diet, however too much grass in the diet can cause an issue as it is very fibrous and bulky, which means they will eat less of other feeds and won’t be getting all the nutrients they require. Grass quality can also be very highly variable. Kunekune pigs are a bit of an exception to the rule however and they are better at utilising grass then other breed of pigs.

What should I feed my pet Kunekune? 

Kunekune’s do have the ability to digest grass quite well, so fibrous feeds such as pasture and veggie scraps can be a larger part of their diet, but it’s a good idea to balance these feeds up with a pig nut to ensure they get all the vitamins and minerals they need to stay healthy. For young kunekunes, up to 500 grams per pig per day of a pig grower feed such as NRM Little Pig Tucker Pellets will help support growth. From 4 months of age pig growth will slow down, so they can be moved over to a maintenance pig nut such as the NRM Big Pig Nuts and be fed 1-1.5kg per day while allowing access to pasture or other fibre.