Been reading "raising pigs the modern way" and "Basic Country Skills".... one talks about never feeding pigs meat as they are vegetarian, the other says you can feed table scraps. I've hunted through the archives and some one said they will kill and eat chickens. Piggy is arriving tomorrow, and I'm far more confused than before I started reading!! Can I feed a pastured pig table scraps supplemented with piggy grower food?

-- Sue (sulandherb@aol.com), March 16, 2002

Answers

In my younger days, raised a pig and was around several others. No memory of anything they wouldn't eat. A pig is not a fragile animal. Why do do you think they are called pigs:-)

-- ken (you@surfbest.net), March 16, 2002.

not too long ago,, they used to let hogs loose into grave yards,, what do you think they ate then? Grandpa used to say,, the best way to get rid of a body,,was to give it to a hungary hog

-- Stan (sopal@net-port.com), March 16, 2002.

Sue,we have bred and raised pigs for seven years. Here's what we do and you can make your own decisions. We don't feed our pigs bones; I've seen them choke and die before. Yes, they will eat them, but we don't take the chance. The other's are right about the eating people, we know of a five year old girl who fell into a pen with mom & litter and she was eaten whole, just scraps of her clothes left. Not to scare you, but watch any kids around the pigs. We raise ours from babies just so we know their temperament. Usually pigs have a good attitude but we hear of the others sometimes. How old is the pig? We toss all table foods, except the bones, and we have never had a pig that would eat onion scraps for some reason. At 6 wks old we buy grower for 3-4 bags worth, then switch to the bulk grain that is cheaper at the feed store. They sure grow fast. Have fun and enjoy them, even if it is for food. No reason the pig can't have a nice life while it's here... -Jeanie

-- Jeanie Whiting (rjwhiting@ncidata.com), March 16, 2002.

Sue,

I hadn't raised a pig for years, . . . . then my little g-daughter fell for "Babe", and I fell to temptation at a livestock auction. Came home with five little tiny adorable pink squealers, three of them with the prettiest blue eyes! Then they grew into teenagers, and THAT is another story! ! Laughing.

A local farmer who sells produce from a stand along the road said I could have all his old produce - just come and get it before the trashman. So every other day - - I would go and pick up no less than two large trash cans of produce, and often several boxes of fresh corn. ( The cows began to watch for my truck crossing the field, and I would feed them ears of corn off the tailgate. My bull was especially fond of that corn).

Anyway - - I raised those five pigs mostly for free. I did give them non-medicated pig feed each day, but not much. Later, I was told by someone that you couldn't raise a pig that way - ( produce) the meat wouldn't tasty and would likely be tough. I didn't see anything wrong with the meat I kept? ?

Last summer I did the same thing - - but only raised three, and increased the store bought feed just to see if there would be a difference. I still can't tell the difference, but then, last summer, for some reason there was always lots of corn in the freebie pile for me so the pigs were constantly stuffed with corn.

They loved watermelons. So did my little goat!

Judy

-- J McFerrin (JMcFerrin@aol.com), March 16, 2002.

My pigs seem to eat everything except orange peelings.

-- wayne (wharsh@acsworld.net), March 16, 2002.

Sue, pigs will definately eat meat. We have been raising them for several years and get along fine feeding them table scraps with their grain mixture. I've lost a few hens to the pigs when they get in the pen and try to sneak the pigs grain away from them. They love certain grasses and weeds too, they are great for turning up the garden. You'll have fun with them! Best wishes.

-- cowgirlone in OK (cowgirlone47@hotmail.com), March 16, 2002.

Sue, Don't worry about feeding your pig food scraps with meat in it. Pigs definitly can eat meat. Over the several years that I've had pigs, the only thing that none of them would eat is any type of citrus. Other than that, they ate any food scraps we gave them. Good luck with your pig. They're lots of fun to watch.

-- Murray in ME (lkdmfarm@megalink.net), March 16, 2002.

Yep Sue ... what you've been told is all true - pigs will eat most anything! I tell folks that nothing goes to waste here on our place. If we can't eat it, the dog, cats, chickens, ducks, rabbits, or pigs can.

There was the comment about pigs even eating people - it's also true! But the circumstances have to be unique. Either the pig is extremely hungry (as in - starved), raised mean or the pig has babies and is protecting them. I've encountered some rowdy pigs, but usually they're manageable. You couldn't get me in a pen at all with a momma pig that I don't "know." They're just to unpredictable when they are with young.

Wow ... did I ever get off topic! I hope the answers you've received here have eased your mind! In a nutshell, you can feed a pig anything - if they don't like it they won't eat it!

-- Phil in KS (pemccoy@yahoo.com), March 16, 2002.

Pigs will eat ANYTHING, meat included, I agree with the idea of no bones. I used to feed mine alot of pastries,bread and such that I got from a fella that got way past day old bake goods, along with grain. They loved it and really put the weight. Talk about as high carb diet! jack

-- jack c (injack1@aol.com), March 17, 2002.

I would never feed my hogs meat! I feed all other scraps, but usually stick to hog pellets and bread mixed into a slop. Best anone has eaten around here.

-- julie (jbritt@ceva.net), March 17, 2002.

Pigs need about the same things to eat that people do. The protien can be vegetarian or not, as it suits you. Pigs are omnivores: they can eat anything and they will be fine as long as they get a balanced diet. Table scraps should be fine: if it's good for you it's good for the pig. A great aunt of mine always fed her pigs table scraps, vegetable waste (pea pods, peelings, etc.), plenty of excess milk, and grain and the meat was just fine. Protien was from the milk, vegetables from the table scraps and vegetable waste, grain was from the corn. A good balanced diet. Don't worry: if you know how to feed yourself you can feed your pig.

-- Terri (hooperterri@prodigy.net), March 17, 2002.

I was told not to feed meat as it would give the pork a bad taste. Other than that rule, our pigs were fed anything that we ate as well as garden weeds and waste and hog grower (unmedicated). For the last couple of weeks they ate kitchen and garden waste and apples (bought a pickup full for them)in great quantities. Don't worry about it..pigs are dead easy to raise for meat and you'll do fine!. Make sure you have a water nipple for them though. It beats getting them water all the time because they pooped in the bucket or spilled it.

-- Alison in NS (aproteau@istar.ca), March 17, 2002.

ah, mr. stan, did your poppa finish that gruesome little bit of country knowledge with the caveat: "but 'cha gotta break the skull for 'em."?

mine did, & i never asked where grandfather & gran got the money to quit share-cropping & move outta state w/ 3 kids....

as to what pigs will eat, mine won't eat cinnamon rasin bagel but the rest of the 5 gallon bucket of bagel shope rejects were gone in short order. the mad cow outbreak in england was traced to contaminated [w/mad-cow disease] kitchen meat scraps from a resturant taken home to pigs by an employee if i remember right. my pigs are fed no meat, other than fish scraps.

-- bj pepper in C. MS. (pepper.pepper@excite.com), March 21, 2002.

Actually, that was foot and mouth disease. The BSE problem was from feeding cows to cows.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), March 22, 2002.