Expansion of pig industry depends to a large extent on the availability of good quality pig feeds in sufficient quantity and at affordable price. Feed accounts for 60% to 70% of the total cost of production. Pigs is a mongastric animal.
Quality of a good Pig Food:
- Pig food must be fresh and not stale.
- It must be well process and packaged.
- The digestibility of the feed must be high.
- The feed must support optimum growth and development of pig.
- The feed must be palatable.
- The ingredients for the feed must be available at all time.
- The feed must be affordable.
- The feed must be balanced in Nutrients.
- It must be attractive and palatable to the pig
- It must not be mouldy.
What makes up the pig’s feed:
- Carbohydrates.
- Protein.
- Fat and Oil.
- Minerals.
- Vitamins.
- Water.
Some Feed ingredients for formulation of ration for pig:
Maize: The grain forms major constituents of the feed. It is a good source of energy. The metabolizable energy is about 3400 Kcal/kg. It is widely cultivated in all parts of Africa in particular. The protein content is about 10%. Yellow maize contains carotene. Maize must be properly dried before it can be used for formulation.
Sorghum: It is commonly grown in the Northern part of Nigeria. The energy level is about 2500 Kcal/kgh. If maize is scarce and expensive, sorghum could be used as substitute.
Maize offal: It contains about 2500 Kcal ME/kg. It is complimentary source of energy. The fibre level is higher than that of maize.
Wheat offal: It is another complimentary source of energy. It is a by-product of wheat after milling. The energy value is low compared to maize. the metabolizable energy is about 1800 Kcal ME/kg.
Cassava: Cassava is a good source of energy but with low protein. The by-product include: cassava peel, cassava flour, cassava chaff and sievate. One of the major limitation in using cassava is the presence of anti-nutritional factor, hydocyanic acid (HCN). Cassava must be properly dried before incorporation with other feed ingredient.
Sweet potato: It is a good source of energy. Boiled sweet potato culd be given to pig directly. When formulating diet for pig, dry sweet potato could be used to replace maize to a large extent.
Yams: There are various types of yam in Africa. They are grown primarily for human consumption but could also be used to feed pig. Again yam tuber or peel could be sun-dried and incorporated with other feed ingredients during feed formulation.
Brewer dry grains: It is a by-product of brewery industries. The energy level is low, of about 18% crude protein. It contains high fibre content of about 20%. Brewer dry grain must be properly dried before incorporating with other feed ingredient. It could be used as complimentary source of energy in pig diet.
Palm kernel cake: It forms of the major ingredients in formulating pig’s ration due to low cost compared to other feed ingredients. It contains protein content of about 18% crude protein but the fibre is high, of about 12%. The energy value is about 2000 Kcal ME/kg. It is a by-product during extraction of palm kernel oil from palm kernel.
Fish Meal: It is very good source of animal protein. It is rich in both essential and non-essential amino-acid. Fish meal used in pig nutrition could be imported or local. The protein content is between 60 and 72% crude protein.
Groundnut cake: It is a good source of plant protein. The protein content is about 45% crude protein. The energy content ia about 2600 Kcal ME/kg. Ground cake must be well dried and stored to avoid mouldiness.
Soybean Meal: It is another good source of plant protein. The protein content is around 45% crude protein. Soybean meal could be used to replace groundnut cake but the methionine and lysine content of the former are higher then that of the latter.
Bone Meal: It is a good source of calcium and phosphorus which is responsible for bone and skeleton. The calcium content of bone is around 37% and phosphorus content is about 17%.
Oyster Shell: It is a good source of calcium. The price of oyster hell is lower then that of bone meal. the calcium conent is about 35% and contains no phosporus.
REQUIREMENTS FOR DIFFERENT GROWTH STAGES OF PIG:
Protein Requirements
| Stages of Production | % Protein Requirement |
| 1.) Piglets2.) Growers
3.) Breeders 4.) Lactating |
1814-16
16-18 14-16 |
Energy Requirement
| Stages of Production | Energy Requirements |
| 1.) Piglet2.) Growers
3.) Breeders 4.) Lactating |
2400 – 26002400 – 2500
2400 – 2500 2400 – 2600 |
Fat Requirement
| Stages of Production | Fat Requirement (%) |
| 1.) Piglets2.) Growers
3.) Breeders 4.) Lactating |
3.03.0
3.0 – 4.0 3.0 – 4.0 |
Fibre Requirement
| Stages of Production | Crude Fibre Requirement (%) |
| 1.) Piglets2.) Growers
3.) Breeders 4.) Lactating |
3.0 – 4.04.5 – 5.0
3.0 – 4.0 3.0 – 4.0 |
Calcium and Phosphorus Requirement
| Stages of Production | Calcium Requirement (%) | Phosphorus Requirement (%) |
| 1.) Piglets2.) Growers
3.) Breeders 4.) Lactating |
0.450.4 – 0.5
0.4 – 0.6 0.4 – 0.6 |
0.30.45
0.4 – 0.5 0.3 – 0.5 |
GROSS COMPOSITION CREEP PIG FEED
| INGREDIENTS | /1000KG |
| MAIZEBREWERS DRY GRAINS
GROUNGNUT CAKE SOYA MEAL 65% FISH MEAL METHIONINE BONE MEAL SALT VITAMIN/MINERAL PREMIX |
320150
153 90 10 1 31 2.5 2.5 |
| TOTAL | 1000 |
GROSS COMPOSITION OF WEANED PIG MASH
| INDREDIENTS | /1000KG |
| MAIZECASSAVA
BREWERS DRY GRAINS GROUNGNUT CAKE PALM KERNEL CAKE WHEAT OFFAL SOYA MEAL METHIONINE BONE MEAL SALT VITAMIN/MINERAL PREMIX |
250100
150 80 62 275 50 1 28 2.5 2.5 |
| TOTAL | 1000 |
GROSS COMPOSITION OF FATTENER PIG MASH
| INGREDIENTS | /1000KG |
| MAIZECASSAVA
BREWERS DRY GRAINS GROUNGNUT CAKE PALM KERNEL CAKE WHEAT OFFAL SOYA MEAL MAIZE BRAN BONE MEAL OYSTER SHELL SALT VITAMIN/MINERAL PREMIX |
220100
130 30 150 275 20 50 16 4 2.5 2.5 |
| TOTAL | 1000 |
GROSS COMPOSITION OF BREEDER PIG MASH
| INGREDIENTS | /1000KG |
| MAIZECASSAVA
BREWERS DRY GRAINS GROUNGNUT CAKE PALM KERNEL CAKE WHEAT OFFAL SOYA MEAL MAIZE BRAN BONE MEAL SALT VITAMIN/MINERAL PREMIX |
200100
150 30 120 300 50 15 30 2.5 2.5 |
| TOTAL | 1000 |
Note that the above pig feed formulation should not been seen as a standard. A lot of factors need to be considered during pig feeds formulation, i.e. Availability and cost of feed ingredients, health status and environmental factors, etc. Please consult an Animal nutritionist or pig specialist for more details.
Very educative material for me as a small scale pig farmer.
Please i will like to know how important the use of lysine is because you did not mention it in your weaned pig mash.Thanks
I need information on proportion of each meal
Very precise and educative
Thanks
(1) Pls, what is difference between maize bran and rice bran? (2) is it menthionine and premix that use for birds are also use for pig?
I found these resources very helpful in my publication. How do I acknowledge you as my source in the publication.
What is d require wgt gain from weaning stage to maturity.thks
The formula is so amazing. Very educative to pig farmers
thanks
I am planning to keep a lot of PIGS in two coming years.
that is very good
pls help me with the percentage ratio of each feed
It’s educative to me as a biginer.
Thanks very much.
You are most welcome Nicholas
i want to tell you thanks and i am a student in researchers emil tiredly when i finish i will start a piglet farm soon thanks
You are most welcome. I wish u all the best
Thanks so much, Mr Chuks, pls, Is blood meal not useful in feed composition?
Thanks for the complement. While to answer your question:
Blood meal is good, but while most people dont add it is cos its very expensive, however, if you most add it also, there are recommended amount to addd
Is it important to give my pigs lysine? In uganda where can i get all this material to mix my own pig feed?
Giving your Pig lysine is really not but has a particular amount or quantity for every amount of feed formulated.
VERY EDUCATIVE
very educative and look at wide goals ahead
Thanks, may God bless you more and more.
Thanks. I’m happy to see that you appreciated our effort here. Thanks and keep reading, keep sharing and keep liking.
I didn’t see full fat Soya in your list sir, is it not good for pigs.
Brewer dried grains is very scare in my location, Pls what is the alternative I can use?
This very good for me. Thanks for this.
God bless you sir, very educative. but can you please check the calculation on /1000kg is like not tally. eg ingredient / 1000kg on MAIZECASSAVA 250100 when the cumulative is added is not upto 1000kg. can you please educate me how you arrived at that; e.g see below.
GROSS COMPOSITION OF WEANED PIG MASH
INDREDIENTS /1000KG
MAIZECASSAVA
BREWERS DRY GRAINS
GROUNGNUT CAKE
PALM KERNEL CAKE
WHEAT OFFAL
SOYA MEAL
METHIONINE
BONE MEAL
SALT
VITAMIN/MINERAL PREMIX
250100
150
80
62
275
50
1
28
2.5
2.5
TOTAL 1000
Can you arrange them well so that I can understand better and let you know if you will make any adjustment.
This piece is timely for me. I appreciate you. Thanks. My question is when is the right time for weaning?
Thanks. Please how can I contact you for more inquiry?
Pls am a beginner I only have I boar and 2 breeder at winner size where am getting the feeds is very far from my place please I beg of you kindly put me thro I I can be making the feeds and the quanty of each ingredients. Thanks
thanks so much for such good information
You’re most welcome
Kudos to you for this information, thanks alot.
Thanks, Sotola
thank you very much for the info data
Blessings
Sir, this is very educative I appreciate your effort. May you please teach me how you arrived at 1000kg of each of the feed production ration?
I will be glad for your replay.
Thank you.
thanks for your efforts to help farmers. this is well appreciated. I think what Ayegboka Bamikole is pointing out is a typographical error of maizecassava. All he needs to do is separate the two.
Once again its a great sacrifice and it cannot go without being appreciated.
Thanks Dear. I seriously appreciate your time to respond to issues at the same time commending our efforts.