Instructions
Write a list of the shows you will attend and determine the standards that the judges will expect of the top show pigs and then determine what nutritional strategies you will use to get your pig in top shape. For example, if your pig is not gaining muscle but is putting on too much fat, you may need to limit your pig's intake of food, but typically you should increase the pig's protein and fat content when reducing food. You can do this by adding a milk replacer to the pig's diet.
Determine how much weight your pig needs to gain per day to achieve its goal weight. For example, if the pig is 60 lbs. and will be shown at 250, the pig will need 100 to 120 days to gain the weight (pigs gain an average of 1.5 to 1.75 lbs. per day).
Add ½ cup of milk replacer to your pig's regular diet and weigh the pig weekly to ensure that it is gaining weight according to your schedule. After two to three weeks, assess your pig's condition and adjust the milk replacer, feeding up to 1 cup or cutting back to ¼ cup. The milk replacer should ensure that the pig gets its ration of 10 amino acids, but it can also add too much weight.
How to Add Milk Replacer to a Show Pig's Diet
Nutrition, care, and genetics all play a role in a show pig's potential. Your show pig will not reach its full genetic potential without proper care and nutrition; likewise, your care and nutrition could be excellent but if the pig's potential is low you will not produce a top quality show pig. Complete rations for pigs include plenty of water, 75-80 percent carbohydrates, a variable amount of protein (typically 18 percent when first starting on feed, dropping to 12-14 percent at 150 lbs.) and fats. Supplementing milk replacer to a show pig's diet can help a pig gain weight quicker.