Things You'll Need
- Water trough
- Self-feeder
- Commercial starter feed
Instructions
Choose a starter feed that is digestible, economical and palatable for young piglets. Young pigs need to consume a diet of approximately 18 percent protein. Provide a relatively inexpensive protein meal with soybeans, or give whey and skim milk for a higher quality source of protein; however, the latter option costs more than soybeans. Try blood meal, fish meal and peanut meal to add protein to the diet as well.
Purchase a starter feed with adequate amounts of minerals and vitamins for a growing pig. Be sure the feed can provide the young pigs with the energy they need to grow. Look for ingredients such as barely, wheat and corn.
Look for a starter feed that is either crumbled, pelleted or ground. Smaller feed is easier for younger pigs to digest. Young pigs eat approximately 3 to 5 pounds of food a day.
Set up a self-feeder for the younger pigs. A self-feeder keeps the food dry and clean. Provide enough space for all the pigs to access the feeder at once. Feed the young pigs twice a day, if a self-feeder is not available.
Provide fresh water to the pigs at all times. Piglets around 8 week of age can begin to use a nipple waterier which keeps the drinking water clean. Clean and replace water in troughs regularly if they are used.