High Energy Foods That Can Be Fed to Hogs

Hogs have a reputation for eating anything they can get their hooves on. The reputation is true to a certain extent but this does not mean that if you raise or keep hogs you can give them anything they want to eat. Hogs need a balanced diet that is high in energy, low in fiber and is heavily supplemented with additional nutrients. There are a number of high-energy foods you can feed to hogs to get the right balance.

  1. Corn

    • Corn ticks all of the right boxes for pigs. It is high in natural energy, very low in fiber, contains naturally digestible carbohydrates and pigs love the taste. Place the corn into a trough and fill it up as much as possible. Pigs will eat until they are full. Only pigs know when they have had enough so do not limit the amount you give them based on your own estimations.

    Barley

    • Like corn, barley is a natural farm grain that pigs will happily eat. Again, they will eat as much as they need so place it into a deep trough. Although high in energy, you will need to add some food supplements to give the pig vital vitamins and minerals not naturally found in barley.

    Wheat

    • Another common farm grain is wheat, which pigs should have access to. Try adding some protein supplements to wheat to add to the hog's nutrient intake. Once a pig reaches 125 pounds you should start feeding them a less dense diet that contains more protein, as once they are over 125 pounds they will cease to be 'grower' pigs and their weight will need to be stabilized.

    Oats

    • High in energy oats should be a staple part of your hog's diet. Add supplements and from time to time add some antibacterial compounds to the feed to reduce the levels of bacteria that can build up in natural farm grains such as oats. In small doses, these compounds can help the growth of pigs and even help lower feeding costs.