Pig Feed Rations
Considering making your own pig feed? Here are some numbers to help!
Before we get going there are are few things you need to know:
- Rations are listed in pounds needed to make a ton (2,000 pounds) of feed.
- These numbers can be easily reduced to smaller batches as long as you keep the proportions the same.
- You will need a scale that can measure both pounds and smaller amounts like ounces.
- Your feed will only be as good as the ingredients you put into it.
We use an 11 pound scale and measure into coffee cans, since we are making 500 or 1,000 pound batches of feed.
Smaller batches will need a digital scale to be accurate with the mineral mix.
How to make smaller batches of feed
We routinely make 500 pound batches in our feed grinder, it works just fine. (Smaller batches than this would fit in a wheelbarrow.) Here’s how we do it:
Since the listed pounds of ingredients are for a ton and we want to make 1/4 ton (500) we divide the pounds of the ingredient by 4.
It looks like this:
For corn– 1300 divided by 4 = 325 pounds of corn per 1/4 ton batch
Don’t over complicate this, just use your phone calculator and do your best. Be accurate with the mineral mix, since it will be such a small amount compared to the corn and soybean meal.
Ingredients for the pig feed
Corn: The corn should be ground or at least cracked. Whole corn is difficult for smaller piglets to effectively use.
Soybean Meal: The soybean meal must be ground, not whole beans. Whole beans are not digestible, the grinding process also cooks the meal making it usable for the pigs.
Mineral Mix: The mineral mix should be for pigs specifically.
Pig Starter for 20-50 pound pigs
| Feed Ingredients | Amounts (in pounds) |
| Crude Protein | 21% |
| Corn (ground is best, no whole kernels) | 1300 |
| Soybean Meal | 640 |
| Swine Premix | 60 |
Pig Grower 1 for 50-80 pound pigs
| Feed Ingredients | Amounts (in pounds) |
| Crude Protein | 16% |
| Corn (ground is best, no whole kernels) | 1525 |
| Soybean Meal | 415 |
| Swine Premix | 60 |
Pig Grower 2 for 80-160 pound pigs
| Feed Ingredients | Amounts (in pounds) |
| Crude Protein | 13.95% |
| Corn (ground is best, no whole kernels) | 1630 |
| Soybean Meal | 310 |
| Swine Premix | 60 |
Pig Finisher for 160-market weight pigs
| Feed Ingredients | Amounts (in pounds) |
| Crude Protein | 12.60% |
| Corn (ground is best, no whole kernels) | 1710 |
| Soybean Meal | 240 |
| Swine Premix | 50 |
Gestation Ration
| Feed Ingredients | Amounts (in pounds) |
| Crude Protein | 12% |
| Corn (ground is best, no whole kernels) | 1770 |
| Soybean Meal | 180 |
| Swine Premix | 50 |
Lactation Ration
| Feed Ingredients | Amounts (in pounds) |
| Crude Protein | 17.60% |
| Corn (ground is best, no whole kernels) | 1475 |
| Soybean Meal | 475 |
| Swine Premix | 50 |
These numbers are from the swine feed premix that we buy for our pigs. These mixes are formulated so that you can use high quality ingredients to make your own feed at home.
These feeds are professionally formulated for great results, but do require you to your part by accurately figuring up the math and measuring the ingredients.
If you are not comfortable with making your own feed, just buy feed at the farm store.
Source: these figures are from the bag of swine premix that we purchase to make our pig feed, the red paper tag is pictured above. The mix is made for Mt. Hope Ag of Mt. Hope, Ohio.
