Here is a shot of how we are handling the grain sprouting for the red wattle hogs. We simply fill 5 gallon buckets with grains and load them in the gator. Then drive them out to the hog feeding area. After unloading into pallets we fill each with water. In 3 to 4 days they have sprouted! Then we pour them... Water and all.. Into the feeders. Right now that lasts them about half week.
The recipe being used currently is:
8 buckets organic wheat
4 buckets organic rye
4 buckets organic peas
We are adding organic whole barley to the mix next week and about once a week add a couple bags of organic cracked corn.
Sprouting the grains allows the whole grain to be digestible and adds nutrition over what would be dry grains. We could use cracked or rolled grains but I feel that sprouted is ultimately healthier than dry.
We are still looking at ways to simplify this but for now it works well.
greetings, I am in Madagascar working with families who want to increase profit raising pigs. Is the sprouted grain sufficient for all the nutrients. We were going to raise fodder but it takes too much time and materials for most farmers. We are sprouting rice, beans and barley and corn. On day 3 first trial. Thank you. Annie
ReplyDeleteI am no expert... so take this as one farmer's opinion...
ReplyDeleteSprouting grains increases the nutritional value of the grains, but it is still just grains. Unless you go to the fodder stage, you have not added the benefit of greens themselves. So I would say no.. sprouts alone are not a compelte enough feed to be 100% of the needs for long term.
However, if you supplement with other foods on a regular basis, it would meet their needs. Veggies, Forage, Etc...
Pigs are very much like humans, they need a variety to be healthy. So think down the line of feeding growing children... and feed the variety that adds in the things that grains do not have.