How much to feed new show pig

[gobigorgohome]

Recently purchased our show pig. We are hand feeding everyday and he is eating 1 lb in morning and 1 lb in evening. Weighing about 40 lbs.. We are new with pigs. I know with show steers they should be eating 3% of their body weight a day in feed. Is there such a formula or percentage for show pigs? He's gonna have to gain steady in order to be an ideal weight for our show at the end of January - 110 days from now, but I don't want to push him too hard in the beginning and have joint issues. Any suggestions?

[lkbels]

Pigs eat about 5% of body weight till they reach 100 lbs

From 100 lbs on they eat about 2.5% of body weight
50-75 2.85lbs
75-125 4.46 lbs
125-150 5.58 lbs
150-200 6.35 lbs
200-225 6.69 lbs
225-250 6.80 lbs
250-270 7.30 lbs
Info I had cut and pasted from other articles

[gobigorgohome]

Thanks - that helps!

[gobigorgohome]

Thanks - that helps!

[kgb]

Actually, just using 2.5% of their bodyweight per day is not accurate. What a pig needs per day, what it will eat per day and what you feed it per day are way different things.

If you are looking for an easy feeding rate, then after 100 lbs feed 5 lb per day from 100 to 125 lb or so? And 6 lb per day from 125 lb to show. That suggestion is based on a feed containing 1% lysine and 6% fat.

Prior to 100 lb it is mainly gut fill that determines feed intake. After 100 lb other factors kick in (secondary sex characteristics, lean gain potential ... muscle, and the big one energy requirements). Pigs eat to meet their energy needs, so the amount of intake per day (ad libitum .... self feeder) matches their energy requirements with the amount of energy in the feed. (Energy = calories).

So to say a pig will eat 2.5% of it's bodyweight per day is not accurate. Pigs do eat less per day (as a % of bodyweight) as they grow and get bigger. But 6 lb per for a 125 lb pig is 4.8% and 6 lb per day to a 250 lb pig is 2.4%. Anyway, if you feed the 5 to 6 lb per day of a feed described above you should be fine.

[gobigorgohome]

Thanks KGB - my main concern was pushing him too hard when under 100 lbs.