Nutrition
Swine have a digestive system similar to humans and different from ruminants
such as cattle and sheep, which can eat forages or grasses. Pigs are fed
a diet that is primarily ground corn to supply heat and energy and soybean
meal to provide protein. Vitamins and minerals are also added in their
feed. Rations are closely tailored to optimize health and growth at each
stage in their life. Many producers even modify the ration based on the
pig’s gender.
The ration is normally changed to provide more energy and less protein
as the pig grows. The goal is to optimize feed utilization for different
stages of growth. Since nutritional needs are different for male and female
grow-finish pigs, larger operations may even modify the ration, based
on gender. Recent studies indicate that ration modifications that can
reduce the amount of nitrogen and phosphorous excreted in the manure,
while maintaining optimum pig growth and health. It takes nearly 1000
pounds of feed to raise a hog to market weight.
This same pig drinks about one-and-a-half to two gallons of water a day
over its six-month life.
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