Tuesday, January 01, 2008 Guide to backyard swine feeding By Henrylito D. Tacio
FOR most Filipinos, pork is a rich source of protein, calories, minerals and vitamins. An average-sized porkchop provides 45 percent of the daily protein needs of a person.
Pork is highly digestible: 97 percent of meat proteins and 96 percent of meat fats are digested. Although fatter than other meats, pork fat is well-utilized by the human body.
A small farmer who puts up a piggery project in his backyard can earn a steady income from it. With a ready market for pork and its by-products, backyard swine projects could be highly profitable in a very short time.
"If you raise swine," says Roy C. Alimoane, a livestock specialist and current director of the Mindanao Baptist Rural Life Center (MBRLC) Foundation, Inc. in Kinuskusan, Bansalan, Davao del Sur, "remember that feeds constitute almost 80 percent of the total production cost."
Alimoane adds that feedstuffs differ in feed value due to variations in their nutrient content, their physical and chemical properties, and the way they are prepared for feeding.
Feed preparation
There are three methods of preparing feeds for swine: cooking, grinding, and soaking. "Of these three methods," says Alimoane, "the most popular among backyard raisers is cooking, which makes the feed digestible, palatable, and safer to eat."
The MBRLC head said grinding feeds into particle size also increases their digestibility. "Soaking," he points out, "is done only when the grain has hardened from storage and is difficult to chew."
Pig rations
The pigs should be given rations appropriate to their ages and their physiological conditions. If these are considered, good animal performance may be ensured and unnecessary expenses avoided. Furthermore, punctuality and regularity in feeding the animals should be observed strictly.
Hog concentrates that provide protein, amino acids, vitamins and minerals are given as the major component. Sweet potato tops, kangkong and other green leafy feeds should be given only as feed supplements. Mongo and beans can be used as a substitute for soybean oil meal.
Fresh leftover food from the kitchen should be fed to pigs. These may be rice and/or corn, the gills and entrails of fish, papaya and banana peelings, sweet potato, and other scraps.
Studies conducted at the MBRLC showed that the golden apple snail - now widely regarded as a menace in rice fields - is an excellent feed for swine, particularly if given fresh.
Feed formulation
Swine can adjust well to almost any kind of feed. To a practical swine raiser, there is no standard ration for any type or class of swine. The formula can be adjusted if there are changes in the price of feed ingredients or when there is more of one ingredient than others. The nutrient requirements of the hogs, however, have to be satisfied.
In formulating swine rations, the raiser should first determine the particular class of swine for which a ration is to be formulated. "Be acquainted also with the nutrient components and unit prices of the feedstuffs in your area," Alimoane advises.
In addition, the raiser has to decide on a suitable combination of feedstuffs so that the ration will be palatable, safe, economical, and nutritionally balanced.
Feed mixing
Feed mixing is a simple backyard operation. The raiser can mix swine feeds on concrete floors or in a mixing box using a shovel or any other suitable equipment. Irrespective of the equipment used, it is important to mix the ingredients thoroughly to produce a uniform mixture.
