Traditional Breeds Meat Marketing (Feeding)
Uploaded September 2004

RARE BREED PIG PRODUCTION

Liveweight Growth Chart
The following chart shows optimum liveweight growth for all rare breeds of pigs from birth to 24 weeks. The growth rates are based on formal trials and should be the liveweights for age for pigs offered to the Meat Marketing programme either as pigs for finishing or finished pigs for the butchers.

The feed rates shown are based on formal trials utilising an ad lib feed system from 2 weeks of age to 40 kgs liveweight and then a restricted, by weight of feed per day, carefully measured system, where pigs are weighed individually every 2 weeks. The feed used will be an "open declaration by ingredient" ration with 16.5 - 17.5% protein and with copper at not more than 25mgs/kg.

In order to achieve these growth rates it .is necessary to consider splitting groups of growing pigs from 8 week weaning into quicker and slower growing groups to avoid the bigger pigs dominating smaller pigs and thus getting an unequal amount of feed, which will lead to both overfat and underweight for age pigs.

Please note that a 16kgs liveweight pig at 8 weeks of age will take 5 weeks longer to get to optimum pork weight than a pig of 20kgs at 8 weeks with considerable increases in feed costs.

Age   Liveweight Range    Feed kgs (lbs)
(wks) (kgs)               per day (2 feeds            
2       4.3 -  7.3        Some + some fresh feed
4       7.3 - 11.4        0.22 (0.5) or ad lib
6      11.4 - 16.0        0.70 (1.5) or ad lib
8      16.0 - 22.0        1.25 (2.2) or ad lib
10     22.0 - 23.0        1.25 (2.2) or ad lib
12     23.0 - 30.0        1.25 (2.2) or ad lib
14     30.0 - 37.0        1.50 (3.25) or ad lib
16     37.0 - 45.5        1.70 (3.75) restricted
18     45.5 - 52.75       1.93 (4.25) restricted
20     52.75 - 57.00      1.93 (4.25) restricted
22     57.00 - 61.00      1.93 (4.25) restricted
24     61.00 - 69.50      1.93 (4.25) restricted*
26     69.50 - 79.00      1.93 (4.25) restricted
28     79.00 - 86.00      1.93 (4.25) restricted

*This is the maximum age acceptable as pork for entire boars although castrates are preferred

Total feed consumption is very difficult to calculate as feeding ad lib up to 40 kgs may use more or less than the figures shown. However, using the figures shown the total feed consumed is:
Up to 24 weeks - 65kgs liveweight - feed consumed is - 215kgs - which at £156 per tonne represents to total cost of £3.54 for feed, at £165 per tonne represents £35.50 per pig, at £180 represents £38.70, and at £200 per tonne represents a feed cost per pig of £43.00.

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Source: Rare Breeds Survival Trust