🐷 How to Feed Pigs at Different Stages (Beginner Guide for Profitable Pig Farming)

Feeding pigs the right way at each stage of growth is the biggest secret to profitable pig farming.
Whether you run a small backyard farm or a commercial operation, feed can consume 60–70% of your total production cost. So, knowing what to feed and when to feed can save money and help pigs grow faster.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to feed pigs from birth to market weight using simple nutrition tips and local feed ingredients.

👶 1. Feeding Piglets (Birth to 8 Weeks)

Piglets need good nutrition from the first minutes after birth.

🍼 First 2 Weeks

• Ensure piglets suck colostrum within 2 hours.

• Colostrum protects against diseases and boosts immunity.

• Offer clean water after the 3rd–4th day.

💡 Reminder: Do NOT give solid feed immediately. Piglets can’t digest normal feed well yet.

🐖 2–8 Weeks: Creep Feeding

Start offering creep feed at 10–14 days. Creep feed is a soft, high-protein diet prepared specially for young piglets.

Ideal Creep Feed

• Protein: 20–22%

• Easy to digest

• Highly energetic

Daily Consumption Guide

Age Feed per pig/day 2–4 weeks 50–100 g 4–8 weeks 150–350 g

⭐ Tip for Healthy Piglets
Add probiotics and zinc oxide in feed to reduce diarrhea.

🐗 2. Feeding Weaner Pigs (8–20 Weeks)

Weaning is stressful—piglets are separated from the sow and exposed to new feed. At this stage, nutrition should be rich but simple.

🥣 Weaner Feed Requirements

Nutrients Ideal Amount Protein 18–20% Energy 3,000–3,200 kcal/kg Lysine 0.9–1.1%

🧮 Daily Amount

Body Weight Feed/day 10–20 kg 0.4–1 kg 20–35 kg 1–1.5 kg

🔥 Pro Tip: Avoid changing feeds suddenly. Gradual transition prevents diarrhea and growth loss.

🐽 3. Feeding Grower Pigs (20–60 kg)

Growers build muscle quickly. Feed should be moderately high in protein and rich in energy.

🍽 Grower Feed Requirements

Nutrients Ideal Amount Protein 16–18% Energy 3,000–3,200 kcal/kg

🧮 Daily Amount

Weight Feed/day 35–60 kg 1.5–2.5 kg

💡 Advice: Do not overfeed protein. It increases cost unnecessarily.

🐷💪 4. Feeding Finisher Pigs (60–110+ kg)

Finishers gain more fat and weight, so feed should contain less protein but more energy.

🍽 Finisher Feed Requirements

Nutrients Ideal Amount Protein 14–16% Energy 3,200–3,400 kcal/kg

🧮 Daily Amount

Weight Feed/day 60–110 kg 2.5–3.5 kg

⭐ Bonus Tip: Use local cheap energy sources like cassava, rice bran, and maize to reduce feed cost.

🤰🐖 5. Feeding Pregnant & Lactating Sows

📌 Pregnant Sows (Gestation Feed)

Period Feed/day Early pregnancy 2–2.5 kg Late pregnancy 2.5–3.5 kg

• Protein: 12–14%

• Add fiber (bran, silage) for digestion.

🍼 Lactating Sows (Feeding Piglets)

• Feed 4–6 kg/day depending on litter size.

• Protein must be 16–18% to produce more milk.

🐗💙 6. Feeding Boars (Breeding Males)

• Feed 2–2.5 kg/day

• Protein: 14–16%

• Add Vitamins A, E, Selenium to improve semen quality.

🚫 Never let boars become overweight. It reduces mating performance.

🌾 Best Local Feed Ingredients for Pigs

Ingredient Purpose Maize, sorghum, cassava Energy Soybean meal, groundnut cake, fish meal Protein Rice/wheat bran Fiber Bone meal, limestone Minerals Salt + premix Vitamins & minerals

💰 Tips to Reduce Feeding Cost

✔ Formulate feed by age/stage, not one feed for all
✔ Use local ingredients
✔ Minimize protein waste
✔ Provide clean water 24/7
✔ Allow free-choice (ad libitum) feeding for fast growers

📌 Quick Summary Table

Stage Protein Feed/day Piglets 20–22% 50–350 g Weaners 18–20% 0.4–1.5 kg Growers 16–18% 1.5–2.5 kg Finishers 14–16% 2.5–3.5 kg Pregnant sow 12–14% 2–3.5 kg Lactating sow 16–18% 4–6 kg Boar 14–16% 2–2