Chapter 2: Carry out pig feeding

Pig feeding is a critical component of successful pig production, directly influencing growth rates, reproductive performance, and overall herd health. In Kenya, where pig farming is expanding rapidly due to increasing demand for pork, efficient feeding practices supported by appropriate tools and equipment can improve productivity and profitability. Understanding the feeding tools, equipment, and materials ensures that feed is administered correctly, minimizing wastage and contamination. This chapter focuses on the essential implements and materials used in pig feeding to enhance farm management and animal welfare.

2.1 Feeding tools, equipment and materials

Feeding tools, equipment and materials are the items used to measure, mix, hold, store and deliver feed to pigs. A well-chosen set reduces wasted feed, keeps feed clean and gives every pig a fair chance to eat. Feed is a major running cost in a piggery, so spilt or contaminated feed is lost income. This topic covers feed basins, feed mixers, hay feeders and mineral feeders, together with the measuring and storage items used with them. The kinds of feed placed in them are covered in Pig feeds and Provision of basal rations.

Feed basins

A feed basin is any open container, such as a trough, bowl or pan, that holds feed for pigs to eat. Its design depends on the age of the pigs, the size of the group and whether feeding is by hand or automatic. A good basin is smooth, easy to clean, heavy or fixed enough not to be overturned, and shaped so that pigs cannot stand in it.

• Space per pig: Pigs fed at set times all eat together, so each pig needs its own space along the trough, roughly 25 to 35 cm for a grower or finisher and about 45 cm for a sow.
• Shape: A trough with a rounded bottom and a low front edge makes cleaning easier and a divider or bar across the top stops pigs climbing in.
• Piglet and sow bowls: Shallow bowls or pans give piglets a place to feed on creep feed, and a fixed bowl for each sow in a farrowing crate or stall lets her individual ration be controlled.
• Cleaning: Remove old feed and wash troughs every day, since stale feed grows moulds and attracts flies.

Feed mixer

A feed mixer blends the ingredients of a ration, such as maize meal, a protein cake and a mineral premix, until each mouthful has the same composition. A poor mix lets some pigs eat too little of a nutrient and others too much.

• Hand mixing: On a small farm the ingredients are layered on a clean concrete floor and turned over with a shovel, at least three times, starting with the large quantities and adding the small ones such as premix in the middle of the heap.
• Drum mixer: A rotating drum, powered by an electric motor or an engine, mixes batches of a few tens of kilograms for medium units.
• Horizontal and vertical mixers: Larger piggeries use a horizontal ribbon mixer or a vertical screw mixer, often installed beside a hammer mill so that the grain is ground and mixed in one process.
• Use: Weigh each ingredient for the batch, load the largest ingredients first, add minor ingredients last and mix for the time recommended for the machine.
• Care: Switch off and isolate the power before cleaning, keep guards in place over moving parts and empty the mixer completely between rations, so that a sow feed is never carried over into a feed meant for another class of pig.

A scale and measuring tools are used with the mixer so that each batch follows the formula. Plastic or metal scoops of a known volume, such as 1 to 5 litres, measure feed for daily rations on smallholdings, graduated cups measure small quantities such as additives, and a platform or digital scale weighs ingredients and bags accurately.

Hay feeders

A hay feeder is a rack, manger or hopper that holds dry forage off the floor. Pigs eat mostly concentrate feeds, but dry sows, boars and pigs on forage-based diets may be given dry lucerne, hay or chopped Napier grass to supply fibre. If the forage is thrown on the floor it is trampled and fouled, so a feeder keeps it clean and reduces waste.

• Rack feeder: A wall-mounted frame of timber or steel bars with a tray below to catch fallen leaves.
• Manger or trough feeder: A low trough at pig height into which chopped forage is placed.
• Fitting: The bars must be spaced so that pigs can reach the forage but cannot trap their heads, and the feeder must have no sharp edges or protruding nails.
• Siting: Place it under cover, away from the drinkers, so that the forage stays dry.

Mineral feeders

A mineral feeder gives pigs access to mineral supplements that are not mixed into the ration, such as a mineral block or a salt lick. It is a box, tray or holder fixed to the wall of the pen at a height that suits the size of the pig.

• Mineral lick block: A compressed block of salt and minerals held in a bracket so that pigs lick it as they need it.
• Covered box or hopper: Holds loose mineral mixture and keeps rain and manure out.
• Siting: Put it where pigs can reach it easily but away from the water point, so that it does not get wet.
• Care: Check it often and refill when empty, because pigs given minerals after a long gap may take too much at once.

Feed storage and handling

Feed that is stored badly loses nutrients, absorbs moisture, grows moulds that produce toxins, and attracts rodents and insects. Storage items include:

• Silos: Large, airtight metal or plastic towers for bulk feed on large commercial units.
• Feed bins: Medium bins with tight lids for small and medium units.
• Jute and woven bags: Breathable bags for transporting and short-term storage, stacked on pallets or timber slats clear of the floor and walls.
• Plastic containers: Sealed, rodent-proof containers for small quantities of concentrate, premix or medicated feed.
• Scooping shovels: Long-handled plastic or metal shovels that move feed from storage to feeders and keep hands out of the feed.

Keep the store dry, cool and ventilated, use the oldest stock first and keep different feeds clearly labelled and apart from chemicals.

Chapter Summary

This chapter explored the essential tools, equipment, and materials required for effective pig feeding, emphasizing their role in ensuring proper feed delivery. It detailed the various types of pig feeds available, including their nutritional content and suitability for different growth stages. The provision of basal rations was covered, highlighting the importance of balanced diets to meet the pigs’ basic nutritional needs. Feed supplements were discussed as critical additions to enhance growth and health, particularly when basal rations are insufficient. Methods for evaluating feed intake were examined to monitor consumption and detect feeding issues early. The chapter also addressed the evaluation of feed conversion efficiency, a key measure of how well pigs convert feed into body weight. Proper maintenance of pig feeding records was stressed to support management decisions and track performance over time. Finally, waste management practices were outlined to maintain hygiene, prevent disease, and promote environmental sustainability in pig production.