HELP! How do I make my 4-H pig gain at least 45 pounds in 25 days?!

[charnic44]

My 4-H pig is 165 pounds (as of yesterday) and she needs to be at least 210 pounds. She needs to put on at least 45 pounds for me to be able to sell her at the auction. Anybody know of any supplements, special feed, anything that will make my pig gain the weight? I have her separated from her brothers who are already 200 and 206 pounds. Help! I exercise her daily, she's got all the food she could eat. I'm giving her 2 eggs a day, High Octane PowerFill, Bling, and her regular grower feed which is mostly ground corn. What would work? Should I exercise her more to make her more hungry? Or will more exercise make her lose weight? Is there anything else I could feed her to make her gain more? Thanks for all the help!

 

[cassie]

It sounds like you are doing everything you can do. By the way, pigs gain better if they have some competition. They can't stand the idea that their pen mate might get more food than they do, so they eat more to keep the other pig from getting it.

 

[charnic44]

It sounds like you are doing everything you can do.  By the way, pigs gain better if they have some competition.  They can't stand the idea that their pen mate might get more food than they do, so they eat more to keep the other pig from getting it.

Yeah. We had all three together to start but then the boys got rougher than her so they hogged all the food. She got whatever was leftover. I separated her but her pen is right next to theirs so she can still see them and think that they might steal her food. I really don't want her to be under weight and before we weigh her at fair I will be giving her Gatorade in her water to add some water weight which will help a little but not much. I don't know what to do. I'll start giving her my food if she will gain.

 

[Godsgrl]

We were told in FFA not to give pigs people food, it would make the carcass oily, and you'd get less money at slaughter. Good luck with your pig.

 

[orpington13]

feed it BACON!

 

[cassie]

We were told in FFA not to give pigs people food, it would make the carcass oily, and you'd get less money at slaughter. Good luck with your pig.

All things in moderation. A few table scraps won't hurt a bit.

 

[charnic44]

We were told in FFA not to give pigs people food, it would make the carcass oily, and you'd get less money at slaughter. Good luck with your pig.

Yeah I know. It was a joke. Thanks, though.

feed it BACON!

Then it would be a cannibal...

 

[res]

Can you check with your club/county and see if you can put a "for sale" sign on her pen if she doesn't make weight? I know some counties will allow signs, especially for breeding animals. Since she is a "she" and not a castrated male, she would qualify as a breeding animal.

Or just sell her via Craigslist after the 4-H auction.

My daughter's market steer is not going to make the 1200 lb minimum, either. He is too young to catch up an reach 1200 lbs. So if we show him, it will be in showmanship classes only, and we'll bring him home and put him in our own freezer(s).

 

[charnic44]

Can you check with your club/county and see if you can put a "for sale" sign on her pen if she doesn't make weight? I know some counties will allow signs, especially for breeding animals. Since she is a "she" and not a castrated male, she would qualify as a breeding animal.

Or just sell her via Craigslist after the 4-H auction.

My daughter's market steer is not going to make the 1200 lb minimum, either. He is too young to catch up an reach 1200 lbs. So if we show him, it will be in showmanship classes only, and we'll bring him home and put him in our own freezer(s).

We can't put a for sale sign on her pen before the auction because they don't want potential buyers to buy the underweight pigs before the pigs that made weight. If she doesn't make weight, I might breed her. If I sold her on Craigslist, I wouldn't get as much for her as I would if I sold her at fair. 4-H prices are always higher. Good luck with your daughter's steer!