Feed problems on pig farms

Feed accounts for 60 - 70% of costs. However, some 10% of this can be wasted on many farms, which is 6% of total costs go down the slats or into the muck heap, this may be nearly twice your vet bill!!

Always look critically at any floor feeding, even in the farrowing area.

It is essential to regularly check feed bins	A bin that can be seen through helps reduce mould being missed	Bins with their lids left open, rain got in and spoilt 3 tonnes of feed	Inadequate bin hygiene routines. Feed bins need regular cleaning
Poor placement in the feed bin and cleaning up afterwards	Poor storage allowing rat infestation waste and disease risk do not leave them outside to get wet	Creep feed should only be stored on pallets	Poor storage creep being too hot. Note creep feed is basically milk
Holes in the home miller and mix plant	Holes in the bin/auger piping lead to chronic feed loss	Poor milling leading to feed being unusable, pigs cannot digest whole grains	The poor milling was associated with a blunt hammer in the mill
Dusty feed in the feed hopper. Detailed examination is not necessary. Check the quality of feed at the top of the feeder and compare with what the pigs are actually trying to eat		Poor placement into feed hoppers can result in fighting over feed	Feed scoop management resulting in increased waste at delivery

	Poor hygiene of feed barrow around farm. Maintain all trailers and tote bins		Poor management of feeders as part of all-in/all-out resulting in wasted feed		Inadequate feeder space for all the pigs, variable growth is inevitable		A sow in heat does not eat. Ensure all uneaten food is distributed and not wasted
Holes in feed hopper both large and small result in waste. Poorly repaired feeders are the number one error on most pig farms				Design of feed hopper where pigs can throw food out of the hopper		Management of feeder with too much food presented
Poor feeder slide adjustment resulting is variable feed availability and waste		Poor cleaning of feeders resulting in reduction in feed space availability		Bedding management resulting in blocked feeders. Items can get block feeders such as straw or marker cans		Feeders which have allowed water to enter the feeder spoiling the food
Partially covered feeders. Bird and rodent spread salmonella		Feeders with bird and rodent contamination. Note all of this bird faeces would have been eaten by the pigs, a major disease risk		Water overflowing into the feeder limiting feed accessibility and resulting in increased wastage		Feed wastage under feeder. Not only costs money but encourages rodents to the farm