I will like to share with you guys this pig feed formulae that gave high growth rate of 721g per day. But note that improved pig breeds were used and that matters a lot. Feeding local hens quality feed will not make them grow like broilers. You get it?

Pig breed used in the research was a hybrid of Yorkshire-Hampshire-Landrace-Duroc. But you can use other improved breeds with good result. And here is the feed:

Sweet potato leaves and stems were chopped and fed to the pig adlibitum (that is, it was made available at all times). In addition to this, a protein supplement was given at 1.6kg per pig per day till they reach 60kg body weight. Let's call this "feed 1". Initial body weight at the start of the experiment was about 30kg.

From 60kg body weight to 90kg body weight, "feed 2" is given at 1.8kg per pig per day.

Formulae for feed 1 is:
Maize: 52kg
Soybeans meal: 31.4kg
Palm oil: 12.5kg
Limestone (calcium carbonate): 0.8kg Calcium phosphate: 2.5kg
Salt: 0.5kg
Vitamin-mineral premix: 0.2kg

Feed formulae 2 is:
Maize: 57.2kg
Soybeans meal: 26kg
Palm oil: 12.5kg
Limestone (calcium carbonate): 0.87kg Calcium phosphate: 2.49kg
Salt: 0.5kg
Vitamin-mineral premix: 0.2kg DL-Methionine: 0.03kg
DL-Lysine: 0.15kg

So if you are a potato farmer, you can consider using the diet above to fatten pigs. One way to guarantee constant supply of sweet potato leaves is by ensilaging it with corn/cassava flour.

In the experiment, the diet above was compared to a costly control diet. Control diet formula 1 fed till 60kg body weight is shown below:
Maize: 78kg
Soybeans meal: 17.4kg
Palm oil: None
Limestone (calcium carbonate): 0.586kg Calcium phosphate: 2.42kg
Salt: 0.5kg
Vitamin-mineral premix: 0.2kg DL-Methionine: None
DL-Lysine: 0.6kg

Control Diet 2 fed from 60kg to 90kg body weight is:
Maize: 78.8kg
Soybeans meal: 17.4kg
Palm oil: None
Limestone (calcium carbonate): 0.58kg Calcium phosphate: 2.42kg
Salt: 0.5kg
Vitamin-mineral premix: 0.2kg DL-Methionine: None
DL-Lysine: 0.06kg

The control diets gave an average of 779g body weight gain per day and a feed conversion ratio of 2.52kg per kg gain.
Thanks.

Source: http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd15/9/gonz159.html

Another one coming soon.

Some of these ingredients will be difficult to get. Are there alternatives?

(10-07-2022, 10:12 PM)Hunter Wrote: Some of these ingredients will be difficult to get. Are there alternatives?

You can get most of them in animal feed stores. Just search and you will find. But you can still replace Limestone (calcium carbonate) with egg shell; Calcium phosphate with bone meal.

(10-08-2022, 06:47 PM)Henlus Wrote: You can get most of them in animal feed stores. Just search and you will find. But you can still replace Limestone (calcium carbonate) with egg shell; Calcium phosphate with bone meal.

Thanks.

(10-07-2022, 10:10 PM)Henlus Wrote: Another one coming soon.

PLS can you explain more on feed conversion ratio?

(10-22-2022, 08:42 AM)John@ Wrote: PLS can you explain more on feed conversion ratio?

A feed conversion ratio of 2.52kg per kg gain means that they eat 2.52kg of feed to gain 1kg in body weight.

(10-22-2022, 09:07 PM)Henlus Wrote: A feed conversion ratio of 2.52kg per kg gain means that they eat 2.52kg of feed to gain 1kg in body weight.

Thanks.

Good point on using improved pig breeds. Many people don’t realize feed efficiency depends a lot on genetics. A local pig on this diet won’t perform the same as those crossbreeds you mentioned.

The experimental setup used hybrid pigs (Yorkshire-Hampshire-Landrace-Duroc). That’s a high-performance genotype. For smallholder farmers who only have access to crossbreeds or local pigs, would the results be significantly lower?

One interesting point is the inclusion of palm oil in both rations. Apart from supplying energy, palm oil also improves feed palatability and reduces dust. But it can be expensive. In fact it is expensive now. 1 bottle of 75cl is N2000. A possible alternative could be using cassava chips for extra energy, though the digestibility profile would differ.

The control diet had no palm oil, yet still achieved higher daily gains (779g vs 721g). This suggests the maize–soy diet is more energy-dense. Farmers may need to balance between cost of palm oil versus extra maize to achieve optimal economics. Thank God maize is now cheap.

Ensilaging potato vines with cassava or maize flour is a smart way to preserve the feed and avoid seasonal shortages. But farmers need to watch for mold growth and ensure proper fermentation, otherwise toxins would harm the pigs.

The mineral inclusion is quite precise: limestone, dicalcium phosphate, and premix. If these are omitted, pigs on high-forage diets may develop bone or fertility issues. Farmers sometimes overlook minerals, but they are as critical as protein and energy.

(09-19-2025, 12:38 AM)AgroInnovate Wrote: The mineral inclusion is quite precise: limestone, dicalcium phosphate, and premix. If these are omitted, pigs on high-forage diets may develop bone or fertility issues. Farmers sometimes overlook minerals, but they are as critical as protein and energy.

Very correct. Vitamins and minerals deficiency is one of the major reasons why many pig and livestock farmers experience rise and fall due to deaths.

(09-19-2025, 12:23 AM)Agtech Wrote: Ensilaging potato vines with cassava or maize flour is a smart way to preserve the feed and avoid seasonal shortages. But farmers need to watch for mold growth and ensure proper fermentation, otherwise toxins would harm the pigs.

Yes. Anyone who wants to try this should do more research. Watch 2 or 3 videos on it. The main thing is to chop into small pieces, pack it as tight as possible and make it airtight. Once you do these, no fear of toxins.

(09-18-2025, 11:23 PM)AgMan Wrote: One interesting point is the inclusion of palm oil in both rations. Apart from supplying energy, palm oil also improves feed palatability and reduces dust. But it can be expensive. In fact it is expensive now. 1 bottle of 75cl is N2000. A possible alternative could be using cassava chips for extra energy, though the digestibility profile would differ.

Nice observation. I don't think it would be economical to use palm oil now. Better use palm sludge if it is cheaper, or cassava

(09-18-2025, 11:08 PM)Sendrix Wrote: The experimental setup used hybrid pigs (Yorkshire-Hampshire-Landrace-Duroc). That’s a high-performance genotype. For smallholder farmers who only have access to crossbreeds or local pigs, would the results be significantly lower?

Yes growth will be lower. But feeding this will give better result than the PKC many pig farmers rely on. But change palm oil to maize, cassava or palm sludge to reduce cost.