Copper/Feeding babies

Question
QUESTION: Hi, I was wondering if pot bellied pigs can have copper in there diets?  I am currently feeding pot bellied pig food...it is just getting way too expensive and the price has gone up several times.....I threw the bag away so I can't remember what all was on it....a couple people I know that have pot bellied pigs have theres on a complete horse feed....12-14% pelleted food...but it does contain copper.  If they can have copper in there feed how much ppm should I look for any how much should i avoid?  my pot bellied pig is 13wks old and very very healthy....she eats fruits/veggies everyday with her meals....as well as some quaker oats added to her food for a bit of a filler (she LOVES them)....she is not fat at all....she is perfect size and shape....she is very active and runs all over the place chasing the dogs (her and my german shepherd are best friends...i never thought i'd have to be telling the pig to play easier and not the dog lol)....I am also going to be taking in 2 more babies...a female and a male (that will be neutered)....the female is 2wks and the male is 4wks.....my question is...what should I be feeding them at this age?  Can they start having fruits and veggies at this age? am i to be giving them a milk mix...any of the pot bellied pig feed?  Oh, my mix of fruits and veggies is 3parts veggies to 1 part fruit...since I know fruits are high in sugar.  Can pot bellieds have beets?  I have a friend who gave me some but I don't want to give them to her until I know for sure they can have them.  The only thing so far I have been told they cannot have is onions...and to go light on the broccoli and those type gassy veggies..is this correct?....I have found that she does not like celery or green peppers...but will eat everything else including lettuce/cabbage...her favorite is cuccumbers and zuchinni.  Any information that you can give me on this would be greatly appreciated...i've been searching the web for 2 days and cannot find a direct answer about copper.  THANKS!!!!

ANSWER: There's very little information about diet and pot-bellied pigs, and very little information about the best diet for swine health and longevity in general. Instead, most research is devoted to devising diets that will make small piglets grow quickly for slaughter.

Regular pot-bellied pig food is probably the best diet, but it is also the most expensive and that adds up quickly when feeding many pigs! Most rescues and sanctuaries can not afford to feed pot-bellied pig food to all the pigs, so they use horse chow or the lowest fat hog food finisher, supplemented with veggies, fruits, and grazing time.

The high level of copper in horse feed does not seem to cause any problems. But, the issue really hasn't been studied enough to determine a definite answer. It appears that long term consumption of very high levels of copper might affect the liver, but this is a guess based on how other species react to high copper levels. Perhaps in another 10 years or so we'll begin to see a clear pattern emerging from the rescues and sanctuaries that have a lot of pigs eating the same foods.

Alternating between a bag of horse feed and a bag of hog finisher, or even mixing the two together, will reduce the amount of copper.

A bigger concern is the quality of the feed itself. Feed that's milled super fine and dusty can cause compactions and blockages in the intestines. Feed that's been infested with vermin or mold will have ugly chunks. When the appearance and smell of the food is poor, it's difficult to believe the nutritional analysis on the package is accurate. If it looks or smells wrong, don't use it.

Pigs can eat any fruit or vegetable that people eat. Most pigs are not fond of plain raw broccoli and cabbage. Some like beets, some do not.

When pigs are kept in singly or in pairs, they often become picky eaters. But when living in a herd, pigs are far less picky. They may not like a particular food, but will eat it just so the other pigs can't! Pigs can eat any veggie or fruit (including onions). The warning about gassy foods (apples also cause gas in pigs) applies primarily to indoor pigs. With outdoor pigs there's less need to worry, because the pigs and gas are not inside.

Milk is fine for pot-bellied pigs. But it isn't calorie-free, so don't forget to count them. Sick pigs who won't eat can usually be persuaded to drink a milkshake made with Ensure or Boost and instant breakfast.



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: What should I be feeding orphaned 2wk and 4wk old piglets?  When you say low protein hog grower/finisher...is a 15% acceptable?  I was looking at the mini pig food that I feed and what my goats are on...and the only difference is a little more molasses....and the copper....can I feed them this?  They are both 16% feeds....and the mini pig feed does have good ingredients and cane molasses in it.  Thank you!!!!!

Answer
Momma pigs normally wean their babies at 8 weeks of age.

So the 2 week old piglet should be getting goats milk or sow replacement formula almost exclusively, as much as he wants as often as he wants. It's ok to offer him anything an adult pig would eat, but he may do little more than mouth it. Also offer him starter pellets soaked in milk until it looks like thin oatmeal.

The 4 week old should also be getting as much goats milk or sow replacement formula as he wants, but should be switching to starter pellets. Start by mixing the pellets with milk until it's like thin oatmeal. At each meal, add a few more pellets, up to about 1/4 c of pellets, then gradually reduce the amount of milk until it's just dry pellets. At 4 weeks he's ready to start actually eating small amounts of adult food, especially veggies and fruits.

The piglets should be gaining about 1 lb a week until they are 15 - 25 lb. Let them eat as much as they want until their weight reaches this range and they are weaned to starter pellets and adult foods. Then, they should be getting about 1/2 cup per 15 lb of piglet per day.

From this point, feeding becomes more of an art than a science. It depends on the individual pig, the environment, the food and a dozen other variables. So monitor the pigs appearance and adjust the quantity and/or proportion of pellets and veggies up or down to keep the pig looking well fed but trim.

Starter pellets differ from regular feeds by containing milk and milk products, more fat, and higher protein than the adult versions.

For their adult food, look for something that is 12% to 14% protein. 16% is a little high for a healthy young adult pig. I think most brands of pot-bellied pig food do contain molasses to make the food tasty, the difference is the quantity of molasses.

Hog food is generally made for the three (short) stages of a market hogs life; Starter, Grower and Finisher/Maintenance. Starter pellets are for the weaning stage. Grower is just that - a food designed to make the piggies grow large and fat as quickly as possible. Growers are the foods most likely to be treated with drugs or hormones. The Finisher is a leaner food, fed for the last few months or weeks of a pigs life so the meat is leaner and tastier. It's also fed to breeding sows. This last type is the kind to look for to feed pot-bellied pigs.