How to Build a Feeding Program for Pasture-Raised Pigs
Pasture-raised pigs need well-rounded nutrition for steady growth, muscle development, reproduction, and overall herd health. While grass can provide enrichment and some supplemental nutrients, pigs are monogastric animals and cannot efficiently digest forage the way cattle or sheep can. A strong feeding program is necessary for pigs to thrive through changing pasture conditions, different stages of growth, and seasonal changes.
What Do Pasture-Raised Pigs Need Nutritionally?
Pasture works best as part of a larger feeding strategy built around high-quality concentrates or complete feeds. Research shows that pigs on pasture perform best when a significant portion of their energy needs comes from supplemental feeds. Protein levels are especially important for growing pigs, with many pasture feeding programs targeting around 16% protein and even higher levels for younger pigs.
Nutritional needs also shift throughout a pig’s life stages. Younger nursery pigs benefit from highly digestible proteins, ingredients for gut health, and pelleted feeds that reduce sorting and provide dependable nutrition. As pigs grow, feeding programs typically focus more on energy intake, muscle development, feed efficiency, and maintaining consistent growth.
Pasture-raised pigs also need constant access to clean water, shade, shelter, and feeding systems that minimize waste. Because pasture conditions and forage quality can vary throughout the season, many producers rely on complete feeds, premixes, or grain-based supplements to meet pigs’ needs year-round.
Using Complete Feeds for Pasture-Raised Pigs
For many pasture pig operations, complete feeds offer the simplest way to provide steady nutrition alongside forage access.
Kalmbach Feeds offers several complete feed options depending on the age and goals of your pigs. Family Fixins® is a versatile feed for multiple life stages, making it especially useful for smaller farms or homesteads that prefer managing fewer feed products at one time. It is available in conventional, soy-free/non-GMO, and organic options and comes in a pellet form that helps reduce waste when feeding outdoors or on pasture.
For younger pigs after weaning, Pick of the Litter® provides a non-medicated nursery diet for pigs during one of the most stressful transitions in life. Nursery feeds often focus on digestibility, balanced nutrition, and encouraging healthy feed intake early on.
As pigs grow, Power Porker® is designed for grow-finish pigs from approximately 44 pounds to market weight. It targets muscle development and includes LifeGuard® to help pigs stay healthy and grow well.
Custom Pasture Pig Feeding Strategies: Basemixes & Premixes
Some pasture pig producers prefer more control over feed formulation, especially when using homegrown grains or adjusting diets based on forage conditions, pig size, or production goals. In these situations, basemixes and premixes can offer more flexibility while still helping producers build complete rations for their pigs. Unlike complete feeds, basemixes and premixes are concentrated blends of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and other nutrients designed to be mixed with grains and protein sources to create a complete ration.
Sow Base 80 is formulated for gilts, gestating sows, lactating sows, and adult boars. Designed for easy inclusion with grains, it supports all-natural production programs while helping producers build customized breeding herd diets.
For growing and finishing pigs, Grow-Finish 50/40 Premix gives producers more flexibility to mix feed with their own grains and adjust rations as pigs grow. It works well for farms that prefer a more customized feeding program while still supporting all-natural production.
These types of feeding programs can work well for producers who already raise grain crops, want more ration flexibility, or prefer adjusting feed formulations throughout the growing season.
Finding the Right Feeding Approach for Your Pasture
There is no single feeding program that works for every pasture pig operation. Pasture quality, herd size, labor availability, grain access, and production goals can all influence how producers choose to feed their pigs.
For some farms, simplicity and consistency are the priority. Complete feeds can make feeding management easier by providing high-quality nutrition in one product, which may be especially helpful for smaller farms, mixed-age groups, or producers newer to raising pigs on pasture.
Other producers prefer more flexibility and control over feed ingredients. Basemixes and premixes allow farms to blend feeds with their own grains and adjust rations based on growth stage, forage conditions, or feed availability throughout the season.
Concentrates, like Generations™ Pig Supreme Concentrate 40 and 40% Chicken and Pig Supplement, are other options. They conveniently mix with grain or corn to provide the nutrients necessary for healthy growth and immune system function.
Many pasture pig operations use a combination of approaches. Younger pigs may benefit from specialized nursery feeds early in life before transitioning to customized grow-finish programs later on. Breeding animals also have different nutritional needs than pigs raised for market.
In the end, the best feeding program is usually the one that keeps pigs happy and healthy, and fits the way you manage your pasture and farm.
Explore our swine nutrition resources or visit your local retailer to find Kalmbach Feeds products for pasture-raised pigs.
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