Raising pigs on forage grass can lower feed costs, and scientific feeding is the key

Raising pigs on forage grass means adding fresh or processed forage grass to pigs' daily feed and feeding it together with concentrated feed. Forage grass contains crude fiber, vitamins and some protein, which can make up for the nutritional shortcomings of conventional feed while promoting gastrointestinal motility in pigs and offering some benefit to gut health. Many farmers use it to replace part of the concentrated feed in order to reduce feed costs.

In terms of variety selection, commonly used options include ryegrass, alfalfa, chicory, bitter lettuce and napier grass - forage grasses that are rich in leaves and tender and juicy. These forage grasses have good palatability and are relatively easy for pigs to accept. When planting, choose plots with deep soil and convenient drainage and irrigation, and sow in batches to ensure a supply of fresh grass in different seasons.

Feeding methods are quite varied: forage grass can be chopped and fed fresh, pulped and mixed with feed, or fermented with probiotics such as lactic acid bacteria before use. Fermented forage grass keeps longer and has more stable quality. The feeding ratio needs to be adjusted flexibly according to the pig's growth stage. Sows have a strong tolerance for roughage and can be given more; piglets have an immature digestive system, so concentrated feed should be the main part with only a small amount of forage grass added.

It should be noted that forage grass cannot completely replace concentrated feed, otherwise it can easily lead to nutritional deficiency and slow growth. When feeding, avoid using forage grass that has been sprayed with pesticides or has become moldy, and insist on a gradual transition from less to more so that the pig's digestive tract has time to adapt; only then can relatively ideal breeding results be achieved.