Feed silage to pigs for hidden benefits

摘要

Silage might not seem like an obvious part of a pig's ration, but in the face of rising grain costs, Oxford-based FAI Farms is reaping the benefits of using a less-conventional feed. The 1,850-acre mixed livestock business has been using silage to feed its 30-head herd of organic Gloucester Old Spot pigs for the past decade. Unable to grow large volumes of arable crops, but growing silage to feed its 100-cow suckler herd and 1,200-head ewe flock, the business discovered silage was also a viable option for feeding its pigs. More than 10 years later, FAI farms has collected a wealth of anecdotal evidence that suggests pigs thrive on being fed silage and that there are cost savings to be made. And now thanks to European Union funding via DEFRA, the farm is running trials to find out exactly what sort of growth can be achieved from feeding silage to pigs, as well as how the system could be used on commercial pig farms.