Mix feed for pigs

It is important to get pig feed uniform and mixed properly for the best pig growth. This is especially important when mixing feed for young, fast-growing pigs.

Testing pig feed uniformity

In commercial feed manufacturing, a uniform mix must have a 10% or less difference in consistency. This difference is called the coefficient of variation (CV).

You need to mix feed for longer if the CV is over 10%.

Check your mixing equipment and process. Poor mixing can be a result of:

  • worn or old equipment
  • overfilling mixers
  • the particle size of grain ingredients
  • the order that you add ingredients.

For example, it is hard to evenly mix smaller ingredients in with coarsely ground grain so grind your grain to an average ingredient size for the best pig feed mix.

Testing feed mixer performance

Salt is commonly used to test mixer performance because:

  • it is denser than most feed ingredients
  • its shape is generally cubic rather than spherical
  • it is smaller than many other particles.

If your mixer uniformly mixes in salt then ingredients with more typical shape and density should be no problem.

Mixing times

Short mixing times reduce feed efficiency. It may not be a serious problem for older pigs but can cause small reductions in growth rates.

As a general rule, you should mix pig feed for at least another 10–15 minutes after you add the last ingredient to (single-auger) vertical feed mixers.