When is milk most beneficial for feeders

[rd200]

My cow is due in beginning of July/end of June. I'm trying to "time" out getting my feeder pigs for when ill have the extra milk. I'm planning on her having an 8 week dry period. {she's thin, I want her to get adequate rest time/ weight gain}

So, I can get my pigs in February, and give them the extra milk for Feb, March, April and then they will probably be in my freezer before Id have milk available for them....

OR-

I can get them in April and they'd get milk for the month of April and then not again until probably August/Sept. So, the last 2 months while they are finishing, they'd get the extra milk.

So my question/dilemma is, WHEN is it the MOST beneficial for them to get milk?? In the beginning when they are smaller?? or towards the end when they are finishing?

I know they'll eat more feed, and grow slower if I get them in February {im in WI} because of the colder weather, but, I also weaned the calf off the cow so I'm just dumping most of my milk everyday from the cow besides the 4gallons a week I take for the house and the little the chickens get. {I'm only dumping about 2-3 gallons a day give or take}

I want to put a foster calf on my cow {along with her calf} when she freshens. So, then I might not even have that much extra milk at all until maybe September or October if she's feeding 2 calves + a little for the house. I may not even have "extra" at all. Her calf this year easily took ALL her milk {4+gallons/day} by the time it was 8weeks old.

Id rather them have some pasture time though too. And produce from the garden would be nice also to feed them as a treat/supplement to their regular ration/commercial feed.

Thoughts?? there's good and bad to both scenarios......Is there something I'm missing here?.... A deciding factor such as when the milk is most beneficial to the pigs that could help me make a decision?

Thanks for any input.

[Deleted]

Pigs need higher protein levels when they are smaller and higher carbohydrate levels when they are finishing. I use 18%protein feed for under 40# pigs, 16% for 40-125#, and 14% for 125-market weight. Big pigs love the milk but weaner pigs utilize it better for growth. As long as you have adequate shelter and bedding pigs are pretty tolerant of the cold, they will pile up and keep each other warm.

[rd200]

Jan 17, 2016 17:03:57 GMT -5 @amyp said:

Pigs need higher protein levels when they are smaller and higher carbohydrate levels when they are finishing. I use 18%protein feed for under 40# pigs, 16% for 40-125#, and 14% for 125-market weight. Big pigs love the milk but weaner pigs utilize it better for growth. As long as you have adequate shelter and bedding pigs are pretty tolerant of the cold, they will pile up and keep each other warm.

thanks. They'll be in the barn until probably March/April depending on how fast it warms up here in Spring. And yes, lots of bedding!! I know they'll eat more in winter, but Id assume not THAT much more than over spring/summer....??

So the milk would be better for them when they are smaller.....I was going to try and look for 50-60 pounders so the 16% would be about right. I believe that's what the Nutritionist said their grower feed was. 16% and then 14% for finishing.

[3cows]

They will love it and get real benefits from milk at any age, but to me, its a shame to be wasting milk now that could be supplementing pigs. Of course, if you have chickens, you can clabber the milk and boost your egg production through the winter by feeding it to your poultry, too....

[acts3v6]

Do not have an answer on the pigs, but ya, do you have chickens? Or dogs? I pour milk over our chicken feed or just put a tub of milk in their pen for them and they drink it. Also I know people who save milk in jugs and feed to pigs later. I have stored milk in 1 gal vinegar jugs that I have a ton of. (I use vinegar to clean the milk machine as well as lots of other things) It saves for a really really long time for animals use. Especially if you are careful and strain the milk or careful to milk clean. I have also raised meat chickens and turkeys with the extra milk too along with their feed. Just some ideas.

[rd200]

Jan 17, 2016 23:19:59 GMT -5 3cows said:

They will love it and get real benefits from milk at any age, but to me, its a shame to be wasting milk now that could be supplementing pigs. Of course, if you have chickens, you can clabber the milk and boost your egg production through the winter by feeding it to your poultry, too....

yes. I feel bad right now dumping the extra milk on the garden & compost pile. I know its good for the garden too but feeding it to pigs would be even better!

I do feed some to my chickens almost daily. {unless im just saving for the house that day} I don't clabber it. I just put it in a shallow pan fresh and they go nuts. Ive been giving them since she freshened 9months ago here and there and they don't seem to mind that its not clabbered. I have given them Kefir though and they go NUTS.....!!! Thanks!

[rd200]

Jan 18, 2016 3:32:46 GMT -5 acts3v6 said:

Do not have an answer on the pigs, but ya, do you have chickens? Or dogs? I pour milk over our chicken feed or just put a tub of milk in their pen for them and they drink it. Also I know people who save milk in jugs and feed to pigs later. I have stored milk in 1 gal vinegar jugs that I have a ton of. (I use vinegar to clean the milk machine as well as lots of other things) It saves for a really really long time for animals use. Especially if you are careful and strain the milk or careful to milk clean. I have also raised meat chickens and turkeys with the extra milk too along with their feed. Just some ideas.

Wouldn't the milk need to be frozen for it to stay decent a few months? I know NOW it wouldn't be an issue since its so cold out, but in another 6weeks hopefully we'll be out of that weather and itll start to get above keeping temps. I do have access to 15 gallon barrels or 50gallon barrels that I use for water barrels for the animals cut in half.  Maybe I could fill them full but then how would it "keep" decently until I get the pigs in 8-10weeks if I don't get them now??

No dog- I do feed it to my chickens and they LOVE IT! But I only have 11- so its not like they go thru it real fast at all! Thanks

[acts3v6]

I have kept milk in clean jugs or clean 5 gallon buckets for months and months, even through the summer. It makes a clabber. If there is one that smells gross rather then cheesy I will throw that one away. But if you are careful and keep dirt and such out I have had no problems feeding it. It separates into curds and whey. Just be sure to leave some room because the cheese will expand with gasses. I have friends who save goat milk for over a year for their pigs and have never had a problem feeding it. Maybe someone else will have a different opinion but this is my experience anyways. I was hesitant when I heard of them doing that as well, but several goat people here do that.