Hydroponic fodder for pigs: a feeding guide
Pigs can eat hydroponic fodder, but it has a narrower role in pig diets than in ruminant diets.
Pigs can eat hydroponic fodder, but it has a narrower role in pig diets than in ruminant diets. Pigs are monogastric animals and rely on concentrated, balanced feeds for energy and amino acids. Fodder is best used as a fresh green supplement. It is not a complete feed, and the rest of the ration still comes from concentrates.
What hydroponic fodder is
Hydroponic fodder is grown from barley, wheat, or maize seed over a 6–8 day germination window. The whole mat of roots, seed, and shoots is fed. Fresh fodder is mostly water. Forage analyses typically show a dry matter content of roughly 12 to 15 percent, compared with close to 90 percent for grain. During sprouting, the seedling uses part of the seed's stored starch, so the mat holds less total dry matter than the original seed.
What the research shows
A classic study published in Animal Feed Science and Technology found that four-day barley sprouts had lower digestibility of dry matter, protein, and energy than ground barley when fed to pigs. Young pigs fed the sprouts gained less weight than pigs fed ground barley, although feed efficiency was similar. More recent trials with weaned piglets fed hydroponic wheat or maize fodder generally found lower intake and growth when fodder replaced a large part of the conventional diet. Researchers concluded that pigs cannot thrive on a fodder-based diet and that fodder should not displace balanced protein sources.
Where fodder fits
Given these results, fodder is used as a supplement within a complete, balanced diet. It provides fresh green material and fibre, and pigs find it palatable. It can also give pigs something to root and manipulate. The nutritionist decides how much to offer for each class of pig, such as growing pigs or sows, and checks that energy and amino acid supply remain adequate.
Feeding practice
Introduce fodder gradually and observe feed intake, growth, and manure. Feed it fresh on the day of harvest and remove leftovers before they spoil. Never feed fodder with visible mould, because mould is a commonly reported problem in fodder systems and mouldy feed can harm animals. Clean trays between cycles.
Evaluating fodder
Compare fodder with other ingredients on a dry matter basis, not fresh weight. Have the fodder from your own system analysed, because nutrient content varies with seed quality, variety, and growing conditions. Record growth and feed use before and after introduction so that the effect on your herd is measured rather than assumed.
System sizing
SproutTray systems are quoted to herd size, power, and site, based on the daily fresh fodder requirement the farm specifies. Send the herd size or daily requirement, the preferred container size, the power supply, and the delivery location.