Introduction

The Samaritan's Purse –an International Non-government Organization, an evangelical Christian

Humanitarian Aid Organization that provides aid to people in need. Since, November 2013, Samaritan’s
Purse responded to the relief operation effort to meet the immediate needs of the victims of the super
typhoon Yolanda. Since then, we had been a key partner of the City Government of Tacloban in various
Cluster Projects.

For the project year 2018, in our continued and renewed commitment in helping the people and
provide them with better livelihood opportunities. Samaritan’s Purse has launched the Livelihood
Program - Livelihood on Integrated Farming and Entrepreneurship (LIFE) Project focused on developing
the ability and skills among the local and IDP communities in hog-raising, FAITH Gardening and Natural
Farming (FGNF) methods. To increase livelihood opportunities of the Local and Internally Displaced People
(IDP) communities in the northern barangays of Tacloban City and furthermore, increasing the income on
a household level in the community through the application of productive livestock rearing and farming
technology learned.
Natural Feeds for Swine

Introduction
Pig rearing is becoming popular due to increasing pork consumption. More farmers are venturing
into the business to diversify their farming activities and take advantage of the good prices offered due to
the shortage of pigs in the country.

However, feeding of pigs is a major challenge for most of the pig farmers. Pig feeds are expensive,
taking up to 80 per cent of a farmer’s production costs.

Pigs clearly enjoy fresh food. They are happy to eat and enjoy a wide variety of food, tastes and
textures: grass, water plants, bush and tree leafs, vegetables of all kinds (especially green one like
cabbage), fruit, nuts and meat. They even enjoy red soil and soil sods for taste and texture. They’ll happily
eat any household scraps and unfinished food. Pigs will even enjoy the odd beer if you’re so inclined to
pamper them.

Farmers can make their own feeds and sell surplus feed to other farmers. What they need is to
know the ratio of mixing the different ingredients. Pig feed should be of high quality to ensure the pigs
grow to the desired weight for the market. Due to the huge demand for information on pig feeding,
researchers provide farmers with information they need on pig feeding and give more feed formulations
that can help them cut the cost of pig production.

Good feed is necessary for growth, body maintenance and the production of meat and milk.
Farmers can use locally available feeds that are less expensive, but can be nutritionally complete when
properly prepared.

What makes up the pig’s feed:

1. Carbohydrates
2. Protein
3. Fats and Oil
4. Minerals
5. Vitamins
6. Water

Characteristics of Good Quality Pig Food:

1. Pig food must be fresh and not stale
2. It must be well processed and packed
3. The digestibility of the feed must be high
4. The feed must support optimum growth and development of the pig
5. The feed must be palatable
6. The ingredients for the feed must be available at all time
7. The feed must be affordable
8. The feed must be balanced in nutrients
9. It must be attractive and palatable to the pigs
10. It must not be moldy.
What can you feed to your pigs?

1. Commercially prepared swine rations from grain, fruit

and vegetable from markets

2. Restaurant leftovers, food transporter and disposers of food

waste products if they are properly processed.

3. Forest Products including wild vegetables, wild bananas,

wild cola – cassia, yam, forage grasses etc. if they are properly
processed.

4. Rice Bran: This is very suitable for pig feeding. It

contains 11% protein and can be used as the main ingredient
in most feeds. Rice bran can be mixed with other feeds to 30 -
45%. However, it can be kept for no longer than 1 month
because it will become moldy.

5. Broken Rice: This is also very suitable for pig feeding. It

can be mixed with other feeds up to 15 - 20%. Broken rice
contains about 8% protein.

6. Maize: This is a very good animal feed. It contains up to

65% carbohydrates and 9% protein. It can be mixed and
cooked with other feeds, but not more than 40% in the mix
ration
 6. Soybeans: This is a crop that has a high nutritional value
and is very good for pig feeding. It contains 38% protein (very
high), and should be dried, milled, or well-cooked in
combination with other feedstuffs like rice bran, broken rice
and maize.

7. Wheat Bran: This is particularly rich in dietary fiber and

contains significant quantities of carbohydrate, protein,
vitamins, and minerals. Wheat Bran is widely used as a major
component in animal feed. It contains Protein 14% - 16%, Fat
Max. 9.5%, Crude Fiber 8 - 10% and carbohydrate up to 25%.

8. Ipil: Leucaena and Acacia are traditional, locally

available tree-crops, and the leaves are rich in protein. After
drying, they can be mixed and fed to pigs with other feeds.

9. Root Crops: These can be mixed with other feeds up to

around 10 - 20% (never more than 30%). First, the crop should
be peeled and washed and then sliced, dried and ground before
use. It should not be fed to pigs as raw cassava with the skin, due
to the toxic substances present. The sliced and dried cassava can
be kept for longer.

10. Fruits: Fruits damaged during transportation, storage

and handling are used as supplementary feeds for pigs by boiling
and mixing with other feed such as rice bran, broken rice and
maize. They can also be given fresh. Suitable fruits include:
bananas, papaya, apples, pears, avocado, guava, watermelon and
melons.

11.Vegetables: Vegetables damaged during transportation,

storage and handling are also used as supplementary feeds for
pigs by boiling and mixing with other feeds such as rice bran,
broken rice and maize. They can also be given fresh. Suitable
vegetables include: cabbage, lettuce, spinach, malunggay, sweet
potato vine, cola-cassia (needs boiling), eggplants, cucumbers,
gourds, etc.
 11. Cola-cassia. Leaves and stems are quite good local
protein resources for pigs. Leaves contribute 20% of the dietary
dry matter and 46% of the crude protein after cooking. It is also
a rich source of calcium, phosphorus, iron, Vitamin C, thiamine,
riboflavin and niacin, which are important constituents of a pig’s
diet. The fresh tuber has about 20% dry matter, while the fresh
petiole has only about 6% dry matter. Leaves and stems have a
good composition with high crude protein content (16.51-18.20
% DM basic), and are used as local protein resource for pig
production.

12. Chayote: Both the fruit (vegetable) and the seed are
rich in amino acids and vitamin C, potassium, phosphorus and
calcium. Fruit is very low in calories (12 calories per 100 g on
average), and chayote contains 0.5% protein, 0.2% lipids and 2%
sugars.

13. Banana Stem: The best way of feeding fresh green

banana or plantain fruits is to chop them and sprinkle some salt
on the slices since the fruits are very low in organic nutrients.
Cattle and pigs relish this material. For ensiling purposes, the
chopped green bananas or plantains are preferred to the ripe
fruits which lose some of their dry matter and, in particular, their
sugars during ensiling. Similarly, green fruits are more easily
dried than ripe fruits which are very difficult to completely
dehydrate.

14. Clover: Clover’s sodium content is around 0.05%. Crude

protein levels in the dry matter are around 25%. Phosphorus is
0.3%, and dry matter digestibility is up to 75%.
15. Stylo: Stylo is rich in protein, and its DCP levels range from 17 -
24% in green leaf and 6 - 12% in the stem. It grows well in poor soil and
can be fed directly to pigs without being cooked (unlike forest plants).

16. Trichantera is a potential source of protein, varying from 18-22 in

dry matter form and apparently most of this protein are true protein and
has a good amino acid balance (Rosales, et.al, 1989). It has
2.8% Crude Fat, 13.4% Crude Fiber,19.7% Ash. Trichantera leaves can
replace about 20-30% of the commercial diet of growing-finishing pigs. Six
(6) kilograms of fresh leaves consumed by pigs per day is equivalent to 1
kg of mixed feeds saved.

17. Water hyacinth (water lily) Water lily could be a good source of protein
for incorporation in fish and animal diet. The nutritional potential of the plant
parts (leaves, petiole, root, rhizome) and seeds of Water lily were evaluated
through proximate compositions and analyzed in percentages. Moisture content
was highest in the rhizome (20.40±1.241) while the seeds gave the lowest value
of (4.18±0.176). The highest value for Ash content was observed in the root
(27.36±1.261) and the seeds gave the lowest (2.81±0.498). Highest value for
the Crude fat was obtained from the seeds (9.95±0.637) while the petiole gave
the lowest value of (2.27±0.377). The crude protein and crude fibre values were
highest in the leaves 19.54±0.782 and 15.53±0.448, respectively while the
lowest was obtained in the seeds 3.27±0.104 and 1.60±0.200, respectively.
What you shouldn’t feed to your pig

1. Any meat products: includes pies, sausage rolls, bacon and

cheese rolls, pizza, meats and table scraps without proper cooking
and screening.

2. Any carcass or part of a carcass of any mammal or bird (raw and

uncooked). This includes any meat blood, offal, hide or feathers. Pigs
that feed on carcasses are also at risk of contracting diseases that are
contagious to humans.

3. Any fish products and bones without proper processing.

4. The excreta (droppings) of any mammal or bird
5. Any substance that has come into contact with a prohibited
substance via collection, storage or transport in a contaminated
container, such as meat trays and take away food containers.
6. Household, commercial or industrial waste, which includes
restaurant waste that hasn’t been properly cooked and screened.

7. Lantana flowers initially cream, yellow or pink

changing to orange or scarlet, thus resulting in a multi-
colored, short, headlike spike. Fruit greenish blue or black,
one seeded.

Toxicity: This ornamental shrub contains lantanin, a

triterpenoid, and other compounds irritating to the
mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract. All parts of the plant
are quite toxic, and poisoning may occur year-round. Many
poisoning cases occur when clippings are thrown into the
pasture.

Sheep, pigs, cattle, horses, and humans are sensitive to the effects of the plant. Cattle are
most often affected. Children have been poisoned by eating the berries.

Symptoms: Animals exhibit gastroenteritis with bloody, watery feces. Severe weakness
and paralysis of the limbs are followed by death in 3 to 4 days.
Treatment: Remove animals from direct sunlight. Use antibiotic injections and topical
applications of protective antibiotic creams. Treat with 20 percent sodium thiosulfate (1
ounce per 100 pounds); repeat treatment every other day. Use topical application of
cortisone to relieve itching.

8. Morning Glories (Ipomea spp.); entire plant;

plant contains LSD-related hallucinogens; may contain
toxic levels of nitrates

9. Creeping Indigo - attractive, pink to red-flowered

shrubs and herbs both used as ornamental ground cover
and a cover crop.

Signs of Creeping Indigo Toxicity

Consumption of 10 pounds I. linneae daily for 3 weeks is
sufficient to cause disease. Both neurologic and non-
neurologic signs are seen.

Non-neurologic signs. There may be weight loss, inappetance, high heart and respiratory rates,
labored breathing, high temperature (a rare finding), hypersalivation (ptyalism) or foaming
from the mouth, dehydration, pale mucous membranes, feed retention in the cheeks
(quidding), watery discharge from the eyes (epiphora) and squinting (blepharospasm), light
sensitivity, corneal opacity, corneal ulceration and neovascularization, severe ulceration of the
tongue and gums, and prominent digital pulses without other signs of laminitis.

There is no effective treatment, only management of symptoms.

10. Carolina Jessamine - Livestock are affected

from eating any part of the plant. Humans have been
poisoned from sucking nectar from the flowers or from
eating honey made from the flowers. Bees have died from
consuming the nectar.

Symptoms: Animals are usually found staggering and in

coordinated, with dilated eyes and convulsive movements.
Often the animals are found down in comatose condition.
 Death usually occurs soon after animals become comatose.
Treatment: There is no specific treatment.
Provide supportive therapy with intravenous fluids. Give cardiac and respiratory stimulants
such as caffeine and sodium benzoate.

11. Robinia A garden plant, a thorny, deciduous tree

growing to 20 meters high. Suckers are red tinted and
thorny, growing in profusion. Forking branches are
crooked. Bright green leaves are pinnate and feathery,
with oval leaflets, Thorns, up to one cm, at the base of
leaves. White and pink, sweet scented, pea-shaped flower
clusters in spring at ends of branches, in early summer.
Fruit is a pod, reddish, flat and leathery, with seeds. Bark
is dark brown and gnarled, thick and deeply furrowed. Has
a liquorice flavour and is purgative, also contains alkaloids
which clot the blood, and affects red blood cells, and coagulates casein in milk. All parts
are toxic, especially bark, wood, roots and seeds, thorns are a skin irritant.

12. False Acacia

Toxicity to pigs: Possible
Palatability: Moderate
Toxicity to Other Species: Potentially toxic to sheep, cattle,
horses, and poultry.

Poisonous Principle:
 Toxalbumins
 Phytotoxins in the bark and seeds

Effects: Signs and symptoms

 Weakness
 Depression
 Diarrhea
 Hind leg paralysis
 Loss of appetite
 Colic
In humans, dizziness, vomiting, gastro- enteritis, dilation of the pupils, convulsions, slowing of
heart rate.

Health and Production Problems:

 Death within days, but recovery is more likely.

 Toxic honey from bee hives.

Treatment: See Vet or Doctor

13. Jimsonweed All parts of Jimsonweed are

poisonous. Leaves and seeds are the usual source of
poisoning, but are rarely eaten do to its strong odor
and unpleasant taste. Poisoning can occur when
hungry animals are on sparse pasture with
Jimsonweed infestation. Most animal poisoning
results from feed contamination. Jimsonweed can be
harvested with hay or silage, and subsequently
poisoning occurs upon feeding the forage. Seeds can
contaminate grains and is the most common
poisoning which occurs in chickens.

Poisoning is more common in humans than in animals. Children can be attracted by flowers and
consume Jimsonweed accidentally. In small quantities, Jimsonweed can have medicinal or
haulucinagenic properties, but poisoning readily occurs because of misuse.
Jimsonweed toxicity is caused by tropane alkaloids. The total alkaloid content in the plant can
be as high as 0.7%. The toxic chemicals are atropine, hyoscine (also called scopolamine), and
hyoscyamine.

Early Signs:

 rapid pulse
 restlessness
 depression
 rapid breathing
 nervousness
 dilated pupils
 muscular twitching
 frequent urination
 diarrhea
 weight loss
Fatal Cases:

 weak pulse
 irregular breathing
 lower body temperature
 coma
 retained urine
 convulsion

Traditional Feed Processing

1. Mixing all the different feeds together (rice bran, broken rice, crushed maize and soya, dried
legume leaves, etc.) in proportion and giving it directly to the pigs.
 2. Cooking the different raw materials together to improve digestibility, and to breakdown toxins
from some feeds such as raw cola-cassia, banana stem, maize and soya grains, beans, kitchen
waste, forage crops, and similar.

Recent Feed Processing

3. Fermentation
Feed Formula 1. Sweet Potato Vine Silage
Ingredients:
1. 60-100kg of sweet potato vines
2. 10 kg of corn meal or pig growers mash.
3. ½ kg of mineral salt
4. EM1 solution
Procedure:
1. Cut sweet potato vines and spread them dry in the sun for about 30 minutes.
2. Chop the vines into tiny pieces and mix them with corn meal
3. Sprinkle with salt and mix thoroughly.
4. Put the mixture into an airtight 250-litre plastic tank. Compress the vines firmly to remove any air
spaces as you do when preparing silage.
5. Add some little EM1 Solution to improve the quality of the silage.
6. Cover the tank airtight. Let it stay for 14 days (two weeks).
7. Open the tank to check if the silage is ready. If the silage has a sweet smell and has turned yellow
in color, then it is ready feeding.

 You can feed the sweet potato silage to pigs from four months of age, sows, gilts and boars at any
time before or after feeding their usual daily rations.
 Sweet potato vines are very nutritious pig feed if well prepared and preserved. Sweet potato vines
are very nutritious pig feed if well prepared and preserved.
 Pig farmers who incorporate sweet potato silage into the pig diet can cut their feed costs by up
to 30 per cent.
 The sweet potato tubers can be eaten or sold in the market.

Feed Formula 2 (Grower by FAO)

Ingredients:
1. 48kg of maize germ
2. 12kg of pollard
3. 12.5kg of soya cake
4. 7.5kg of fishmeal
5. 0.75kg of lime
6. 1kg of bone meal
7. 125g of salt
8. 150g of lysine
9. 150g of feed premix
10. 300g of zinc

Procedure:

1. Put all the ingredients in a feed mixer and mix thoroughly to ensure they are evenly distributed.

 This pig feed ration has a Digestible Crude Protein (DCP) content of 22.3% and can be given to pigs
at all stages of growth.
 Feed premix, lysine, bonemeal and lime are also available from selected agrovet shops in most
towns.
Feed Formula 3 (Feed Formula at Costales Farm)
Ingredients:
1. 50 kilos of D1 (fine) rice bran
2. 5 kg soya
3. 7 kg copra
4. 15 kg water hyacinth (better known here as water lily)
5. 0.5 kg salt
6. 0.5 kg lime.

To these, add plant extracts (sambong and lagundi).

Ferment the mixture inside tightly covered plastic drums for 15 days before feeding.

Feed Formula 4. The basic recipe of the feeds is rice bran and different types of crops. Divided into
three groups. This ratio is one sack (about 50kg) and ¾ sack (about 5 to 7 kg) of different crops.

Group 1: 50 % Plant source rich in protein , to supply 18-27 % crude protein

Rensoni, Indigofera, Trichantera gigantea or madre de aqua (BAI-Tiaong, Quezon) Saluyot, Azola,
Jackfruit, Mulberry, Kadios, Flamenga

Group 2: 30% Vitamins and minerals, micro nutirents

Kamote tops, Kangkong, Native spinach (kulitis), Talinum, Alugbati, Malunggay

Group 3: 20% Herbal nutrient & mineral

For respiratory: Oregano, Lagundi and Banaba
For lactating: Malungay, Lemongrass, and green papaya fruit
For intestinal flu: Avocado, Guava, Star apple, OHN ginger
Deworming: fermented young Ipil-Ipil leaves
 Water
All pigs need sufficient clean drinking water.

 A pregnant sow requires 10 - 12 litres of water per day.

 A lactating sow requires 20 – 30 litres of water per day.
 A growing pig requires 6 - 8 liters of water per day.
 A boar requires 12 - 15 liters of water per day.
 By not providing enough water for your pigs you will reduce their daily feed intake.
 Ample clean water must be available for your pigs to drink at all times.

Points to Remember:

To reduce cost of production:

1. Grow fodder crops.

2. gather the ample and varied vegetation that mother nature grows in the surroundings
3. In-between meal times fed fresh feed in the form of grass, leaves, and vegetables whatever is
available.
4. Feeds should meet the animal’s needs for maintenance, growth and reproduction.
5. When formulating a simplified ration, always remember that it should always contain sufficient
protein, and adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals.