[permaculture-oceania] feeding pigs and nutrient runnoff

[kdawborn]

Hi All,

 

A couple or so questions regarding livestock (pigs) on a property interested
in using a more permaculture approach:

 

1)       from anyone out there raising free-range pigs for meat, what kinds
of fodder crops can be grown to reduce or eliminate the need for
supplementary grain feeding? In our case we're talking commercial free-range
pork production. We're aware that pigs can pretty much eat what humans can
eat; these pigs are currently on pasture and grain, and while we realise
that pig-tractoring in systems growing human food crops as well could have a
lot of benefits, what we're looking for right now is fodder crops which
would have sufficient protein (and other necessary nutrient?) content to
ensure growth and meat production - in other words to replace the grain.
We've been thinking tree lucerne as a start, which could probably be grown
in marginal areas with ready access to where pigs are pastured, but are
wondering about other plants, especially those with high food for meat value
that could either be grazed or coppiced for fodder. 

2)       Any other suggestions regarding sustainable feeding of pigs -
reducing or eliminating the need to bring in food from outside.

3)       Nutrient runoff from paddocks into creek: we are concerned about
the nutrient load going into our creek from animal manure. It seems likely
that the most sensible way to view this is that really, the nutrients are
something we want to keep and use rather than allow to pollute the creek, so
perhaps the thing to do is grow more stuff that can soak it up. Any
suggestions re useful fodder (especially) or human food plants or other
plants, and ways to lay things out in order to best catch the runoff? As I
write I'm thinking swale-type arrangements with appropriate plantings could
work, but we are talking paddocks with pigs so for stock management and
other reasons, am not sure whether this might create problems.

 

Anyway, any thoughts and suggestions would be most welcome..

 

Cheers All,

 

Kerry Dawborn

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