Question: My son is taking his first pig project for 4-H. I would like to know if we can change from Ranchway feed to Purina. We started on the All American Prospect T100; and we haven’t finished the bag yet. His pig is 50 lbs right now. What is the next phase in feeding…..the Honor Showpig Grower or the Show Chow? What is the ratio of changing from one brand to another? Do you recommend mixing the feed with a rolled oats without the molasses? And do you recommend Paylean for first time show pig owners? I have heard of some pretty sad stories of people using Paylean and it going bad. Any info would be great! Thanks!
Answer: Stacey:
Thank you for your e-mail. Yes you can transition from the old feed to the new. If you have the HONOR Showpig feeds available to you in your area, I suggest transitioning to that brand.
HONOR Showpig Grower is recommended to be fed from about 40 to 150 lbs depending upon the pig. If the pig is staying too lean, too heavily muscled, and stiff moving, we suggest lowering the crude by going to the HONOR Showpig Finisher at about 150 lbs. You can do this sooner if you need to.
There is no need to feed rolled oats with or without molasses. Some pigs need Paylean and some do not. Here are some guidelines to think about:
- do not feed Paylean to unsound pigs (pigs that are not comfortable when they walk, that do not move fluidly, etc.)
- do not feed Paylean to stress positive pigs
- do not feed Paylean for more than 21 days
- do not feed Paylean at a concentrate more than 9 grams/ton
- Think about feeding glucosamine and chondroitin. These are joint lubricants found naturally in the pigs body and keep joints working and moving correctly
- Never limit water
- If the pig is lean when you start Paylean, feed an energy source along with it. We have a new product (High Octance high fat extruded product) that is very, very good.
Hope this helps. Good luck and thanks again,
Stacey,
I forgot to mention that the Show Chow brand will also work. Foundation and Pig Basis could be substituted in the weight ranges I gave you in the previous e-mail.
Thanks again,
Dr. Kevin Burgoon
HONOR/Show Chow Technical Nutritionist
Question: We have fed Purina Show chow for the last 2 years and have done well. I see that there is now Honor Show Chow. What is the difference? My children show their pigs at the county fair.
Answer: Melissa,
Glad to hear you have done well and thank you for your business! Honor Show Chow is our new brand taking the best of the best from Honor and Show Chow brand show feeds. Keep feeding Show Chow or Honor as the new Honor Show Chow will not be available in Michigan until November of this year. Good luck this show season.
Question: I can’t seem to get enough “roundness” to my show pig. How do I get the roundness and still show the muscle and power?
Answer: Patrick:
Thank you for your e-mail. I am not sure what you mean by roundness, but I will attempt to answer your question in a couple of ways.
If roundness means muscle shape on the outside of ham, or more dimension to the muscle, then that is pretty much genetic. However, you can probably add a little dimension to the ham and muscle shape by increasing the energy in the diet and helping the pig to lay down a little cover or fat layer to give a bit more dimension to the muscle shape.
If the roundness means softening hard muscle, particularly a pig with radical muscle shape, then two things might help: 1) lowering the protein will help give a softer edge to muscle, and 2) increasing the energy to lay down more fat cover on that muscle.
In either the event a good choice for increasing energy is High Octane Power Surge which will be available in April 2008. This is an extruded high fat product that will do a great job of softening muscle, improving muscle shape, and improving the immune system of the pig.
Thanks again,
Dr. Kevin Burgoon
HONOR/Show Chow Technical Nutritionist
Question: I currently breed and raise show pigs. I farrow about 15 sows twice a year. My January pigs are sold for county fair pigs in August. I have always fed Moormans pig feed and this year I have had a falling out with the dealer. I am interested in feeding your feed. I would like to know what feed you would recommend at each stage of the pig. I usually start feeding a milk coated micro pellet at about two weeks of age. I then feed a lysine medicated feed. Usually I sell the pigs at this time, but this year my son will start showing pigs. I then need to know the next feeds I need to use. We are farrowing pigs in mid-April for a Montana show in mid-October. I would like to have the information as soon as possible. Thanks for all your help!
Answer: Jill,
Thank you for your e-mail, and for your interest in HONOR Showpig feeds.
We have an excellent lineup of pig starters and Showpig feeds. Here is a basic program:
HONOR First Wean One - 10 to 15 lbs pigs 3/32 inch micro pellet
HONOR Showpig Starter - 15 to 30 lbs pigs 1/8 inch mini pellet
HONOR Showpig Prep - 30 lbs to sale 1/8 inch mini pellet
First Wean One is a very complex pre starter that also works well as a creep feed. First Wean One is 23% crude protein, 10% crude fat, and 1.8% lysine.
Showpig Starter is less complex than First Wean One, but still very complex and does a great job at getting pigs off to a great start.
Showpig Prep is actually the original Prep pig for young Showpigs. Prep does a great job at putting muscle shape, bloom, and luster to skin and hair in young pigs.
The grow- finish products are: HONOR Showpig Grower HONOR Showpig Finisher HONOR Showpig 16 Powerfill
I have attached a feeding strategy sheet that outlines some basic feeding programs for Showpig based on the sex of the pig and degree of muscling.
You can find product sheets on all these products at http://www.betteranimalsshowseries.com and click on HONOR products.
Thanks again,
Dr. Kevin Burgoon
HONOR/Show Chow Technical Nutritionist
Question: We have a dark-cross for Houston 18 days out that weighs 231 lbs. It has excellent rib shape, top and cover, walks loose and level. It needs lower ham thickness!!! The problem is he will gain weight on air. He never has been held. I want to keep him fresh and popping but I need the lower leg without weighing out. I have the powerfill and top dress. How can I accomplish this?
Answer: Ken,
Thank you for your e-mail. With the pig weighing 231 lbs and 18 days, I would suggest feeding Powerfill at 2 lbs per day, Champion Drive Topdress at 1 lbs per day, add additional beet pulp per day, and the HONOR Showpig Paylean Premix at 2 scoops per day (2 ounces).
You might also consider adding a little fat in the form of milk replacer per day. The Land O Lakes Ultra Fresh Lamb Milk Replacer does a very nice job.
The pig should gain at about 1 lbs per day or so. This will give you your best shot at adding lower muscle tying into the hock. However, that part of the muscle structure is pretty much genetic.
Thanks again,
Dr. Kevin Burgoon
HONOR/Show Chow Technical Nutritionist
Question: I have a gilt that is on Show Chow Final Push now and she is only at about 175 lbs and the show is in 15 days. What do you recommend to get extra weight gain out of her so her weight can be around 220 lbs. She has a great ham and loins. She just needs more weight. My other gilt already weighs at 225lbs. Show Chow is the greatest! We also feed the show goats Show Chow!!!!!!!
Answer: Pam,
Thank you for your e-mail and for choosing Show Chow pig feeds. The Final Push you are feeding should have Paylean already included. This will help speed up growth.
You can also add a milk replacer like Land O Lakes Ultra Fresh Lamb Milk Replacer, Pro Nurse, or Kid Milk Replacer (both Purina products) at about 1 lbs per day to help increase growth rate.
Thanks again,
Dr. Kevin Burgoon
HONOR/Show Chow Technical Nutritionist
Question: I have a blue butt barrow that is gaining too much weight. We have 45 days until fair and he weighs 235 lbs and can only get to 275 lbs. I have cut his complete feed to a total of 2 lbs per day and have added 8 lbs whole oats per day as well as 8 oz of soy. He gained 15 lbs last week which was the first week I added the soy. I am concerned that he is not getting enough nutrition and wont be fresh come show time as well as go over weight if I do not hold him. I live far away from feed stores and our local feed supplier can only get limited items. Someone suggested using beet pulp which I can get but it has molasses in it and I have never used it before. Any suggestions?
Answer: Cynthia,
Thank you for your e-mail. We recommend HONOR Powerfill for managing weight gain and getting the most out of your pigs genetic potential at the same time.
By feeding 3 lbs per day Powerfill the pig will gain 1 lbs per day. You have about 45 days left and 40 lbs to gain, so you might also consider feeding 2 lbs HONOR Powerfill and 1 lbs HONOR Champion Drive Topdress (total per day) along with beet pulp. Be sure to soak the beet pulp in water for about 5 minutes, drain the water and then add to the feed.
The 2 lbs Powerfill and 1 lbs Champion Drive (remember total per day) will enable the pig to gain about 3 lbs per day.
Thanks again,
Dr. Kevin Burgoon
HONOR/Show Chow Technical Nutritionist
Question: I just want to say your products have led me and my family to 2 grand champion county fair hogs and love your products. In about a month or so, I’m going to be getting my county fair hogs and in preperation to that I have a couple of questions. From day one I would feed them Honor l200 and all the way through with some other products like Powerfill. I was wondering about the Showpig Starter and if I should be using that if it has a significant difference or not and I looked at both the l100 specs and the l200 specs and from what I read, they seem to do the same thing so I was wondering if I’m missing something and if there is any big difference in what is in the feed? Thanks alot!
Answer: Kyle,
Thank you very much for your e-mail and for choosing HONOR Showpig feeds and congratulations on your accomplishments!
Actually, the terms T100 and L200 are medication abbreviations. For example, HONOR Showpig Grower T100 and HONOR Showpig Grower L200 are exactly the same feed except for the medication option.
T100 designates the feed is medicated with Tylan at 100 grams/ton. L200 designates the feed is medicated with Lincomycin at 200 grams/ton.
The HONOR Showpig Starter is completely different than the HONOR Showpig Grower. Showpig Starter is intended for pigs weighing 15 to 30 lbs. So, if you purchase your pigs lighter than 30 lbs or you raise your own pigs then the HONOR Showpig Starter would be a good choice.
We recommend the HONOR Showpig Grower L200 (with Lincomycin) for newly purchased pigs do to the medication. Lincomycin does a great job at helping pigs punch through immune challenges.
Thanks again,
Dr. Kevin Burgoon
HONOR/Show Chow Technical Nutritionist
Question: I have a pig that weighs 135 lbs and needs to be 150 lbs to get into fair in the middle of April. We are feeding “free choice” and he only gained 100 lbs in 3 months. So if my math is correct we won’t make weight for fair. We are using Show Hog with 18% protein. Should I change feed or add something to it? HELP!!!
Answer: Stephanie,
Thank you for your e-mail. I am not sure what feed you are feeding as we do not have a feed called ‘Show Hog’. However, here are some things you can do:
1) Be sure the pig has clean, fresh water and as much as it wants at all times
2) Deworm the pigs monthly, pick a day of the month and deworm the pigs on that day every month
3) If the pig is by itself, for the next show, feed two or more pigs as competition at the feeder causes pigs to eat better and grow faster. When there is only one pig, they sometimes do not do well.
4) Begin ‘hand feeding,’ that means you feed the pig twice per day in two equal feedings. This way you can actually get the pig to eat more per day by hand feeding rather than using a self feeder.
5) I would recommend feed a mixture of feed to get the pig to grow faster:
a) HONOR Showpig Grower 5 lbs per day
b) Land O Lakes Ultra Fresh Lamb Milk Replacer 1 1/2 lbs per day (no need to add water, feed it dry)
c) HONOR Champion Drive Topdress 1 lbs per day
Divide this mixture into two equal feedings per day. If the pig will eat more, you can increase the HONOR Showpig Grower to meet its appetite.
Feeding Paylean will also help the pig grow faster. I would feed the HONOR Showpig Paylean Premix at 2 scoops per day (1 in the morning and 1 in the evening) for the final 14 days prior to show.
Thanks again,
Dr. Kevin Burgoon
HONOR/Show Chow Technical Nutritionist
Question: We are raising project pigs with a May 13, 2008 weigh in. The pigs currently weigh about 75-80 lbs. Can you give me advise on a feed program that would work well? The breeder uses Honor feed and we would like to continue using this feed. We received two 50 lb bags of the Breeder Show pig prep. Is this okay to feed them right now? What are your suggestions? Thanks.
Answer: Thank you for your e-mail. And, thank you for purchasing pigs at the WD Swine sale in Turlock, CA last Saturday. The pigs you purchased were being fed the HONOR Showpig Prep prior to sale. That is the same feed you received at Ryan Watje’s sale. We did that so that the pigs would get off to a much better start and the purchasers would encounter less stress related problems.
So, yes the HONOR Showpig Prep is fine to feed as the first receiving feed. After the pigs finish the Prep, I suggest transitioning to HONOR Showpig Grower T100 until the pigs are about 150 lbs or so, depending upon how much muscle and cover they have. If the pigs look like they are too tight wound, or becoming too heavily muscled, you can transition to HONOR Showpig Finisher T100 prior to the 150 lbs weight.
I suggest feeding the HONOR Showpig Finisher T100 until showtime. Or, if you need to slow growth down going into your show, or you need more cover and gut fill, you can use HONOR Powerfill. Powerfill is a complete feed that can also be used as a topdress.
Thanks again,
Dr. Kevin Burgoon
HONOR/Show Chow Technical Nutritionist
Land O’Lakes Purina Feed LLC
