Utilization of Local Feedstuffs for Swine Feeding in the American Pacific

• 2002 annual report
• 2003 annual report

The American Pacific has year-round and seasonal abundance of local feedstuffs such as breadfruit, bananas, coconuts and fish byproducts. These feedstuffs become readily available as daily swine ration. The primary reason these local feed products are not utilized is the lack of information on the nutritional contents and the absence of demonstration studies of these resources for feeding swine in the region. Hog producers feed their pigs different local products but have no records and data on how these pigs perform under such feeding practices and environments. This grant conducted feeding trials in Pohnpei, Guam and Tinian. Hogs weighing 30 to 60 lbs. were utilized for the trials. The feeding trials conducted on each site used different proportions of local feedstuffs with commercial hog grower feeds. Records on growth rate and feed efficiency were taken and analyzed. Feed intake, behavior and health conditions of animals were thoroughly observed and recorded. Results show that hogs fed with mixed local feedstuffs had slower growth rate and high feed conversion ratio. These results are expected because of the low nutritional values of the local feed resources. But the delayed growth rate fits into the hog market situation in the American Pacific, where hogs are sold “live” at the farm gate. There is no regular market target to meet on a weekly or monthly basis. The equal proportion of bananas, grated coconut and commercial hog grower ration gave the best results in terms of growth rate and feed cost. Utilizing more local feedstuffs in the feed means higher profit for the producers. Regional and local workshops were conducted to disseminate the information gathered from these trials.

a. Develop a feeding program to reduce feed cost by 50% for growing-finishing hogs and breeding stocks using local feedstuffs (breadfruit, copra and fish by products)
b. Develop feed formula using these local feedstuffs. After establishing the nutritional values, these formulations will be converted to simple combinations formula for hog producers to understand. A formulation form for these local products meeting nutritional requirements for the 2 rations to be studied will be converted to simple weighing of these products for feed ingredients.
c. Develop sustainable practices in terms of preparation of local feedstuffs for feeding swine.
d. Educate hog producers on proper ways of feeding swine utilizing available local feedstuffs
e. Publish educational materials of results in PEOPLE’S project as ready-to-print desktop publications and prints. Conduct local and regional workshops on the project.