Is it possible to give tomato tops to pigs: advantages and disadvantages

Pigs are omnivorous animals, with a good appetite, quickly gaining weight with proper fattening. Breeders of meat breeds that have their own garden plot are wondering: are all plants suitable for feeding? For example, is it possible to feed tomato tops to pigs? There is no definite answer to this question, since the addition of Solanaceae to the diet requires caution and experience so that there is no loss of livestock.

Can pigs be given tomatoes?

The recipe for animal feed depends on age and purpose. In a month, piglets are weaned from the uterus and transferred to feed, which should be dominated by protein, which contributes to rapid weight gain. For digestion and vitamin support, boiled vegetables are added to the food.

With age, the proportion of protein foods increases, boiled vegetables are replaced with raw ones, with the exception of potatoes. If a pig breeder has a plantation of tomatoes grown in open or closed ground, then the question arises of the possibility of giving the animals tops and tomatoes.

Vegetable culture belongs to the Solanaceae family. The leaves and stems of tomatoes contain a vegetable glycoside - solanine. The alkaloid protects the plant from being eaten by animals, as in large doses it causes poisoning, even death.

There is no solanine in ripe fruits. In green tomatoes, the percentage of alkaloid depends on the degree of maturity: the more unripe, the higher. Piglets up to 3 months and sows are not fed tomatoes in any form and their ground part.

Advantages and disadvantages

The composition of tomatoes is 90% water. They lack the fiber and protein needed when feeding pigs to gain weight quickly.Tomatoes are low-calorie foods. They are not nutritional champions, but they are high in potassium, vitamins A and C.

Potassium affects the functioning of the kidneys. Given that pigs consume a lot of water, the introduction of tomatoes into complementary foods will favor the work of the excretory system of animals.

Tomatoes, both ripe and unripe, can improve the palatability of feed, such as potato peels, for better eating.

Rules of introducing into the diet

Tops are recommended to be added to the diet of animals in small quantities, mixed with other herbal supplements. The specific smell of fresh leaves and stems reduces the appetite of animals. Dried plants used as a vitamin supplement are more readily eaten.

After harvesting at the end of the season, above ground parts can be ensiled and fed during the winter period.Dry oat chaff is added to freshly plucked bushes with high humidity (at least 5% of the total silage mass). When laying the mixture, sprinkle with sour skimmed milk (for better fermentation) at the rate of 0.5 liters per 100 kilograms. When feeding, ensiling do not use parts of plants affected by mold, late blight, rotten, withered earlier.

To remove solanine from green tomatoes, it is enough to soak them in s alt water for 3-4 hours, changing the water 2 times. A similar result will be obtained if the fruits are boiled for 5-7 minutes. To avoid diarrhea in animals, tomatoes are introduced into complementary foods in small portions, starting from 100-200 grams per head. The maximum volume of fruits depends on the weight of the pig, but should not exceed 2 kilograms.

Silage based on tomato stalks and leaves is starting to produce from a norm of 0.5 kilograms per animal. A daily volume of tomato silage over 10 kilograms can lead to poisoning and loss of livestock.