First time posting...Southern Oregon, Mediterranean climate, red wattle pregnant sows and 2 RW feeder pigs.
I have a bit of a conundrum, that I'm hoping someone can shed some light on.
I live in a rural area and my local grain elevator does not carry organic grains in bulk. With the lack of a close supply of organic feed (and my limited budget) i have made the next best choice (in my opinion) and at least been feeding my pigs a GMO free mix. 900lbs of ground peas with 1100lbs of ground barley. I also have the elevator mix in a mineral supplement. My pigs (red wattles) are on pasture, but with our frequent drought, I know they depend on the feed primarily for growth, nutrition, etc. I also ferment the ground feed for 3 days with an organic yogurt and water starter which after I drain, i carry it forward to the next batch of feed (feed twice a day, 6 buckets fermenting on a rotation). My pigs a very healthy and have been growing and farrowing well for 2 years on this mix. We also pick apples, pears and acorns for our pigs.
My conundrum is...the more i research peas/lentils the more I am learning that they are desiccated with chemicals (sometimes glyphosate) prior to harvest. I am searching for a new protein source without the heavy does of poison. The next best option locally is alfalfa pellets (15% protein).
What is everyones opinion about a mix of barley and alfalfa pellets? Will this provide a balanced diet for pigs? If so, what type of ratio? The mill also has grass pellets for some variety. (9% protein)
I also plan on ditching the hog mineral mix and switching to a 50lb bag of kelp meal per ton.
I know the best option is find an organic source...but due to distance and cost, I have to make some realistic choices.
let me know your thoughts.
