How Much Does a Pig Eat Per Day?

A single “pigs eat X kilograms a day” figure would be misleading, because a growing pig's appetite changes dramatically as it grows. The right question isn't how much pigs eat in general — it's how much a pig at your pig's growth stage eats.

Intake roughly quintuples from weaning to near-finished

These figures come from AHDB's (Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board) guidance on feeding growing and finishing pigs — the UK pork industry's own reference for commercial dry-feed rations. A finisher-stage pig eats roughly five times what a weaner eats, which is why sizing a feed budget off one flat “average” number would be wrong at either end of that range.

What actually moves the number

Growth stage is the biggest single factor, but breed, activity level, and how much of the diet comes from feed versus foraged or supplementary food all shift the real figure somewhat. These are planning figures for a typical dry-feed diet, not a precision ration plan — if you're managing a working herd rather than a couple of pet pigs, a vet or agricultural advisor can tailor a ration to your specific animals.

Feed a complete pig feed, not kitchen scraps

The intake figures above assume a bought, complete dry feed — and for a UK keeper that isn't just a convenience. It is illegal to feed pigs catering waste from any domestic or commercial kitchen, pets included, and GOV.WALES directs keepers to the pig foods sold by agricultural merchants. In the US the rules depend on your state. We cover both in can you feed kitchen scraps to pigs?

What a pet-pig charity recommends

Every Pig Rescue Service, which advises pet-pig keepers in the UK, says an average adult pig needs approximately 2.75kg of sow nuts a day, split into at least two meals, and can drink up to 20 litres of water a day, so fresh water should always be available (see our water guide for how that figure compares across sources). It recommends a non-fattening pellet (sow and weaner pellets), plus a wide variety of vegetables with plenty of leafy greens and grazing, with fruit in moderation because of its sugar, avoiding anything high in salt or sugar, and it says to monitor weight and adjust amounts because it is easier to prevent an obese pig than to treat one. That 2.75kg is close to the 2.5kg finisher figure above. The charity also states that feeding kitchen waste is prohibited, and lists fresh vegetables in the ideal diet without saying where the legal line falls, so seecan you feed kitchen scraps to pigs?before feeding anything that isn't a bagged feed (Every Pig Rescue Service, feeding).

What that works out at in the UK

One UK retailer lists a 20kg bag of pig grower pellets at £11.95, about £0.60 per kg. At that price the stage figures above come to roughly £0.30 a day for a weaner, £0.90 a day for a grower and £1.50 a day for a finisher — around £9, £27 and £45 a month per pig. It is one retailer's undated listing and feed type and delivery move the price, so replace it with what you actually pay.

Turning this into a feed budget

Once you know the daily intake for your pig's stage, the next question is usually cost. Our feed cost calculator takes your pig count, growth stage and local feed price and turns it into a daily, weekly and monthly estimate, rather than leaving you to do the multiplication by hand.

Common questions

Why isn't there one single number for how much a pig eats?

Because a growing pig's appetite roughly quintuples between weaning and market weight. A single average figure would overfeed a young weaner and underfeed a near-finished pig, so intake is normally given by growth stage rather than as one flat number.

Do fully grown pet pigs eat less than these figures?

Often, yes. These figures are for growing pigs on a commercial dry-feed diet. A mature pet pig that's stopped growing may need less dry feed than the finisher figure — a vet or experienced keeper can help judge body condition rather than feeding to a fixed number indefinitely. Any extra food has to be legal where you live: in the UK you cannot feed a pig anything from a domestic or commercial kitchen.

Is this figure for dry feed only, or does it include water?

Dry feed only. Pigs also need constant access to fresh drinking water separately — water intake isn't included in this figure and scales with temperature, activity and diet.