nah.. you dont need all that bagged food. here's what we do..
1. when they are very young they need a lot of protein so instead of buying hog starter for $17 a bag (!!!!) we buy regular hog grower ($7 a bag) and one bag of calf manna. the calf manna is really expensive ($25/bag) but we only need 1 bag and that is for 2 pigs for the entire season. add a small scoop on top of the regular hog feed. this is what we feed for about 6 weeks (depends on how old they are when you get them). we also give them goat milk as well as COOKED eggs. and then all kinds of garden scraps. the old timers tell you to feed them 2 or 3 times a day, all they can eat for 20 minutes. if there is any food left after that time you've feed them too much. i like the 3 times a day schedule. just watch that they are growing steadily. if they kind of level off than pour on more protein.
2. once they are to about 60 or 70 pounds, we wean them off the hog feed and feed them entirely crushed corn. we pour on even more milk, whey, and COOKED eggs. they can eat kitchen scraps as well. and anything out of the garden. grow extra pumpkins - they love them, they are a natural wormer, and its funny to watch pigs play pumpkin football.
3. we also know some folks who press cider so we go and get the pressing leftovers by the truckload and mix that with corn plus milk. that gets them nice and fat.
some important notes:
* cook the eggs! dont give raw... they'll eat raw eggs but raw eggs have a protein inhibitor and so it isnt doing them any good
* you can feed hay - they eat it. of course, the more they can forage in pasture the cheaper it will be for you. but they will demolish the pasture. we put ours in a poison ivy field and they loved it (no it didnt hurt them)
* dont have goats? call around to 4H groups or breeders. i know a gal who dumps 50 gallons of milk A DAY from her goaties.
* stop and talk with folks who have farm markets and such - most of them will be happy for you to come and get the stuff they cant sell. we got a bunch of '2nd's and uglies from an orchard. they were just glad not to have to haul it away and our pigs loved the apples, peaches etc.
* watch your chickens! pigs may figure out those flappy squawky things are delicious and may kill them. our buckeye hens were too fast for those pigs, but there was some close calls.
* go directly to electric fence - see BBH's posts on that free pig for more info
* pigs arent dogs. be very careful as they are dangerous and extremely strong. i would never get into the pen with them and i never get near them with out my hard workin' farm dogs and my beatin' stick. ask Quail how much she loved her pigs
and then go and get your pigs and dream of bacon! speaking of.. i think i need a big ol slab of ham today....
