Pig Feed Formulation Calculator: Creep, Weaner, Grower & Finisher Feed
Tick the feed ingredients you have, enter what they cost you, and this calculator finds the cheapest pig feed that meets the nutrient requirements for each stage: creep feed for piglets, weaner meal, grower and finisher meal, and sow feed for pregnancy and nursing.
Checked 20 Oct 2026 against the sources listed below.
1. What are you feeding?
2. How much?
3. What do you have?
Tick what you can buy or already have, and what it costs you per kg in KES. Prices are typical Nairobi prices: change them to yours.
Energy feeds
Grains and brans: the bulk of the mix.
Protein feeds
Cakes, soya, fish and insects: for growth, eggs and milk.
Minerals
For bones, shells and appetite.
Extras from the agrovet
Tiny amounts that balance protein cheaply.
4. Prices to compare
Your grower meal formula
We'll find the cheapest mix of your ingredients that meets the published standard for grower meal, then show what you save.
Built on published data from Feedipedia, KALRO, ILRI and breed company guides. We're not nutritionists or vets; if you're unsure, check the formula with your vet.
The full explanation, with worked examples and what to watch for: Pig Feed Formulation in Kenya: Creep, Weaner, Grower and Finisher Feed
About this tool
The preview is free; a small M-Pesa payment unlocks the exact kilos for your batch, the nutrient check, mixing and feeding steps and a PDF. Example: pig grower meal from Kenyan ingredients is built on maize germ and wheat pollard, with omena and a little soybean meal for protein.
What pigs need at each stage
Pigs need less protein, and more of their diet from cheaper energy feeds, as they grow. These are the targets the calculator works to, as fed:
| Stage | Weight | Crude protein | Lysine (at least) | Energy (DE) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Creep and piglet starter | 5–20 kg | 20–24% | 1.10% | 3,250–3,550 kcal/kg |
| Weaner and early grower | 20–50 kg | 18–22% | 0.87% | 3,100–3,400 kcal/kg |
| Grower | 50–80 kg | 16–20% | 0.66% | 3,000–3,300 kcal/kg |
| Finisher | 80 kg to market | 14–18% | 0.53% | 3,000–3,300 kcal/kg |
| Pregnant and dry sows | — | 13–17% | 0.46% | 2,900–3,200 kcal/kg |
| Nursing sows | — | 16–20% | 0.86% | 3,200–3,500 kcal/kg |
Protein floors follow Kenyan pig feeding guidance. The lysine, methionine, calcium and phosphorus minimums are the US National Research Council's (NRC 1998) requirements, scaled to each stage's energy: NRC assumes a very energy-dense maize-soya diet, and pigs on a lower-energy home mix simply eat a little more, so they need the same lysine per day at a slightly lower percentage. That's the lysine-to-calorie method nutritionists use.
How much feed does a pig eat per day?
| Stage | Feed per pig per day |
|---|---|
| Piglets on creep feed | from a handful at week 2 to about 1 kg by 20 kg |
| Weaners (20–50 kg) | about 1–2 kg |
| Growers (50–80 kg) | about 2–2.5 kg |
| Finishers (80 kg to market) | about 2.5–3 kg |
| Pregnant sows | about 2 kg (gilts) to 2.5 kg (sows), more in the last month |
| Nursing sows | about 2 kg plus 0.25 kg for every piglet |
Ten finishers eat about 28 kg a day, so a 70 kg bag lasts them two and a half days. Enter your number of pigs and the calculator works out how long your batch lasts.
Is it cheaper to make your own pig feed?
Often not, if you buy every ingredient at retail. A Nairobi feed price list in August 2026 had sow and weaner meal and pig finisher at KES 2,300 a 70 kg bag (about KES 33 a kilo), cheaper than retail maize germ or pollard bought by the kilo. Mixing your own pays when:
- You grow maize or buy at harvest. Price it at what you could sell it for.
- You buy maize germ and pollard straight from a posho mill or flour miller.
- You have a cheap local protein, such as omena at the lake or a sunflower press nearby.
The other reason is quality: a cheap bag isn't a bargain if it's mostly bran. When you mix your own, you know the protein and lysine are really there, and the calculator checks every batch against the standard.
Ingredients to handle with care
- Mouldy maize or groundnut cake carries aflatoxin, which causes abortions and poor growth. Never feed anything mouldy.
- Cotton seed cake contains gossypol, which is toxic to pigs in larger amounts. The calculator keeps it to 5%.
- Fishmeal and omena above about 8% can taint the pork. The calculator caps them.
- Raw soybeans must be roasted before pigs eat them.
- Kitchen and hotel waste (swill) must be thoroughly boiled: raw swill spreads African swine fever.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make pig feed at home?
Combine an energy feed (maize, maize germ or pollard), a protein feed (soybean meal, omena or sunflower cake), feed lime, salt and a pig premix, weighed out so the mix meets the protein, lysine and energy targets for your pigs' stage. This calculator works out the exact kilos for your batch from the ingredients you have.
What is a good pig grower feed formula?
With common Kenyan ingredients, grower meal is mostly maize germ and wheat pollard, with some maize, omena and a little soybean meal, plus salt and premix, balanced to about 16% crude protein with enough lysine. Your best formula depends on your ingredients and prices; the calculator gives the exact kilos.
How much protein do pigs need?
About 20–22% crude protein for creep feed, 18% for weaners, 16% for growers and 14% for finishers, according to Kenyan pig feeding guidance. Protein quality matters as much as the total: lysine is the amino acid pigs run short of first.
Can pigs grow on maize germ and bran alone?
Not well. Maize germ and bran are short of protein and lysine, so pigs grow slowly and put on fat instead of meat. Adding a protein feed such as soybean meal or omena, or feed-grade lysine, makes the difference.
Is the formula safe to use?
It's calculated from published sources (NRC requirements, Feedipedia ingredient values and Kenyan guidance) and checked against nutrient minimums and safe limits for each ingredient. We are not nutritionists or vets, and ingredient quality varies, so if you're unsure, show the formula to your vet or a livestock extension officer first.