HOW TO START A SMALL SCALE PIG FARM(PIGGERY)

How to start a small scale pig farm (piggery)

Livestock is just exciting isn't it? Well one needs to be fully passionate about it in order to make a success of it.

By the end of this article you'll know just how to grow or breed pigs. You'll be well equipped with knowledge on how to kick start your dream into a reality.

Animal farming is like raising your own children,the animals require your time,care and attention on a daily base.

Let's talk about farming pigs,
pigs are sensitive animals requiring a higher level of management. But even if they will take up all your time and energy be assured that when farmed  properly they will bring a better financial return,their breeding is far better than other livestock,they are also market-ready far sooner.

You have two options between intensive or free range pig farming.
By intensive it's meant that pigs are kept in a closed housing system while in free range they live in an open space with small houses for shelter.

Both ways have their advantages and disadvantages.

Did you know that pigs consume a whole lot of water?to run a piggery you musthave a reliable supply of clean, cool water.Water is known as the ‘forgotten nutrient’, with an unreliable water supply you will experience serious loss in productivity, disease and even mortality.

How much water are we talking?
Well a weaner pig or a young, growing pig requires up to 10L of water a day while an adult pig can drink 25L to 50L in just a day.

So if imagine how much water a pig farmer needs if 30 pigs are being farmed. Consider water as the most important need of them all.

It is better to start with weaners, grow
them out and sell them a few times before attempting to breed them. It's easier for a small scale farmer still trying to find their feet.

This way they will get experience and an indication of costs as well as getting to understand pigs better and be better at developing management protocols. Your management skills should be sound when you start breeding.

Pigs are strong animals but they are not strong enough to cope with factors such insufficient water and feed not forgetting severe weather if there isn't proper housing.

All this will definitely stall productivity, leading to losses. Pigs need solidly built infrastructure including housing, water troughs and fencing,proper ones.Poor management can lead to disease that can quickly destroy your pig farming enterprise. Pigs are susceptible to several diseases such as diarrhoea.

Pigs grow more slowly on unbalanced diet such as leftover food and pigswill, commercial balanced pig ration is more expensive.Before buying your first pigs, make sure you can afford to vaccinate and feed them until they are market-ready and never purchase pigs just because they’re cheap. Poorly bred pigs may carry disease, be genetically inferior or take longer to grow to marketable size.

Do your homework,be well informed and research as much as needed to be on top of the game.

All the best....