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Unfortunately, pig farmers end their pig farms faster than they began. This is primarily due to the pig farm not thriving well. But the good news is that this does not have to be you. Pig farming is one of the most lucrative agricultural businesses in this era. Raising pigs for meat is easy, but knowing your onions in pig production allows growth and brings high returns.
Here’s the simple definition of a “pig farming business”: the raising and breeding of pigs for food or commercial purposes. And yes, using the right equipment, knowing the best breeds of pig to rear, good medical attention for the pigs, good living conditions, effective feeding strategies, and proper marketing strategy are some of the ways to improve productivity on your pig farm. So let’s get started.
We get the question all the time: is pig farming profitable? As earlier mentioned, pig farming in Nigeria is one of the easiest and fastest ways to make money. The right pig farming equipment not only makes work easier and faster, but also increases productivity on the pig farm. Without further ado, here is some of the equipment that is required on a pig farm to increase productivity:
The Pig Farrowing Crate is constructed to allow the sow to lie with its piglets suckling on its mammary glands. The Pig Farrowing Crate is a pig farm design made with wood or metal. The sows are kept in the pig fowling crate before and after parturition to keep the piglets safe from their huge-sized mothers in the pen since the sows would find it difficult to lie on their piglets. So, using the Pig Farrowing Crate helps prevent death and unnecessary loss of piglets, which increases production in the long run.
An automatic feeder in the pig farm is essential to feeding pigs with quality feed at a predetermined time. It saves time and energy and allows the pig farmer to channel his energy to other aspects of the farm. The automatic feeding equipment differs in size, and farmers can get one depending on the size of their pigs. The automatic feeder requires regular maintenance for durability.
The Feral Pig Snare is used to capture a single pig on a pig farm. After being captured, the pig is restricted to a pig snare for medical treatment, weigh-in, or sale. A feral or untamed pig snare is also used to control feral or untamed pigs on the pig farm.
A Pig Weighing Scale is used for measuring the weight of pigs. It is also used to monitor their growth at all ages to determine whether they are underweight, overweight, or have attained a marketable weight.
There are many breeds of pigs you will find. However, pig farmers need to understand that buying a pig breed is not enough; rearing healthy breeds of pigs is one way to improve pig farming productivity. The common breeds of pigs reared commercially are Yorkshire, Berkshire, Hampshire, Duroc, and Chester White.
Just like other agricultural livestock, pigs need regular check-ups and vaccinations at all stages of their growth. Some vaccinations or health issues may require the service of a veterinary doctor, while the pig farmer can tackle some health issues themselves. Here are some of the health concerns and procedures in pig farming that increase productivity:
Boars are castrated when they are 1 week old to avoid boar taint. It is usually carried out with a scale.
While playing with one another, there are chances that the pigs will cut themselves with their teeth and inflict pain on one another. So, to avoid infection and other health issues from the cut, the pigs’ teeth are cut at a younger age with a side-cutting plier.
The pigs are vaccinated to increase their disease-resistivity using a syringe. The syringe size differs according to the size of the pig.
The size of the pig farm depends on the number of pigs and the financial ability of the pig farmer. However, it is better to have spacious land for the pigs to graze around and play than to have a space where the pigs are packed together and restricted.
Large spaces enable proper ventilation, and the availability of grazing spaces keeps the pigs busy all day. Land that is close to markets and raw materials for pig farming is best because the cost of transportation will be reduced.
Depending on your choice, pigs can be raised in an intensive, extensive, or free-range system. A pig pen is the most commonly used local pig farming method. Pigs are allowed to eat, play, and rest in a pig pen. To prevent premature breeding, get a spacious and separate pen for sows and boars. The pen could be fenced in to protect the pigs from external factors like thieves. A good pen should provide plenty of space to allow the pigs to move around. It should also have proper water drainage to disallow stagnant water that is responsible for breeding disease-causing agents in the pig farm.
No doubt about it. Pigs need food to grow, and feeding pigs is an easy task thanks to their omnivorous nature, i.e., they feed on both plants and animals. To increase profit, pigs should be fed properly, regularly, and with nutritious feed to make them grow quickly to a marketable size. Clean water should also be made available to the pigs because pigs need water to play in and wash their bodies. It could be a water pool, a lake, or a pond. The thing is to ensure a clean and healthy water source
Pigs and pig products are in great demand in this part of the world. In Nigeria, pork is considered a cheap source of meat protein. And the best part is that pigs grow very fast and can multiply within a short time. Castrated boars can be sold earlier than the uncastrated ones that are still breeding. Another marketing strategy for increasing pig productivity is selling pig products to restaurants, local markets, other pig farmers, and companies using bacon and other pig products.
Pigs multiply within a short time, adapt to climate conditions easily, and feed on almost everything. And it’s enough reason for anyone to venture into pig production. So, what are you waiting for? Leverage our resources in pig farming to help you get started. Pig farming is a breeze and highly profitable for anyone to engage in. Moreover, it has a high return on input.
C & M FarmTech LTD
(the heart of better farming) is an agro-allied company founded in 2019. From the start of the company, we succeeded in establishing ourselves as one of the leading agro service providers in the country.
