Pig Production

Pig Production or pork farming or hog farming is the raising and breeding of domestic pigs as livestock, and is a branch of animal husbandry. The pig is one of the oldest domesticated animals. Pigs are omnivores and are highly social and intelligent animals[1]. Majority of the breeds we now know are descended from the Eurasian Wild Boar (Sus scrofa).

A typical pig has a large head with a long snout which is strengthened by a special prenasal bone and by a disk of cartilage at the tip. Domesticated pigs, called swine, are raised commercially for meat (generally called pork, hams, gammon or bacon), as well as for leather.

Pork is one of the most popular forms of meat for human consumption, accounting for 38% of worldwide meat production.[2]

Source: www.sciencekids.co.nz

Pig Production

The distribution of pigs around the world is not the same. Almost half the world’s pig population is in Asia, 30 percent in Europe and the former USSR. The population of pigs in large parts of the tropical and sub-tropical developing regions for example Africa and Latin America is relatively small.

It is important to note that most of the world pigs’ population is located in China.

There is marked differences in the consumption patterns of pig meat throughout the world. In some parts of Europe, annual per capita consumption of pig mea is over 50kg, and represents some 60 percent of the total meat consumed. In the developing countries and particularly in Africa, estimated annual per capita consumption ranges from 1 to 3 kg, and forms less than 10 percent of the total meat diet.

Advantages of pig Production

• They have the potential to be highly prolific. Because they are cable of producing large litters after a relatively short gestation period.
• Their productivity in terms of yield of meat per tonne of live weight of breeding females per year is in the region of six times that of cattle.
• Pork is suitable for processing and some of the processed products have a longer shelf life than fresh meat, and can thus be distributed to a wider section of the population.
• Pigs are efficient feed converters to meat; twice as efficiently as ruminants.(i.e. they have high feed efficiency)
• Pig production provides quick turn-over on investment compared with cattle.
  
  

  Cost Analysis for Starting Pig Production
  

  To start a profitable pig farm in Nigeria, start by following the sequence listed below to calculate your estimated cost analysis;

  • Get a good land for your Pig Pen:

  A good land in rural area will cost between Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N250,000) to Four Hundred Thousand Naira (N400,000).

  If you do not have money to buy the land, then you can hire it and use for the farm. Hiring will cost up to a Hundred Thousand Naira (N100,000) depending on the time range.

  • Layout your Pig Pen Structure:

  Start by setting up a building plan for the structure of the pig pen. The major consideration here should be the size of the farm you wish to have and the number of Piglets you wish to raise.

  • Buy your piglets:

  At this point, you may have to with a veterinary doctor to help you select good breeds of the piglets.

  Meanwhile, let your focus also be on getting healthy piglets and a very good breeds to avoid unforeseen complications

  • Plan on Feeding:

  After getting the piglets, the next plan is on how to feed them. In this case, you have to start with a feeding plan.

  One good thing about pig farming is the fact that, you can produce your own healthy pig feed with available home materials. Meet other pig farm experts to learn more.

  • Vaccination:

  When it comes to vaccinating your pigs or piglets, we totally encourage new pig farmers to also consult a veterinary doctor before administering any kind of medication on their pigs.

  As such, it is advisable to start by studying and understanding the basic pig diseases, symptoms and their pig vaccines

  The best way to cut down the cost of medication is to make sure that you keep your pig pen clean and out of the reach of diseases and infections.

  • Security:

  At the end of every other plans, you also have to consider the security of your farm. As such, the need for security may arise.

  There are several ways to putting your farm security in place. This can be easily achieved by using human security or other methods like using a dog or building tall fence around the farm.

  How profitable is Pig Production in Nigeria?

  Pig farming in Nigeria is very profitable. A pig farmer in Nigeria can make as much as Forty Thousand Naira (N40,000) per sales of one pig.

  Generally, the amount of money a farmer can make in pig farming depends on the quantity of the pigs in his or her farm, the weights of the pigs and their sizes.

  A pig farmer in Nigeria can make between Two Million Naira (N2,000,000) to Ten Million Naira (N10,000,000) profit in a year from pig farming.

  I am sure you have known the This evaluated cost of starting a Pig farm in Nigeria in 2021 and the amount of money needed to start pig farming in Nigeria.

  Drop a comment below and share this with others. You can also drop any questions in the comment section for a quick answer.

Pig meat (Pork) is marketed in the form of:

Fresh meat – This is the most important product in the tropics in general, as processing facilities are limited. Pig destined for the fresh meat trade are usually slaughtered at younger ages and lower weights (porkers) than those used for processing.

Offals – These are all edible ad the liver in particular is delicacy.

Lard (pig fat) – This is sold as a separate product for human feed, animal feed or soap production.

Bristles – These can be used for brushes and are in special demand for shaving and paint brushes.

Intestines – Is used for sausage casings.

Blood – This is collected separately and processed into sausages and other delicacies for those who consumed it.

Pig skin – Pig skin can be made into valuable leather.

By-products – Bones, blood and inedible meat tissue is converted into animal feeds.

Hoofs – These are used for gelatin and glue products.

FACTORS TO CONSIDER IN SETTING UP A PIGGERY ENTERPRISE

Housing: Pigs do better when housed, and their buildings should be of concrete or with stones due to their rooting nature. Pig’s productivity is more when they are housed in a thermally neutral environment. The house should provide

• Protection from other climatic extremes such as direct sun, wind and rain,
• Provision of dry conditions which are hygienic and do not predispose the pig to disease as they easily get pneumonia.
• Allowance for natural behavioral pattern of the pig as far as possible and minimizing the effect social dominance
• Provision of accessible food and clean water;
• Providing conditions such that good stockman ship can be practiced.
• Effective disposal of waste matter.

Hog wallows should be provide in the paddocks during hot months to help in keeping the pig cool and in maintaining their health.

Choice of breeds[3]: There are over 90 recognized breeds and an estimated 230 varieties of pigs in the world. They can be broadly classified into indigenous types or the more modern exotic types which have been selected and developed for specific commercial purposes.

Indigenous: Form the largest breed of pig in the country. They are characterized by stunted growth, poor reproductive performance, with three piglets per litter. They are very hardy.  They have pointed snout and sharp feet. Skin colouration could be black, black with white or grey patches or can be pure brown.

Exotic: This include the following

• Duroc: Golden brown to black in colour , thick auburn coat and hard skin and It is very docile
• Land race: It is a very versatile breed performing well under good management. They are white in colour, Large dropping ears and a straight snout. They have the longest body size
• Hampshire: It is black, easily recognized by white belt around the shoulder, including the front feet. Highly profilic and good survival rate of piglets. Has more meat than the large white and landrace
• Yorkshire: It has erect ears and is white in colour and females are prolific. It is renowned for its strength of leg. The breed can be used for both pork and bacon production
• Tamworth: This hardy animal is reddish colour and with erect ears. The breed is relatively slow-maturing.

Feeding: Efficient pig production requires a reliable supply of water and feed for a balanced diet. A large range of feedstuffs, including by-products and crop surpluses, may be used provided they are incorporated into a balanced diet. The requirements for feed change as the pigs grow and depend on the stage of production.

Feed and Water Requirement for Pigs[4]

Animal	Feed intake (meal feed) Kg/pig	Drinking water Requirement Litre/day
Piglet                10kg	0.60	1.0
Piglet                15kg	0.75	1.5
Pigs                  25kg	1.10	2.5
Pigs                  40kg	1.70	4.0
Pigs                  60kg	2.30	5.5
Pigs                  90kg	2.90	7.0
Sow in farrowing pen	5 – 7	22 – 27
Boar	2.5 – 3.50	10

Swine has the ability to obtain nutrient from a wide variety of feed stuff. Historically the wild swine was omnivorous consuming both vegetative and animal feeds in the early days, domestic pigs were allowed to forage on grass, roots refuse and whatever else is available.

Dry feed should be provided at all times. Wet feed is supplied twice in a day. Do not provide more than what the pig can eat within 20-30 minutes. Leftover should be removed. Green leaves could be provided daily if possible.

The three swine feed usually available commercially are: Creep feed-16% protein, Sow and weaner meal 14% and Swine finishing meal 12% for fattening of swine for pork and bacon.

DAILY ROUTINE OPERATIONS

The following operations must be firmly adhered to. And the recommended sequence is as follows:

§   Water should be provided first in the morning. It should not be added to the left over in the trough.

§   The thoroughly cleaned and refilled with clean fresh water.

§   If medication is administered, such as antibiotics, it should be added to water in a separate container.

§   Feeding- Dry feed should be provided at all times. Wet feed is supplied twice in a day. Do not provide more than what the pig can eat within 20-30 minutes. Leftover should be removed.

§   Cleaning should be done after the watering, feeding and allowing the pig to eliminate faeces. Remove manure and moist bedding.

§   If a pen is vacated it should be washed and disinfected before bringing in other animals

§   Observation of every animal each day necessity for the state of health, lack of parasite, to check for heat period, injuries and general comfort of the pigs.

Diseases: Common diseases that affect pigs are:

Anthrax, Contagious abortion (Brucellosis), foot and mouth disease, Farrowing fever, African swine fever, Diamond skin (Erysipelas), pig anemia etc.

(To read more on livestock follow this link)

Constraints

There is poor product acceptance in areas where the Islamic religion prevails, e.g. the

Middle East, Pakistan, and parts of Africa, Muslims are forbidden to eat any pig meat. While Social factors play an important role in their acceptance, the pig has historically been considered an unclean animal, wallowing in filth, an object of dislike, and a risk to human health.

READ MORE:

• An Introduction to Livestock Production
• How to make Your Own Animal Feeds (For Cattles and Sheep)
• Goat Production
• Grasscutter Production

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For more information contact: senceagric@senceworld.com

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