A Guide to Traditional Pig Keeping

Pigs are raised worldwide as a source of meat. Pig farming initially started as an aid to dairy farming so that by-products, such as whey and skim milk, were utilized and not wasted. Among small farmers, pigs are bred as a source of steady income. The animals are good at disposing garden waste or excessive supply of produce, and clearing rhizomatous weeds from the farmlands and pastures. Traditional pig keeping requires certain amount of care for the venture to be a success.

  1. Piglets

    • Buy piglets from stock breeders, producers, auctions or through classifieds. Before purchasing, get the correct information on the breed, nutritional needs and whether they prefer being indoors or outdoors. Select healthy and large-sized piglets that weigh about 25 lbs. Get immunization certifications for the piglets. The male piglets should be castrated if you are not going to breed pigs.

    Nutrition

    • Corn is the staple food for pigs, but you can also feed them some grains, cooked meat, vegetables, soybeans and cooked table scraps. Piglets will need a high protein diet. Add vitamins and other supplements to the food to facilitate faster growth and better health.

    Water

    • Water is essential for good health and productivity. Provide around two to four gallons of clean, cool drinking water daily in a trough or automatic nipple waterer. Growing and young pigs require between 0.26 and 2.64 gallons of water every day, while the sow still suckling her piglets requires 6.6 to 13.2 gallons of water on a daily basis.

    Housing

    • Pigs, like humans, lack insulating fur. Therefore, ensure that the pigs are given a shelter that is protected from extreme climatic temperature fluctuations and have warm, dry, draught-free sleeping zones. Pigs confined indoors in barns must have airy pens, which are spacious enough for them to stand, lie down and stretch out. If the pigs are kept outdoors, construct a shelter made of insulating materials having false ceilings and adjustable openings. The shelter will offer protection to the pigs from unpleasant weather and also provide shade from the summer heat. If the area is prone to flooding, build the pen on elevated land to escape the floods. Pigs can easily succumb to heat stress. Install a wallow or a drip water system in the shelter as a cooling mechanism.

    Pig Farm Sanitation

    • Good sanitation is essential to keep pigs disease-free. Use slotted pen floors, keep the floor dry and wash the barn or pig enclosure daily. Also, ensure that the manure is removed daily to reduce odor and keep the area disease-free. Take out movable objects, such as troughs and false ceilings, and scrub and air them every day to reduce odor and possibility of pathogens.

    Health

    • The skin of the pig protects it against infections, so attend to any visible cuts and grazes to ward off swollen joints. The gut can also allow entry of infective agents. Do not make sudden changes to the pigs' diet as a way to minimize stress.

      Vaccinate the pigs as prevention against leptospirosis, parvovirus and erysipelas and repeat the shots every six months. These shots stimulate antibody development and improve immunity. Ill pigs should be humanely killed by rendering them unconscious until death.

    Selling

    • Once pigs reach five to seven months of age and weigh more than 200 lbs., they are ready for the market. Pigs can be sold at a livestock auction or they can slaughtered. It is better to sell the pigs to a slaughter house so that you avoid the paperwork and inspection required for slaughtering. On the other hand, for personal meat consumption, you can slaughter the pigs in the farm using humane slaughtering methods and maintaining sanitation and hygiene at the slaughtering area.