Pig production business in Lagos state alone has the potential of generating about $2 billion (N300 billion) annually. Gbolahan Lawal, the commissioner for agric, Lagos state revealed this recently at a forum in Lagos organised by the Commercial Agric Development (CADP) team.
Currently two piggery estates exist in the state. These are Oke Aro and Gberigbe in Ifo and Ikorodu local government areas respectively) with a total of 250 pens being managed by 1200 farmers of the total 2,350 pig farmers in the state.
Pig farmers are also spread across Ojo, Alimoso, Badagry and Ikorodu local government areas; that the state has a total of 205,696 pigs of which about 43 percent are reared in the Oke Aro and Gberigbe estates.
Oke Aro Pig Farm Estate has the largest concentration of pig farmers in the West Africa Sub region and has patronage from as far as Republic of Benin. Leveraging on this huge potential in piggery value chain will increase pig production by 20 percent, increase sales by 30 percent as well as employment generation by 30 percent in the next five years
The Oke Aro Farm Settlement has been a good source of income for men and women that come from Oke-Aro itself, Agbado, Ope ilu and other surrounding towns and villages.
Raising pigs can be pursued as a small-scale operation as source of family meat and supplement income or it can be made into a large-scale operation. Pigs may be raised in highly controlled environments (hog lots) indoor, in open spaces or barns as breeding sows or grown and sold for slaughter to butcher shops. Here are the aspects of pig raising that a grower must carefully consider:
Choosing Piglets to Raise
Pig feeders can be obtained from stock breeders, and producers, in auctions and classified ads. Pigs are of different breeds some of them are well suited for specific environments, indoor or outdoor. Crossbred pigs tend to grow faster, consume feed more efficiently and are vigorous. When buying a feeder, choose the large and healthy looking ones, at least 25 lbs. If you are choosing a male, which is observed to grow slightly faster than females, get one that is already castrated. Male or female, they are preferably immunized. Ask the breeder for health information and stock of the breeder.
Proper Nutrition for Pigs
Pigs feed on both grains and meat. They can also be fed with cooked table scraps and vegetables. Corn is their most common food, but they could benefit from having a diet with protein from soybeans or cooked meat. Further, they grow faster with vitamins and other supplements. Piglets have higher protein requirements than mature ones. Feeds can be bought packaged and in bulk. Pigs must also have adequate supply of drinking water daily, about two to four gallons. Provide water either through a tub or automatic nipple waterer.
Ideal Housing for Pigs
Pigs need housing to keep them warm during cold temperatures and to shelter them from excessive heat. Pigs are sensitive to heat and could die from heat stress. When housed indoors, temperature conditions must be well regulated. Controlled temperature conditions can help maximize growth. Cooling mechanisms for pigs can come in the form of drip water system or a wallow (for a hog pen).
Pigs can be housed indoors in individual stalls, pens (in groups or batch) or in barns. Even if the pigs are raised outdoors they would need a shelter during cold and hot weathers. The housing should have a space for feeding and bedding.
Pig Farm Sanitation
Sanitation is important to keep the pigs disease-free. A mechanism for easy cleaning and removal of waste is necessary for any type of pig housing. Some use slotted pen floors to make waste collection easy. Hosing a barn and removal of manure daily are recommended. So is keeping the floor dry to reduce odour.
After five to seven months, pigs are likely to reach ideal market weight of more than 70kg-90kg.
Apart from the challenge of sourcing for roughages, I don’t think there is any other one. The return on investment in the business is very high because a female pig gives birth to about 10 piglets twice in a year, and each piglet sells for about N5, 000
Are you frustrated with the limited quality of Pig Raising books on the market? Are you disappointed again that they are difficult to follow? Not enough information? Do you have questions on raising pigs properly that need to be answered?
You have tons of questions about raising pigs and you’re sick and tired of searching for information from all over the place, struggling to get the true and complete facts.
The gestation period in pigs is 115 days;(3months,3weeks,3days) so, they reproduce regularly to provide income for the farmer. The business requires patience. Anyone who wishes to go into pig farming must have a passion for the business. Feeding pigs takes a period of seven months before they mature for selling. You need to start with the weaners which go for about N5,000 while pregnant pigs are sold for N30,000-N40,000. Those who don’t have good knowledge of the business can end up feeding their pigs for 10 months and get just 50kg. But if you really understand the nitty-gritty of pig farming, at seven months after weaning, you can get 80kg to 100kg. Pigs are sold according to their weight @N260 per kilogramme.
Our guide will run you through questions you need to consider before construction of your pig farm. It will also give you a basic idea on what to expect when operating and managing your pig farm business.
E-Book Manuals for start-up
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