Pig Farming I – SS1 Livestock Farming Lesson Note (Third Term)

Pig farming is the keeping of pigs, also called swine or porcine, to produce meat and make money.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. Name common breeds of pigs and describe their features.
2. List the key features of a good pig pen and give the reason for each.
3. State what pigs eat and give examples of energy and protein foods.
4. Define common pig management terms such as boar, sow, gilt, piglet, farrowing and litter.

What is pig farming?

Pig farming is the rearing of pigs for pork, bacon and other products, and for income.

• Swine: the general farm name for pigs.
• Porcine: the word used to describe anything to do with pigs.
• Prolific: a prolific animal has many young at once. A sow often has 8 to 14 piglets in one birth.
• Fast growth: pigs grow quickly when well fed and well housed.
• Intelligence: pigs are intelligent animals and stay fairly clean when given a good environment.
• Needs: good pig farming needs improved breeds, a well-designed piggery and a balanced diet.

What are the common breeds of pigs?

There are five common breeds of pig kept in Nigeria: Large White, Landrace, Duroc, Hampshire and the Local Nigerian pig.

Many farmers have moved from local black pigs to improved breeds that grow bigger and carry less fat.

Features of each breed

• Large White: entirely white and very large, with erect ears (ears that stand up). It gives good meat, and the sows mother their piglets well.
• Landrace: white and long-bodied, with large drooping ears that cover the eyes. It is known for high-quality bacon.
• Duroc: reddish-brown and hardy, so it survives in different climates. It grows thick muscle (meat).
• Hampshire: black with a white belt around the shoulders and front legs.
• Local Nigerian pig: usually black and small. It grows slowly but is tough and survives on little food.

Breeds compared

How should pigs be housed (the piggery)?

A piggery is a house built to keep pigs safe, clean and cool.

Pigs cannot cool themselves well by sweating, so the house must be designed carefully.

What are the key features of a pig pen?

• Concrete floor: pigs love to dig (root) with their snouts and would dig out of a mud floor. Concrete is also easy to wash and disinfect.
• Wallow: a small pool or very wet area in the pen. Pigs lie in it to cool their bodies.
• Feeding trough: made of heavy concrete so pigs cannot flip it over while eating.
• Guard rails: rails along the wall of the sow’s farrowing pen. They stop the heavy sow from lying on and crushing her piglets.
• Proper drainage: the floor slopes towards a gutter so urine and wash-water flow out at once. A smelly piggery shows bad drainage.

What are the types of pen in a piggery?

• Farrowing pen: where a sow gives birth and nurses her piglets.
• Boar pen: a separate pen for the breeding male.
• Weaner pen: for young pigs just taken off their mother’s milk.
• Grower and fattening pen: for pigs raised for sale as meat.

What do pigs eat?

Pigs are omnivores, which means they eat both plants and animal products.

A pig has a simple stomach (it is a non-ruminant), so it cannot live on grass alone like a cow.

Classes of pig feed

• Energy foods: maize, cassava peels and rice bran.
• Protein foods: fish meal, soybean meal and groundnut cake.
• Minerals: bone meal and oyster shell supply calcium for strong bones.
• Kitchen waste: pigs eat leftover food from the house. Never give salty or spoiled food, because it can make them sick.
• Water: pigs need plenty of clean water to digest food. A nipple drinker lets the pig bite it and drink fresh water whenever it wants.

What are the common pig management terms?

Pig management terms are the names used for pigs of different sex, age and stage of production.

Why do farmers keep pigs?

Farmers keep pigs because they give quick returns from meat and other products.

• Fast growth: with good feed and a clean, cool house, a piglet can reach about 90 kg market weight in around 6 months.
• Many piglets: a sow has large litters, so one sow gives many animals for sale.
• Meat products: pork, bacon and ham.
• By-products: lard (pig fat) and leather.
• Recycling: pigs can eat suitable leftovers and farm by-products such as rice bran.

Evaluation

1. Identification: If you see a white pig with ears hanging over its eyes, what breed is it?
2. Logic: Why is it important to put guard rails in a farrowing pen?
3. Explanation: Why does a piggery need a wallow?
4. Listing: Give two energy foods and two protein foods for pigs.
5. Definition: Define gilt and litter.

Assignment

Check your kitchen waste for one day. Make a list of things from your kitchen that a pig could eat and things it should not eat.