Pig Farming I SS1 Livestock Farming Lesson Note

Welcome to the world of Pig Farming! Pigs are some of the most misunderstood animals on the farm. Many people think they are just “dirty,” but in reality, pigs are very intelligent and clean if you give them a good environment. In agriculture, we call them Swine or Porcine.

Pig farming is one of the most profitable businesses because pigs are “prolific”—this means they can have many babies at once (often 8 to 14 piglets) and they grow very fast.

Common Breeds of Pigs

In Nigeria, we have moved from just keeping local “black” pigs to using improved breeds that grow much bigger and have less fat.

• Large White: As the name says, they are entirely white and very large. They have “erect” ears (ears that stand up). They are excellent for meat and the mothers are very good at taking care of their babies.
• Landrace: These are also white but they are long-bodied. Their most famous feature is their large, drooping ears that cover their eyes. They are known for producing very high-quality bacon.
• Duroc: These are reddish-brown pigs. They are very tough and can survive in different climates. They are loved by farmers because they grow very thick muscles (meat).
• Hampshire: These are black pigs with a “white belt” or stripe around their shoulders and front legs.
• Local Nigerian Pig: Usually black and small. They grow slowly but are very tough and can survive on very little food.

Housing for Pigs (The Piggery)

Pigs don’t have sweat glands like we do, so they can’t sweat to stay cool. This is why their house must be designed perfectly to keep them comfortable.

Key Features of a Pig Pen:

1. Concrete Floors: Pigs love to dig (root) with their noses. If you use a mud floor, they will dig a hole and escape! A concrete floor is also much easier to wash and disinfect.
2. The Wallow: This is a small pool of water or a very wet area in the pen. Since pigs can’t sweat, they lie in the water to cool their bodies down.
3. The Feeding Trough: This should be made of heavy concrete so the pigs don’t flip it over while eating.
4. Guard Rails: In the room where the mother (Sow) stays with her babies, we put rails along the wall. This prevents the heavy mother from accidentally sitting on and crushing her tiny piglets.
5. Proper Drainage: The floor must slope toward a gutter so that urine and wash-water flow out immediately. A smelly piggery is a sign of bad drainage.

Feeding Practices

Pigs are Omnivores (just like humans). They eat both plants and animal products. They have a Simple Stomach (Non-Ruminant), so they cannot survive on grass alone like a cow.

• Energy Foods: Maize, Cassava peels, and Rice bran.
• Protein Foods: Fish meal, Soybean meal, and Groundnut cake.
• Kitchen Waste: Pigs are great “recyclers.” They can eat leftover food from the house, but you must be careful—never give them salty or spoiled food as it can make them sick.
• Water: A pig needs a lot of water to digest its food. A “Nipple Drinker” is often used so the pig can bite it and get fresh water whenever it wants.

Pig Management Terms

• Boar: An adult male pig.
• Sow: An adult female pig that has had babies.
• Gilt: A young female pig that hasn’t had babies yet.
• Piglet: A baby pig.
• Farrowing: The act of a pig giving birth.
• Litter: All the babies born at the same time to one mother.

Summary: Why Pigs?

If you give a pig good food and a clean, cool house, it will grow from a tiny piglet to a 90kg “market-ready” pig in just 6 months. No other large farm animal grows that fast! This is why pig farming is a great way for a farmer to make money quickly.

Class Activity / Review

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 (where the mother gives birth)?

Homework: Go home and 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.