2. Starting a Piggery Enterprise
2.1. Pig production as a business
Farmers need to engage in pig production as a business with the aims of providing meat (pork) and other pig products to the consumer; earning an income through sale of pigs, meat, and compost from the fermented bed. To run a successful pig production business, the farmer has to increase the number of healthy piglets weaned per Sow per year and minimize feed costs while ensuring consistent adequate performance.
2.2. Types of pig production systems
2.21.Extensive or free-range (scavengers)
The free-range system is the traditional method of rearing pigs in most parts of the world. Each family keeps a few (one to three) pigs which are allowed to scavenger or wander freely and pick up food when and where they can. The system requires little investment and management; and there is minimum disease control. They may receive supplementary feeds such as kitchen wastes, farm by-products, and others. Local breeds of pigs pre-dominate the free range system because they are more highly adapted.
2.2.2. Semi-Intensive
In this system, the animals are restricted to a limited area and the farmer feeds them. Once in a while, the pigs are allowed into a larger area to graze, wallow and exercise. The animals are fed on kitchen wastes, food by-products, among others and some level of managerial skills are required.
2.2.3. Intensive production system
This is the commercial method of pig production. Housing is more modern and provides shade, pen space, feed and water facilities to meet requirements of the pigs. Feeding, management and disease control are more modern. Common breeds are exotic or cross breeds. Herd sizes may be small scale (5 Sowherd or up to 100 stock/year), medium scale (10 Sow herd or up to 200 stock/ year) or large scale (greater than 200 stock. year).
2.3. Types of piggery enterprises
Essentially, there are four pig production enterprises a farmer may choose from. The enterprises are:
1. Farrow-to-finish operations - The farmer keeps a Sow herd and produces his own growers for a finishing operation which he also owns.
2. Farrow only - The farmer keeps a Sow herd which produces weaners which he sells to other farmers.
3. Finishing operation - Farmer buys piglets either as weaners or growers and fatten them for the pork market.
4. Breeding - The production of breeding stock is a very specialized enterprise reserved only for the experienced pig breeders and requires heavy capital investment.
The choice of the enterprise depends on the motivation, the resources available and the markets.
Issues to consider:
1. Capital. This is the amount of money required to set up the piggery project. The amount is dependent on the unit size one intends to operate. The capital is needed to construct the sties and to buy equipment and breeding stock. Working capital is also needed to pay for feed, drugs and labor for the initial phase of the business.
2. Knowledge and skills.Knowledge on how to successfully manage a pig production enterprise is very important. In order for the farmer to avoid making costly mistakes in the running of the pig production enterprise he should receive training in pig husbandry.
3. Breeding stock. The output of a unit can be limited by the quality of breeding stock. Inferior breeding stock results in an inefficient utilization of feed and space. Farmers must be prepared to pay high prices for quality stock. Poor quality breeding stock may be cheaper in the short term but in the long run they will be expensive.
4. Market. Farmers have to identify the market for their pigs before they start producing them. Farmers should desist from the practice of hunting around for a market when their pigs are ready for sale. When the producer has identified a market he must ask himself whether the price being offered for his pigs will be enough to make the project viable. An important point to consider when one is choosing a market is the distance to the market. If the distance to the market is long the project will incur high transport costs and hence will be less viable.
5. Water. Water should be of the right quantity and quality. Inadequate water supply depresses the growth rate of the pigs. Lactating sows need a lot of water for milk production. The pigs’ water requirements will vary with the weather. On a very hot day the pig will use more water than during a cold day. As a general guide a farmer should budget about 150 litres of water per sow per day.
6. Housing. The pigsties should be constructed in a way that will allow the stockman to carry out his daily duties with ease. The sties have to be designed in a manner that will help management in monitoring the pig enterprise. Poor housing designs can lead to disproportionate food sharing, inefficient utilization of space, feed wastage and poor performance of the pigs among other things.
7. Feed Availability Aguaranteed supply of feed is a prerequisite for the successful operation of a piggery project. Feed account for about 80% of the production costs on a pig production enterprise. Pig feeds are compounded using maize or other small grains and concentrates. The farmer should budget about 3.4 tons of maize per sow per year if he is to operate a breeding/feeding unit.
8. Technology to use There are many technologies for piggery production. The common ones in Uganda are (a) the traditional free range system, (b) intensive pig production system using cemented floor housing, and (c) intensive pig production system using Fermented Bed Technology. The choice of which one to use depends on the skills and resources available to the farmer. This manual is about pig production using Fermented Bed technology (FBT).