Feeding the pigs
Pigs feed as much as you give them. Calculate the amount of feeds to give the pigs. The feeding bowl must not contain feeds all the time.
Pigs should be fed on a main meal of maize bran mixed with mukene (silver fish), cotton cake, red salt and shells.
Reduce the cost of feeds by buying the foods and mixing them yourself. Pigs can eat cooked or raw feeds like potatoes, cassava and maize or even the leaves of the same plants. But these should not constitute the main meals.
Common diseases
Pigs are attacked and infected by diseases like all animals. The main disease that affects pigs is swine fever.
Swine fever has no cure or vaccine. Ensure the pigs are well-fenced off from other animals.
People entering the pigsty area should wear disinfected protective gear and boots, which should be sterilized before entry into the sty by using a disinfectant like jik.
Keep them clean
A pig is as clean as the owner wants it to be. If they are not cleaned, they will be dirty. The pigsty should be kept clean to ensure that the animals are healthy.
This is a labour intensive task but has rewards. When pigs are disease and parasite free, it reduces the cost of medication. The kind of pigsty one constructs determines the cleanliness of the pigs.
Stock quality breed
A pig farmer must be sure of the breed he or she wants to rear in order to know the specific requirements for their growth.
Be prepared to pay more for a quality pig breed. Cambourough pigs are said to be a breed that grows fast and produces many piglets but they are costly. Other breeds are larg-white and landrace.
Why I keep pigs?
Farmers should be aware of the market, and adapt to its demands. If one has pigs for pork, the males should be castrated and fattened to at least 45kg after four months.
If one is breeding for sale, piglets should be sold after two months. Under any system, a farmer must have a good breeding stock.
