Scientific Pig Farming

Introduction

The challenges faced by our country in securing the food as well as nutritional security to fast growing population need an integrated approach for livestock farming. Among the various livestock species, piggery is most potential source of meat production and more efficient feed converters after the broiler. Apart from providing meat, it is also a source of bristles and manure. Pig farming will provide employment opportunities to seasonally employed rural farmers and supplementary income to improve their living standards.

Advantages of the pig farming:

1. The pig has highest feed conversion efficiency i.e. they produce more live weight gain from a given weight of feed than any other class of meat producing animals excepts broilers.

2. The pig can utilize wide variety of feed stuffs viz. Grains, forages, damaged feeds and garbage and convert their into valuable nutritious meat. However, feeding of damaged grains, garbage and other unbalanced rations may result in lower feed efficiency.

3. They are prolific with shorter generation interval. A sow can be bred as early as 8-9 months of age and can farrow twice in a year. They produce 6-12 piglets in each farrowing.

4. Pig farming requires small investment on buildings and equipment’s.

5. Pigs are known for their meat yield, which in terms of dressing percentage ranges from 65-80 in comparison to other livestock species whose dressing yields may not exceed 65%.

6. Pork is most nutritious with high fat and low water content and has got better energy value than that of other meats. It is rich in vitamins like thiamin, Niacin and riboflavin.

7. Pig manure is widely used as fertilizer for agriculture farms and fishponds.

8. Pigs store fat rapidly for which there is an increasing demand from poultry feed, soap, paints and other chemical industries.

9. Pig farming provides quick returns since the marketable weight of fatteners can be achieved with in a period of 6-8 months.

10. There is good demand from domestic as well as export market for pig products such as pork, bacon, ham, sausages, lard etc.

Importance of pig farming in Indian economy

The pig population of the country is 12.79 million as per the 1992 livestock census and constitutes around 1.30% of the total world’s population. The pork and pork products was estimated to be Rs. 66584 lakhs. The contribution of pork products in terms of value works out to 0.80% of total livestock products and 4.32% of the meat and meat products. The contribution of pigs to Indian exports is very poor. About 934 tonnes of pork and pork products were exported during 1995-96. The value of pork and pork products exported is Rs. 262 lakhs against the total value of Rs.61604 lakhs on account of meat and meat products export.

Management practices for pig farming

Modern and well established scientific principles, practices and skills should be used to obtain maximum economic benefits from pig farming. Some of the major recommended practices are:

1. Housing management

• Construct shed on dry and properly raised ground. Avoid waterlogging, marshy and heavy rainfall areas.

• The sidewalls of the sheds should be 4-5 ft. high and remaining height should be fitted with GI pipes or wooden poles.

• The walls should be plastered to make them damp proof. The roof should be atleast 8-10 ft. high.

• The pig stys should be well ventilated.

• The floor should be pucca/hard, even, non-slippery, impervious, well sloped (3 cm per metre) and properly drained to remain dry and clean.

• A feed trough space of 6-12 inchas per pig should be provided.

• Provide adequate open for each animal i.e. double the covered area.

• Provide proper shade and cool drinking water in summer.

• Dispose of dung and urine properly.

• Individual pens for boars/lactating sows should be constructed. The dry sows/fatteners can be housed in-group pens.

• Give adequate space for the animals.

1. Selection of breeding stock:

• For commercial pig farming upgraded/cross bred exotic stock in good health should be selected.

• Select a female that will produce large survivable little and which can attain marketable weight at an age of six months or less. This can be done with the helf of pedigree records/Veterinarian/Banks technical officer.

• Identify the newly purchased animal by giving suitable identification mark (ear notching or tattooing)

• Vaccinate the newly purchased animal against diseases.

• Keep the newly purchased animal under observation for a period of about two weeks and then mix with the other animals.

• Purchase animals in two batches at the interval of three months.

• Follow judicious culling and replacement of animals in a herd. Cull the old animals after 10-12 farrowings.

1. Feeding management

• Feed the animals with best feeds. Give adequate concentrates in the ration. Provide adequate vitamins and minerals. Provide adequate clean water.

• Give adequate exercise to the animals.

• The feeding of the piglets is more critical and high quality and more fortified diets are needed for feeding them.

• Feeding of the sows during pregnancy is utmost important for increased litter size. The feed requirements of lactating sow varies with the size of the litter, weight, size and age of sow.

• Use waste from Kitchen/hotel/cold storage/ware houses, in replacing the balanced retions to minimise the cost of production.

• The feeding regime adopted should take care of all the nutrient requirements of various categories of pigs.

4. Protection against diseases

• Protect the animals against common diseases.

• Consult the nearest veterinary aid centre for help if illness is suspected.

• In case of outbreak of contagious diseases, immediately segregate the sick and the healthy animals and take necessary disease control measures.

• Deworm the animals regularly.

• Examine the faeces of adult animals to detect eggs of internal parasites and treat the animals with suitable drugs.

• Wash the animals from time to time to promote sanitation.

• Strictly follow the recommended vaccine.

5. Breeding care

• Pigs are highly prolific in nature and two farrowings in a year should be planned by adopting optimal management conditions. For every 10 sows one boar must be maintained for maximum fertility.

• Breed the animals when it is in peak heat period. (i.e. 12 to 24 hours of heat).

6. Care during Pregnancy

• Give special attention to pregnant sows one week before farrowing by providing adequate space, feed, water etc. the sows as well as farrowing pens should be disinfected 3-4 days before the expected date of farrowing and the sows should be placed in the farrowing pen after bedding it properly.

7. Care of Piglets

• Take care of newborn piglets by providing guard rails.

• Treat/disinfect the navel cords with tincture of iodine as soon as it is cut with a sharp knife. Needle teeth should be clipped shortly after birth.

• Feed on month’s milk for first 6-8 weeks along with creep feed. Supplementation of Iron to prevent piglet anaemia is necessary.

• Protect the piglets against extreme weather conditions, particularly during the first two months.

• Vaccinate the piglets as per recommended vaccination schedule.

• The piglets meant for sale, as breeder stock must be reared properly.

• Male piglets not selected for breeding should be castrated preferably at the age of 3-4 weeks which will prevent the boar odour in the cooked meat thus it enables production of quality meat.

8. Marketing

The marketable products of the piggery farming include the piglets as breeding stock, piglets as fatteners, marketable fatteners and culls. The marketing avenues for the above products are like satellite fattening farms/breeding cum rearing farms and pork consumption centres. In order to promote the consumption of pork it should be supplied to the consumers in an attractive form. Therefore availability of either slaughtering facilities or bacon factories are to be ensured to convert the fatteners into wholesome pork and their products. The sale of piglets at 2-3 months of age yield quick returns and enables the pig farmer to concentrate their efforts on maximizing the productivity of breeder stock. The other marketing strategy can be rearing of piglets upto marketing age for their sale as fatteners. Based on the market demand appropriate marketing strategy must be adopted in consultation with the local animal husbandry department officials.