Features of raising pigs at home. Pig breeding as a business - what you need to consider to achieve high profitability

Pig breeding is a fairly popular area of agricultural business. With the correct preparation of a business plan and compliance with the basic rules for keeping these animals, their owner will be able to fully recoup their costs within two to three years. And after this period, profits will begin to appear. These animals can also be kept for households as a source of tasty and nutritious meat and lard.

Like any other type of business, raising beef cattle requires careful preparation and calculations. If a farmer plans to make a profit from his occupation in the first year after starting it, then he will be disappointed. The pig-breeding business is an enterprise that requires not only financial, but also time, and therefore it will begin to pay off no earlier than in two years. Like other types of farming, raising pigs has not only advantages, but also certain disadvantages. For some aspiring entrepreneurs, such shortcomings can be critical. Therefore, it is recommended to carefully weigh all the pros and cons before starting a pig farm.

Benefits of Pig Breeding

Domestic pigs are unique animals of their kind that have a number of qualities not inherent in other types of farm animals. These include the following properties:

Fertility. With proper care of sows, each of them will be able to piglet twice a year. One litter can produce up to 14 or even 15 suckling piglets!
Fast growth. Dairy piglets gain 3 kg of live weight in a week, and a month after birth their body weight can reach 17-25 kg. With proper care of young pigs, by the age of eight months they gain weight exceeding one hundred kilograms. This rapid growth results in large volumes of pork production.
Stable high demand for pork. Pig meat has a pleasant taste and contains many useful substances and microelements. Because of this, the farmer will be able to sell his products profitably. Good pig lard, which is distinguished by its nutritional properties, is no less in demand.
Omnivorous. Unlike other domestic animals that are used for agriculture, pigs eat anything. They can be fed not only with plant and animal food, but even with scraps from the dinner table.
These are the main benefits of keeping and breeding such farm animals for private business.

With proper care of sows, each of them will be able to piglet twice a year

Milk piglets gain 3 kg of live weight in a week, and a month after birth their body weight can reach 17-25 kg

The farmer will be able to profitably sell his products

Unlike other domestic animals that are used in agriculture, pigs eat anything

The correct approach to farming and compliance with the basic rules of keeping pigs will lead to multiple recoupments of the initial costs of the enterprise.

Disadvantages of the pig farming business

With all its obvious advantages, pig breeding as a business also has a number of certain disadvantages. It is also recommended that you carefully read them before deciding to open a farm.

The disadvantages of pig farming include factors such as:

The need to provide complex care for suckling piglets and sows that are about to farrow or have already given birth. But with the right structure of the matter, the correct maintenance of such individuals can be arranged with the help of hired personnel specially trained for such work.
Complex and labor-intensive cleaning of the pigsty, which must be carried out at least once every few days.
The need to provide livestock with a spacious and comfortable room for keeping, as well as the presence of a separate pigsty for piglets and sows.
High initial costs for setting up a farm. Financial expenses are associated not only with the purchase of livestock, but also with the construction of pigsties, as well as with the hiring of personnel. A single farmer will only be able to raise a few head of livestock for himself. If you want to build a profitable business, you will have to invest in hiring employees.
Production risks. Pigs are more susceptible to infectious diseases than other farm animals, which can reduce the number of livestock by half in a few days. Compliance with sanitary standards and timely vaccination of animals will help to avoid this.

The need to provide complex care for suckling piglets and sows

Complex and time-consuming cleaning of the pigsty, which must be carried out at least once every few days

The need to provide living creatures with a spacious and comfortable room for keeping

Pigs are more susceptible to infectious diseases than other farm animals.

A correctly drawn up and carefully thought out business plan for pig breeding will help a novice entrepreneur eliminate all the above-mentioned disadvantages of such an enterprise with minimal losses.

How to choose a breed for breeding

All pigs that are suitable for industrial breeding are divided into three main groups, depending on their characteristics:

Grease-meat. This is a group of animals that produce only 20% meat and about 50-60% fat when slaughtered. Such pigs are distinguished by their massive size and the fastest possible weight gain. Already five months after birth, the weight of a piglet of the lard-meat group can exceed 100 kg.
Meat-greasy. This is the most popular group of domestic pigs, which produces 70% meat and about 20% fat.
Bacon. This is a universal group containing breeds of pigs that produce approximately the same amount of lard and meat.

1. Tallow-meat

2. Meat and greasy

3.Bacon

To choose the right breed for home breeding or for business, you will need to take into account the characteristics of each species and clearly decide which specific pigs you want to have on your farm.

Fatty meat breeds of pigs

Of the representatives of this group among domestic farmers involved in breeding tallow and meat pigs, the following breeds are especially popular:

North Caucasian. This is a large breed of pig that was bred in the middle of the last century in the Caucasus. It is characterized by rapid weight gain, resistance to infections and fertility. North Caucasian animals are resistant to climatic changes, but at the same time very vulnerable to excess moisture.
Mirgorodskaya. This is a relatively young breed, which is characterized by highly developed adipose tissue, which allows it to gain large amounts of fat.
Belarusian black and white. A classic pig breed that has been bred by our farmers for decades. It is distinguished by excellent productivity, good immunity and large size.

1. North Caucasian

2.Mirgorodskaya

3.Belarusian black and white

All of the above animal breeds have a pronounced black-and-white color. With proper care and maintenance, the maximum weight of these representatives of the lard-meat group can exceed 270 kg.

All pigs from the meat-fat group are distinguished by poorly developed adipose tissue and strong muscles. The most popular breeds in our country are:

Lithuanian;
Siberian Northern;
Ukrainian steppe white.

1.Lithuanian

2. Siberian northern

3.Ukrainian steppe white

All three breeds are characterized by the following characteristics:

white suit;
large sizes;
fertility: one sow gives birth to ten piglets at a time;
large body weight – adult boars can weigh over 300 kg

All three breeds are characterized by such characteristics as: white color, large size

These pigs are very profitable to breed, both for business and for home use. Their versatility lies in the fact that they can be fattened for both meat and bacon.

Bacon pigs

Of this group, the two most common breeds are the Estonian Bacon and the Landrace. They are characterized by the following external characteristics and productive properties:

high meat yield and low lard productivity;
white suit;
elongated rounded body;
large hams and loins.

Of this group, the two most common breeds are: Estonian Bacon

And Landrace

Vietnamese pigs

In addition to the listed breeds, Vietnamese pigs have recently become very popular, breeding which is very profitable for both business and private households. These animals are distinguished by their compact size, unpretentiousness and high productivity. The main disadvantage why some farmers prefer other breeds to the Vietnamese is their weak immunity. Because of this, living creatures are more often than others susceptible to dangerous infectious diseases. Timely vaccination of livestock will help solve this problem.

Recently, Vietnamese pigs have become very popular, breeding them is very profitable

Vietnamese potbellied piglets

In order for a farmer’s livestock to grow regularly and become profitable over time, it is necessary to create suitable living conditions for the animals. Regardless of their breed and type, all pigs require such components of a comfortable life as:

Well-equipped pigsties. The premises must be built of durable material and insulated in the roof and floor areas. Particular attention should be paid to the absence of drafts, as these farm animals are susceptible to colds.
A varied and balanced diet. For breeding pigs at home to be successful, it is necessary that all important substances and microelements are present in their diet. To do this, it is necessary to feed animals not only with plant and animal food, but also with special feed, which is purchased from manufacturers.
Qualified personnel. To provide quality care for the livestock, the farmer will have to hire a veterinarian, livestock specialist, agronomist and several other specialists.

1. Well-equipped pigsties

2.Various and balanced diet

3.Qualified personnel

Each pen for one pig must have an area of at least four square meters. In spacious rooms, animals feel as comfortable and free as possible. If the pen is smaller than the required standards, this will affect the productivity and fertility of the livestock.

All pigsties must be cleaned several times a week to avoid the emergence of dangerous infections and microbes that can harm the animals. Sows, boars and suckling piglets should not be given large amounts of food with a high percentage of fiber, as their stomachs have difficulty digesting it. For the normal functioning of the intestines of pigs, it is necessary to provide them with constant free access to clean drinking water.

For the normal functioning of the intestines of pigs, it is necessary to provide them with constant free access to clean drinking water.

Pig breeding

Most breeds of these farm animals are characterized by early maturation, which means that sows and boars are ready for mating already in the first six months of life.

But you shouldn’t let a young sow near the boar at the first signs of “hunting”: her body has not yet fully formed and may simply not be ready to bear offspring. The optimal age at which the first birth of a pig is possible is 11-12 months.

Most breeds of these farm animals are characterized by early maturity

Sows and boars are ready for mating in the first six months of life

If you neglect these rules and allow the mating of a sow that is not ready for childbearing, this can lead to such unpleasant consequences as:

Complicated childbirth. This, in turn, may result in the death of some of the offspring or the mother.
The occurrence of serious health problems in the sow and piglets.
Tendency to obesity or, conversely, to less weight gain in offspring.

1. Complicated childbirth

2. The occurrence of serious health problems in the sow and piglets

3. Tendency to obesity or, conversely, to less weight gain in offspring

Before breeding pigs, the sow should be properly prepared. To do this, a few days before mating, she is transferred to enhanced nutrition, in which succulent feed and concentrates should predominate. The ideal candidate for mating is a pig with the following characteristics:

age at least 10 months;
large sizes;
a good appetite;
daily weight gain of at least 500 grams.

In order for the mating to be completed successfully, it is recommended to wait twelve hours after the sow has shown the first signs of “hunting”, and only then introduce her to the boar. For more reliable fertilization, it is desirable that the male covers the sow at least twice. The main sign that a female is pregnant is the absence of signs of “hunting” within a month after mating.

Before farrowing, be sure to perform the following preparatory work:

disinfection of the pigsty;
preparation of important tools and devices that can help a pig farrow during a complicated birth;
calling a qualified veterinarian to monitor the birth process.

In most cases, sows successfully produce offspring on their own, but sometimes they may need help. To avoid harm to the piglets and the mother, it is recommended that births be supervised by professionals experienced in this type of work.

If you follow all the simple rules for the care and breeding of these large farm animals, you can count on the fact that in a few years the enterprise will begin to make a profit. It is very important that there are always qualified workers on the farm who can provide the livestock with the necessary assistance in their specialization.

Pig breeding is a profitable business

Nowadays, raising pigs at home is becoming more and more popular. You can buy meat, but it is not cheap and there is a possibility of purchasing a low-quality product. Pig breeding is a profitable business due to the rapid birth rate and variety of feeding.

Care and breeding methods of pigs are taken into account, the purpose of which is to increase the fertility of the sow, reduce feed costs and improve the properties of the meat. There are methods of keeping pigs, which are divided into walking and non-walking methods.

Benefits of Raising Pig

The peculiarity of modern pig breeds is that they are distinguished by high offspring. About 14 piglets can be hatched from just one farrowing. And in a year the pig gives birth twice. Raising pigs has some requirements that must be met during the feeding and care process. This is what will bring significant profits.

Raising pigs at home is more profitable than other animals. The secret lies in the early maturity of the piglets. Once born, the piglet weighs only 1-1.3 kg. But after seven days he is twice as heavy, and within a year his body weight increases 140 times. In two hundred days, the piglets gain one hundred kilograms in weight. If you do the math, just one sow produces up to three tons of meat. This is three times more than a sheep or a cow.

Pork meat is in good demand

Raising piglets is also beneficial in terms of rational use of feed. Chickens and geese absorb only a fifth of the feed, and piglets a third. Per kilogram of weight gain, a pig spends 30% less feed than cattle.

Pork meat is in good demand among buyers. It is softer, more tender than beef. Delicious smoked pork meats that do not lose their taste during storage. Canned pork meat is also more appetizing than any other.

Pork meat is in great demand among buyers. It is softer, more tender than beef. Delicious smoked pork meats that do not lose their taste during storage. Canned pork meat is also more appetizing than any other.

It is important that pork meat is not only tasty, but also healthy, since it contains vitamins, amino acids (proteins, iron, B vitamins) and can be 100% absorbed by the body.

Carcass breeds

In the vastness of our country, raising piglets is quite a popular business; on average, about 30 types of pigs are bred. How to make the right choice of piglet breed to raise at home? It is impossible to give a definite answer, since keeping pigs depends on the climatic conditions of the area. Based on meat quality, pigs are divided into three types:

meat-fat;
bacon;
greasy-meat.

Northern Siberian pig breed

Such directions help determine the choice of breed. Meat-fat – large white breed and breeds derived from it (Siberian northern pig, Ukrainian white, Lithuanian white, etc.). Pigs are white in color, where muscle tissue dominates development than fat tissue. Breeding white pigs is the most common method.

Landrace is bred for bacon breeding. This breed is also white, but with an elongated body shape, formed by the back and loin. The end result is a large volume of meat and a small volume of fat.

Why do people buy white pigs more often? Since this type is universal and is suitable for both fattening meat and bacon. They give a large offspring. At the end of growth, boars reach a weight of 370 kg or more, and sows up to 280 kg. Feeding and care carried out taking into account special requirements will allow the young animals to gain 100 kg in weight in just 6-7 months.

Tallow piglets are usually black or mottled black in color. Very early ripening, characterized by rapid fat growth, weight less than previous breeds. These include: Mirgorod, North Caucasus, Belarus, etc.

Tallow-meat Mirgorod breed

Pregnancy and care

Pig maturity occurs 8-9 months after birth. During this period, mating can begin. Considering that the duration of gestation takes 112-116 days, the first litter is expected at 12-13 months. For normal mating, a pig from one hundred kilograms and having 12 formed nipples is selected.

Before mating, for a larger and healthier offspring, the pig should be prepared with special feeding. Her diet is improved with mixed feed, skim milk, food waste, and her feeding must be enriched with greens. In winter, greens are replaced with hay and legumes. Fulfilling the fattening requirements, the individual will gain 500–600 grams of weight gain within 24 hours.

In the summer, pigs are grazed by adding 4 kg of green mass (finely chopped) mixed with concentrates to the feed. Before mating, increase the volume of concentrates to 2.5 kg and add 2-3 liters of dairy products, 5-6 kg, to the feed. succulent feed, 2 kg of legume hay. Every day, food is seasoned with 1.5–2 teaspoons of salt. Another 0.5 teaspoon of chalk is added or replaced with tricalcium phosphate. Don't forget to drink fresh water.

Insemination

What to expect in the behavior of the carcass if heat has begun? She is anxious, tries to jump out of the cage, sniffs, listens often, does not want to eat, grunts in a special way if pushed from behind, and stands motionless. But he calmly lets the boar approach.

The pig is worried and sniffs

Twelve hours later, after such signs, the sow is crossed with a boar or artificially inseminated. Be sure to fulfill the following requirement: repeat the crossing again after 12 hours. Over the next seventeen days, the pig’s behavior is monitored; if no strange features are observed in the animal’s behavior, then the sow is fertilized.

Pregnant pigs

concentrate - 2.5 kg;
alfalfa or clover - 7 kg;
food and dairy waste - 0.5 kg;
salt - 30-40 gr. and mineral supplements - 20-25 gr.

Postpartum care

During the difficult postpartum period, the sow requires increased attention and care. After farrowing, you need to give the pig a liter of water, or half a liter of milk mixed with half a liter of water.

After six hours, give enough water.
Feeding during this period is different from usual.
On the first day, a liquid mixture with oatmeal or wheat bran is given in a volume of one kilogram.
Already in the second week, milk-bearing root vegetables are included in feeding.
The sow is fed three times a day at regular intervals. Give food in the quantity required by the animal.

The sow should be professionally assisted during childbirth. Newborn piglets must be wiped, the snout, ears, and mouth must be thoroughly cleaned of mucus, the umbilical cords must be cut off, and be sure to be cauterized with iodine. An important point: small piglets are brought to the nipples for 45 minutes.

The main requirement in the first minutes after the birth of piglets is feeding with colostrum (natural food), which is completely absorbed in the piglets’ body. In newborns, vitality increases and piglets sucking colostrum significantly relieve pain for the female and accelerate the end of the birth process.

Raising pigs in winter

Keeping pigs in winter has its own characteristics. To prevent pigs from freezing and getting sick, you should think about heating or insulating the room. It is safer during this period to feed the carcasses with warm water. Raising pigs in winter differs in the feeding method. During the season, when there are no greens, more food waste is added to the diet, mixed with feed, bran and, do not forget, salt.

It has been noticed that in winter pigs love finely chopped dry nettles, prepared in the summer. Nettle is quite useful in raising pigs. Proper preparation will make it easier to keep pigs during the winter.

Pigsty

Raising pigs requires physical and material costs. To get high profits from labor, you should take care of the living conditions of the animals. The best option would be a spacious barn or barn, divided into three zones: a place with machines for keeping carcasses, an area for walking, preferably with a cover, and a formed pit with water for swimming.

How to build a pigsty

Each breed of pig has its own characteristics in physique, and this is taken into account before starting the construction of a pigsty. Partitions are constructed from durable material, otherwise they will be damaged. What should be considered when equipping a pigsty:

roof without leaks, warm;
walls are compacted;
hard floor with drainage ditches;
lighting;
heating appliances, especially when there are small piglets.

When constructing a pigsty, materials that retain heat are used. It can be: cinder blocks, brick, adobe. The interior is being plastered and whitewashed. When preparing a pigsty, we take into account the methods of keeping pigs and, accordingly, the fulfillment of these requirements.

If you provide and take into account all the requirements for caring for, raising and keeping pigs, this process will not bring difficulties and the result will be the desired one.

2847 04/04/2019 5 min.

Domestic pig breeding (keeping at home) is one of the most profitable and interesting areas of homestead and farming. With minimal costs, breeders can use it to obtain two types of products: meat and lard. Such products are highly valued and sold in stores and markets at impressive prices. This is why raising pigs yourself is much more cost-effective than buying ready-made meat. In addition, feed for these animals is relatively inexpensive. However, keeping pigs is not so easy and it is important to know some important rules of care, feeding and breeding. This article will tell you what they are.

Specifics of home breeding

In terms of profitability of production, pig farming ranks second after poultry farming. And despite the fact that it is much easier to purchase ready-made meat products, it is safer to grow and consume your own pork. Meanwhile, pigs are among the fastest-growing animals, which means the results of farming will not take long to arrive.

Before you start breeding, you need to choose a breed. Conventionally, they are divided into three directions: meat, meat-greasy and greasy. The cost of young stock may also vary. It is recommended to purchase it only from specialized enterprises. Before setting up and running a farm, it is necessary to take into account all the features of pig farming:

despite the omnivorous nature of pigs, it is important to correctly select the daily diet taking into account the breed;
it is necessary to monitor the quality of fences, since young animals and adult animals can easily break them;
large and warm with space for walking are required;
To maintain health, it is necessary to carry out vaccinations, basic preventive measures and disease therapy in a timely manner, and this will require expenses for medicines;
Storage areas must be kept clean at all times.

What beginners need to know about care and cultivation

Both experienced breeders and beginners can raise piglets at home. However, in both cases it is necessary to take into account the basic rules of maintenance and care.

How to grow

You can grow your own young stock, either purchased or your own. It must be kept in separate rooms from adult animals under appropriate temperature and hygiene standards. As the animals grow and develop, they are transferred to separate stalls with their own feeders and.

Vaccination is an important procedure for the health of young animals. As a rule, they begin to vaccinate one-month-old piglets and repeat the procedure after a while. When purchasing animals, you must require a certificate of vaccinations.

The third important condition for fruitful content is balanced. At the same time, food for young animals is somewhat different from “adult”, which also needs to be taken into account. In addition, the diet must contain all the necessary vitamins and minerals.

How to care

Caring for piglets and adult pigs is quite simple. To do this, two basic conditions must be met: timely and proper feeding and maintaining cleanliness. In addition, it is necessary to maintain the temperature regime and ensure a comfortable existence.

Necessary conditions and sanitary standards

Basic conditions and standards for keeping pigs at home:

for young animals, the temperature in the pigsty should be eighteen to twenty degrees, for adults – twelve to sixteen degrees;
maximum indoor humidity is eighty-five percent, optimal is seventy;
there should be no dampness or dirt in the pigsties; all waste products must be removed daily;
the presence of daily changed bedding made of straw, hay or sawdust is a mandatory condition of maintenance;
premises must be disinfected and removed from insects;
the water in the drinking bowls should be changed several times during the day as needed;
Before each feeding, the feeders must be emptied and washed thoroughly;
Walks in the fresh air in the warm season are mandatory for young and adult pigs.

Premises (contents, meaning)

The choice and construction of a room directly depend on climatic conditions and the selected breed.

Pigsty

The pigsty should be warm enough and protected from drafts. In the northern regions, it is also recommended to install additional artificial heating. The room can be made from wood, brick or blocks. In this case, the floor is best made of concrete with a wooden platform laid on top. You should also make sure there is a drain for easier waste removal.

Before moving in, it is necessary to treat the walls against fungi and bacteria with caustic soda or slaked lime. It is recommended to repeat the procedure once a week subsequently.

Read about how to make a pig feeder with your own hands.

The barn is deep and large

Wooden utility rooms and garages can be converted into a pigsty by making a high-quality floor inside and insulating the walls. This type of cultivation is suitable for warmer regions. Just like the new pigsty, the converted premises will require a pen with mesh fencing. Inside it you will need to install an additional feeder and drinker, as well as make a swimming pool. The use of additional space is important for the warm season.

Before moving pigs into barns, care must be taken to ensure that there are no residues of potentially hazardous chemicals inside.

Feeding, proper fattening of a pig

The diet of young and adult pigs is somewhat different. It is also important to take into account the composition of animal feed.

What to feed piglets, what kind of feed

Babies under three months need to be fed five times a day, over three months - three to four times. It is best to choose wet food for them. For the first two weeks after birth, piglets feed only on their mother's milk. Gradually, they need to be accustomed to “adult” food, preparing mash from combined feed, water and dairy products. So, at the age of one month, the final transition to a new diet should take place. Then the diet can be enriched with seasonal vegetables, fruits, root vegetables, fermented milk products, and herbs.

Adult pigs

Animals as adults can be fed in one of three modes:

dry;
liquid;
wet.

Dry food is a special feed mixture that does not need to be brewed or soaked. However, in this case, you will have to give the pigs as much water as possible for normal digestion. The mode has the following advantages:

pigs get sick less often;
pig manure loses its specific smell;
leftover feed does not spoil;
pigs quickly gain muscle and fat mass.

Liquid feed mainly consists of food waste and dairy products. Wet is a mash with the addition of concentrates and boiled vegetables.

Under any regime, it is important to enrich the diet with seasonal vegetables and fruits (raw and boiled), fodder root crops and melons, meat and bone and fish meal, and herbs. It is also recommended to give vitamin-mineral premixes in case of lack of elements in the diet.

You can find out what to feed piglets for rapid growth in.

You should not make a sudden transition from wet food to dry food and vice versa. Regime change must occur gradually.

Profitability

high-quality pork is always in demand on the market, and its price is high;
the yield of meat products from pigs is up to ninety percent, which is twenty to thirty percent more than that of cattle;
one sow can bear up to thirty piglets annually;
pigs are resistant to most diseases and have excellent vitality;
the cost of feeding and fattening pigs is much lower than that of other livestock;
pigs quickly gain muscle and fat mass, due to which already at the age of six months they weigh up to one hundred kilograms or more;
animals are unpretentious in housing;
Piglets can also be sold profitably at the age of one month.

You can read about the most effective fattening of pigs at.

It is important to remember that pig farming requires serious investments in the early stages. Costs will be necessary for the purchase of animals, the purchase of feed and the arrangement of a pigsty. However, all these costs quickly pay off if the basic norms and rules of keeping and breeding are observed. The costs of breeding pigs pay off after the first farrowing.

Video

Video about organizing a business for raising pigs for meat.

conclusions

Keeping pigs at home is profitable and cost-effective if the basic standards and rules of animal care are observed.
Pigs gain weight quickly. But for this to be possible, it is important to properly organize the feeding regimen and composition, and subsequently the slaughter method, especially for beginners.
The profitability of pig farming directly depends on the choice of breed and the quality of the young stock.
Pigs are unpretentious in keeping. Therefore, new pigsties can be made for them or deep old premises can be converted.
To prevent diseases, it is necessary to vaccinate in a timely manner; this is of particular importance, observe hygiene standards and treat pigsties.

You can read about proper raising of pigs at home in.

Pork has long become the most affordable meat product. The bull slowly gains weight and it is impossible to get meat in one season. Leaving it to winter means greatly increasing the cost of the product. Flocks of sheep require a sufficient amount of free pasture for walking. The goat is more perceived as a dairy animal. The meat of other animals, exotic for farms and mass production, is not considered.

What are the benefits of raising piglets yourself?

A novice farmer should think three times before starting meat production as a business. Of course, when starting a small business, you can pick up a pencil and a calculator and calculate all the expenses and come up with a business plan. Then estimate the benefits that a pig farm from scratch will bring and console yourself with hope - how quickly you can become rich.

Life puts everything in its place. Easy on paper, but difficult on the farm. Without practical experience in pig farming, it is worth starting with 2-3 piglets taken for fattening. Don't indulge yourself with the illusion of easy money.

In principle, it is not difficult to raise a pig in 3 months and prepare it for slaughter by September. But, any pig breeder will tell you that you shouldn’t slaughter a pig under seven months of age. She is still actively gaining weight. From October to December, depending on the conditions of detention, the herd is fed for meat. There is no point in leaving it for the winter. Living conditions change, costs rise, and weight gain falls.

There is no need to rush into major renovations. Building a pigsty can be expensive. First you need to check whether it is profitable to keep pigs. But even to raise a pig, you need to create certain conditions:

First, they are placed in special quarantine for a week. They should not come into contact with other animals, especially if there are pigs from another batch.
Important! Piglets must have a veterinary health certificate and a record of all required vaccinations. If an animal is imported from another region, then a permit must be issued for the right to import into the territory of the region.
Secondly, forget about the common words - lives like a pig. The piglets must be clean.
Take regular walks in the fresh air.
Change the water regularly.
Monthly disinfection and disinsection.

If these rules are followed, care will not be difficult.

Fattening rules

Feeding begins with 5 meals a day; as the young animals grow, they are transferred to a 4-time regimen. An adult pig can be fed 3 times. When compiling a diet, you should adhere to the following rules of what to feed:

50% green crops. In summer, the pig can independently supplement this part of the diet by eating grass.
10% succulent feed.
At least 5% animal additives or herbal meal.
Root vegetables and grains are crushed before feeding.

Important! It is important for a novice farmer to know that when using growth stimulants, piglets will quickly gain weight, but the quality of the meat will deteriorate. Antibiotics should generally be avoided.

If all feeding rules are followed, by the age of eight months you will get 130 kg of excellent meat from each piglet.

Walking area

When planning a yard, be sure to consider that pigs need a place to roam. For young animals, it is enough to have an enclosure at the rate of 0.8 m2 per pet. It’s a different matter when it comes to summer fattening. The minimum norm for a pig is 5 m2. In order for the animal to freely visit the enclosure in an indoor area, a hole measuring 0.8 by 0.6 m is made.

To obtain tasty, non-greasy meat, it is good to give the animal the opportunity to graze on a green meadow. Here even 5 m2 will not be enough.

Important! Do not allow your herd to meet other pigs, this can lead to dangerous infection.

Construction of a pigsty

Having gained experience in raising pigs in small numbers, you can begin building your own pigsty. It is worth considering that keeping farm animals is strictly regulated by veterinary services. It is worth studying sanitary norms and rules. They spell out in detail the size of the herd and what conditions are required. Sanitary standards regulate literally every step. To understand where to start. It is worth knowing that all approvals are made before the design stage, but even without a project, final permission cannot be obtained. This cannot be done without professional specialists. The project will contain complete information on what and how to do.

Important! In order for the farm to develop effectively, before starting construction, think about how you will sell your products. It is impossible to compete on prices with large manufacturers. All that remains is to take quality and look for a consumer who wants to consume quality meat.

Based on the project and analysis of the sales market, you can calculate the profitability of a new business.

Even while remaining within the confines of his personal farmstead, the farmer gradually comes to the desire to get his own piglets. Advice one: a full cycle is only possible with large-scale pig farming. It is almost impossible to keep a high-quality boar and several sows at the same time in a private farmstead. It is worth cooperating with colleagues. If you keep a sow, then worry about mating with the best boar you can find in the area.

The gestation period usually lasts about 120 days. The next mating is possible only after 6 months. The sow must be at least 8 months old and weigh more than 100 kg. The hunt lasts about 2 weeks. You can almost immediately see from the pig’s behavior that the time has come. But, it is always right to seek advice from experienced business executives for the first time. It is important to provide the inseminated sow with high-quality feed with increased calorie content.

A little about breeds

The main question that a novice pig breeder has to decide is which breed to choose:

Yorkshire is a better choice for sale. This breed grows quickly. By the 150th day he gains the first hundred weight. But you shouldn’t start with it. Maintenance requires some skills.
The German Landrace is suitable for beginners. It can also be grown quickly, and it is not fussy in its maintenance.
If fed correctly, the Estonian bacon is not far behind the leaders in terms of growth rate. Their sows are very fertile; they can produce up to 12 piglets in one farrow. This breed has gained particular popularity in Ukraine.
In Belarus and Russia, especially its central part, the large white breed is very popular.
Hungarian Brazier, a breed about which no one has ever complained. It has excellent meat and is not fussy in its maintenance. In winter, even in frosty conditions, he can be outside. Eats everything he finds.
Some people try to keep wild pigs at home. The idea is probably not the best. Their temper is not so easy to curb. The cages need to be made especially strong, and the meat yield is usually not high for pig farming.
Recently it has become fashionable to keep Vietnamese pigs. They are attracted by their small size and ability to feed exclusively on green matter. She can walk all day long and gnaw on bush branches like a goat. True, many experienced pig breeders are skeptical; maybe inertia just works. You can also try.

Start by providing your family with quality meat. Anyone who has eaten homemade pork understands how different it is from what is sold in stores. The taste and beneficial properties are much higher.

Raising pigs can be a very profitable business, although for beginners, keeping piglets at home often causes a lot of problems. Pigs grow quickly, are not picky about food, bear numerous offspring, and produce meat and lard. But this does not mean that they do not require appropriate care. Without it, there can be no talk of the effectiveness and productivity of pig farming, as well as making a profit.

Choosing a breed as the basis for future success

In our country alone today there are many breeds of pigs, about 30, so making the right choice is not so easy. There are three main directions: meat, lard and bacon; the latter are also often called universal.

Breeds from each of these areas easily adapt to our living conditions, so the choice of a pig is based on the preferences of the breeder and the goals that he sets for himself.

For example, meat breeds (Belarusian, Poltava) are characterized by rapid weight growth. By the age of 8 months, if pigs are kept and fed correctly, they can already reach slaughter weight. Their meat volume is at least 60% of the carcass.

In tallow breeds (Berkshire, Mirgorod), lard makes up 40-45% of their weight and, again, if the care of the piglets is correct, it is of high quality.

Bacon breeds (Landrace, Pietrain, Duroc), whose meat has an impressive layer of fat, are distinguished by their versatility; their feature is also rapid weight gain. The ratio of meat to fat in a pig carcass is approximately 60 to 30, depending on the specific variety.

About purchasing piglets

It is generally believed that purchasing a pig should take place in the spring. It is difficult to argue with this statement, because at this time of year and further in the summer there is no shortage of food, and it is already warm in the pigsty. These conditions allow us to count on successful rearing of the individual.

However, the purchase of piglets can be carried out in winter. In this case there will be a little more difficulties. The main thing is to carry out proper weaning if the piglet is still feeding on its mother’s milk.

Then place it in a warm room, providing quality care and nutrition. The optimal age of a piglet for purchase is one and a half months, when weaning is already possible.

At this time, babies are able to feed on their own and no serious problems arise when they are weaned from their mother. Before making a purchase, it would be a good idea to look at the parents of the piglets. This will make it easy to predict the future of the young animals, and will also provide an opportunity to understand what you can count on.

Features of keeping young animals

Caring for piglets, as well as their habitat, must be done daily. For good growth, only high-quality and properly organized feeding is not enough. After they have been weaned, special attention must be paid to creating comfortable conditions.

There are two fundamental requirements for a pigsty: it must be dry and warm. It is important to ensure high-quality and complete ventilation, but without drafts.

The air temperature in the pigsty should not fall below 16 degrees, but this is the minimum threshold. It is optimal if it is in the range of 20-24 degrees.

Ideally, you will need to install a heating system into the pigsty, but there are more economical options.

Bury their heads in the litter

This means that the bedding in the pigsty is not replaced; sawdust or fresh straw is poured on top of the existing layer. Several layers are formed, inside which the process of decomposition of manure takes place, accompanied by heat emissions. The temperature here can reach 40 degrees.

Pigs can bury their heads in such bedding and thereby warm themselves. More details on how to care for piglets in these conditions can be found in the article.

For small piglets and sows, care should still be taken to install a stove in the pigsty for better warmth. Details of winter care can be found in the article.

Basic requirements for a pigsty

When building a pigsty, the groundwater level must be taken into account. In cases where they lie close to the surface, care must be taken to ensure a reliable foundation for the pig building.

In addition, the closer the groundwater is to the surface, the higher the humidity level in the pigsty. This figure should not exceed 70%, otherwise the resulting dampness will contribute to diseases among animals.

Internal walls must be treated with freshly slaked lime, and this procedure is carried out consistently every 4-5 months. This is necessary for disinfection purposes and to prevent infections in pigs.

To increase the vitality level of piglets, it makes sense to use Chizhevsky chandeliers, which enrich the air with oxygen ions. Such lamps should be used no more than 15 minutes a day.

The space inside the pigsty should also be treated with disinfectants, for example, Virocid, Vigor or Stalosan F. Before using them, it is advisable to wash the room, but it is not necessary to remove animals from it.

One should not neglect the issues of organizing the fight against flies, mosquitoes and midges, since they can seriously annoy animals. In this regard, various types of Velcro have proven themselves well.

We must also fight rodents; exterminating mice and rats is vitally important. There are many varieties of poison that can be purchased in the form of tablets, glue or grain. These products need to be spread throughout the pigsty, but always out of the reach of the pigs.

Organization of lighting and ventilation

Maintaining biorhythms in piglets is of great importance, especially in the winter season. This goal is facilitated by the correct organization of artificial lighting in the pigsty.

In winter, with short days, the suckling sow and piglets should receive light (at least 15 lux) for 18 hours. For fattening pigs, the light level is 5-6 lux for 20 hours.

A properly organized high-quality ventilation system is also of great importance. Thanks to it, harmful gases are removed from the pigsty. This fact is not always taken into account by farmers, which is an unfortunate omission.

Ventilation in a pigsty can be used either in an industrial or home-made version. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages.

There are several options for ventilation systems. Supply and exhaust ventilation has proven itself best. But the choice may be different. It all depends on the capabilities of the breeder, his preferences and the characteristics of the pigsty itself. The main thing when creating ventilation is to prevent the occurrence of drafts, which pose a serious danger to the health and life of piglets.

More details about the organization of the ventilation system in a pigsty are described in the article.

Roof and floor coverings

The best floor for a pigsty is concrete. Wooden flooring is not very suitable, since animals quickly and easily deal with it, chewing the boards or tearing them off.

In addition, over time, it becomes more and more difficult to remove manure from a wooden floor, and it is very easy for an animal to slip on such a floor. Concrete coating of the pigsty will save piglets and owners from such problems.

The floor in the pigsty should be approximately 5 cm higher than the drainage structure; the slope should be made in its direction to facilitate cleaning. Only cement grades M-500 and D-0 are used.

A bedding of straw, hay and sawdust is laid on the floor. This is a mandatory condition, the concrete floor itself is cold and the animals will catch a cold and get sick.

You can insulate the floor using polystyrene foam; it can be used in the form of slabs or balls. In winter, it is recommended to lay down wooden panels. You can get more information on this issue from the article.

Heat loss through roofs is approximately 40%, so it is also necessary to insulate it. For this purpose, the same foam or mineral wool is best suited.

Proper organization of nutrition

The stereotype about the omnivorous nature of these animals is quite dangerous; the idea that a pig can be fed with anything is completely wrong. Particular difficulties often arise after the weaning of young animals. Many newbies believe that the diet of piglets separated from the sow can consist only of waste.

This approach is fundamentally wrong. Caring for adults, and piglets in particular, requires a balanced diet. Root vegetables and waste are certainly present in their diet, but they should make up only part of it, and not completely fill the entire menu every day.

There are a lot of feed mixtures for piglets; as an example, we can offer the following option:

green food in the amount of 50 or 60% of the total;
succulent feed, amounting to approximately one tenth;
grass and meat and bone meal, approximately 5% of the diet;
animal feed that fills the remaining volume.

Feed for piglets should be prepared immediately before use. Grains and root vegetables must first be crushed so that their absorption occurs to the maximum. This will also allow the owner to reduce the cost of purchasing feed.

To organize the feeding process, well-fixed feeders are placed in the pigsty, as well as drinking bowls, of which there should be a lot so that there is no water shortage. Drinking bowls must be refilled regularly and always kept clean; it is also important that they are filled only with fresh water.

Water temperature for piglets is also an important aspect. We must ensure that it does not fall below 20 degrees. If this happens, the risk of catching a cold increases. And if it turns out to be higher, then there is a risk of indigestion due to intestinal infections.

Walking area

High-quality care for piglets also involves organizing an area for walking piglets in the pigsty. Having the opportunity to regularly spend time in the fresh air, pigs demonstrate better weight growth. In addition, they will be less susceptible to disease, and the taste of their meat will also increase.

In addition, if after feeding you walk pigs in the air for 20-25 minutes, then they will defecate there. This will reduce the humidity inside the pigsty, as well as the level of gas contamination.

The place for walking the pig should be prepared and equipped accordingly.

First of all, piglets need to be provided with reliable protection from wind and rain, keeping in mind their susceptibility to colds.

Adult pigs and young piglets are famous for their ability to dig. Therefore, walking is subject to requirements for the reliability of fences and their protection from undermining and escape of animals.

Diseases and their prevention

One of the characteristics of pigs is their susceptibility to various diseases, including infectious ones. Some of them can also infect people, so prevention and timely examination of piglets are of primary importance. Do not forget that initially the mother’s milk provides protection to the young, but when weaning occurs, further care falls on the shoulders of the breeder.

Young animals often suffer from indigestion; this is a typical disease for piglets. For treatment, brovaseptol is used, which, together with glucose, is injected into the animal’s mouth using a syringe.

Leptospirosis is a dangerous disease. Piglets are usually susceptible to it, but there are also cases of damage to adults. Infection occurs due to the fact that the pig digs the ground in which the leptospira are located. This disease is also dangerous for humans, who can become infected from an animal.

Piglets can also get sick with a disease such as erysipelas. A particular danger of spread occurs in spring and autumn. The source is rodents, as well as already sick individuals in the herd.

The greatest threat to livestock is plague, the mortality rate of which is at least 80%. The disease is infectious in nature, but the worst thing is the fact that it has practically no cure in piglets.

Based on this, the role and importance of prevention cannot be overestimated. An effective remedy in this case is vaccination of piglets.

It is carried out in several stages. After farrowing a pig, newborn piglets on the third day receive Ferranimal and Suiferrovit. Upon reaching the age of one month, they are given vaccines against enterococcosis and salmonellosis.

At the age of one and a half months, following a weekly cycle, they receive medications for leptospirosis, at two months - for erysipelas, and at three months - for plague. In addition, each piglet must absorb vitamins to prevent rickets. For this purpose, young animals receive Trivit, as well as fish oil.

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