By Spy Uganda
The largest economy in Uganda enjoys pork on a daily basis in the different parts of the country and this has made piggery a more lucrative venture and many people are earning big from it. The increasing number of people in the country has seen a kilogram of pork ranging between 8000 to 10,000 shillings and this entirely depends on where you buy it.
Before you start a piggery farm you need to look at different things like the money you have, space and a clear plan on how you are going to manage the piggery and some of the important things that need to be considered include the following.
The breed of pigs
When purchasing pigs, you need to get a male which is about four months and females which are about two months. A good breed has to be longer, taller and larger in size.
It’s also advisable to get the male and female pigs which are from different parents to improve on the breed and when purchasing, one should get a breed that is from a trusted and right source and it should be a fast growing breed.
A good breed should range between5 to 10 kilograms at one month and 60 t0 120 kilograms at six months and this should be the weight before they are slaughtered. And a good breed piglet ranges from 150,000 to 300,000 shillings and the pricing depends on the type of breed.
The pig house or sty
The pig sty has to be 6 and half feet in height and 10ft*8ft on the ground and it should be well fenced to avoid wild animals like snakes from accessing the pigs, it should also have a footbath with disinfectant mixed with water at the entrance to avoid the spread of diseases.
A good house unit can house 7 pigs that are pregnant sow, pigs of 2 to 5 months and one month but it should be noted that the bore will need more space.
It should not be slippery, should be leakproof and there should be easy disposal of the wastes from the pigs and this should be done far away from the sty to reduce the spread of diseases.
The pig sty should also be easy to clean and it should be done at least in the morning and evening.
Feeding the pigs
This is the most easiest to do since most pigs reared in Uganda eat everything given to them as long as it’s edible and you should note that it is also the most important thing when it comes to rearing pigs.
The food give to the pigs include ekinazi, maize bran, vegetables and leftover food. They should be fed foods rich in vitamins, proteins, minerals and they should also have plenty of clean water provided to them.
Pigs are meant to feed at different intervals and according to their age and below is a list of the feeding formula on how best to feed the pigs.
- Pigs between2 weeks and 2 months should always have unlimited feeding throughout the night and if possible each time they are awake to get a good breed when they grow up
- They should start feeding on one kilogram for 2 to 3 months.
- At 3 to 4 months, the amount of food should be increased to 1.5 kilograms and at 4 to 5 months to 2 kilograms per day.
- When they make 5 to 7 months, they should be fed with 2.5 kilograms and above 7 months, the pigs should be fed with 3 kilograms.
- A pregnant sow also eats according to the months that is at two and half, they eat 3 to 3.5 kilograms, at three months the quantity increases to 4 kilograms and after delivery, each piglet can be given a quarter while the sow 3 kilograms.
It should also be noted that a sow is pregnant for only 115 days and pigs a lot so in order to avoid over eating, you should learn how to limit the amount of food given to the pigs.
The market and profits from pig rearing
Most people make a mistake and try to sell the piglets but they have zero profits so if you want to earn more on this venture, wait till they make six months because then they will weigh 50 to 60 kilograms for the local breed, 90 kilos for the exotic breed and 60 to 80 kilos for the crossbreed.
On average from the time you purchase the piglets until six months, you can spend 300,000 per pig in the sty and make more profits at the end of the day.
You should also make sure that you spray the pigs against infestation from flies, lice and ticks and deworm them at least every two months. This will ensure healthy pigs at the end of the day.
