The basics of breeding pigs for beginners
Livestock has been popular at all times. Meat is one of the main food products to this day, and therefore the meat specificity of farming will never die, and the success of a particular business will depend on how much the farmer has thought and calculated everything. Keeping and breeding pigs is not considered the most difficult task, so many beginners start with these animals. Today we will look at the basics of pig breeding, learn how to decide on the breed of animal, how to properly equip a pigsty, organize care and how to breed pigs.
Pig breeding
Why pig breeding is so popular
As already mentioned, many begin their journey in animal husbandry precisely with raising pigs at home, according to OKVED codes from 01.46 to 01.46.12. There are several explanations for this, including the fact that keeping and breeding pigs as a business can be called one of the most profitable and profitable enterprises. This is due to the physiological feature of these animals: they quickly gain weight and do not require special care. If you correctly and competently establish the feeding system, by six months a pig can weigh about a ton. Also, among the pluses, it should be noted that pigs reproduce quickly and do not belong to the category of painful animals.
Here is a detailed list of aspects that make the pig business one of the most promising in animal husbandry:
- High rates of fertility. At one time, the female brings at least 12 piglets, and the number can be much larger;
- Pregnancy is short-lived: only 3 months. By this period, you need to add another couple of months for breastfeeding, after which the piglets are separated from their mother and transferred to the category of self-feeding animals.
- Early maturity. Already at birth, a piglet weighs about 2 kg, only in the first 2 weeks of life, with proper care, its weight increases by an average of 3-5 kg. If this continues further, then by 6 months the weight of the piglet will be about 100 kg.
- Large meat yield. One of the indisputable advantages of pig breeding is the fact that the waste of the meat industry is minimal, only about 12-17%. For clarity, let's compare the indicator with the mortality rate when cutting a cow, which on average equals 35-45%.
How to choose a breed of pigs for breeding
When solving the question of pig breeding, sooner or later you will have to face the direct choice of animals, that is, with a variety of breeds. It is worth saying that they differ not only in appearance, but also in the characteristics of the meat itself: we are talking about the structure and taste. Here is the principle of separation of rocks:
- Bacon. These include Korean Landrace or Chinese Tamworth.
- Meat orientation.Such animals are also called universal, since their carcass can be used for various purposes. These include breeds such as Big, Hampshire and Vestmouth pigs;
- Sebaceous breeds. To get the maximum amount of lard, you should purchase a Berkshire or Great Black Pig.
As for Russia, we have more common bacon and mixed breeds. Most often, Urzhum or Hampshire specimens can be found in advertisements for the sale of pigs. However, the most widespread was the Big White breed, which is classified as universal, it is worth talking about it in more detail. Outwardly, this is a rather large animal, which is classified as a generalist, that is, you can get both meat and lard from it. By the age of one year, the male can gain about 300 kg, and the female - about 200 kg. However, the figure can change upwards if the correct power supply system is established.
In addition, the breed is also popular because it is considered one of the most fertile and does not require special care. Even just one sow is able to increase the farm at a time by 12-16 individuals. Usually Big White Pig piglets weigh about 1.5 kg at birth.
How to choose the right pig
The question of how to choose the right piglet worries every novice livestock breeder, because the success of the business, that is, the maintenance and breeding of pigs, will depend on the choice. As already mentioned, many start their business with the Big White Pig, this option is considered the most profitable.
It is recommended to purchase piglets no older than 2 months, during this period it is time to separate them from their mother and prepare them for fattening. It is not bad if the purchased piglets were breastfed all the time, and not on powdered milk: this will provide them with good immunity.
It is advisable to choose piglets that meet the requirements of the breed and weigh at least the norm for a given age. It is recommended to get as close to the animals as possible and listen to their breathing. Normally, it should be even, not have wheezing. The bristles covering the skin should have a characteristic shine, and the tail should wriggle in a ring.
It is advisable to devote some time to examining the muzzle. Normally, the patch should have a pink color, the same applies to the mucous membrane of the mouth. Livestock breeders always inspect the structure of the body, normally the back should not have a hump or deflection, a healthy animal has an even profile.
What piglets you shouldn't buy
There is a list of signs, having noticed which, it is better to refuse to buy such an animal. These are the following features:
- flawed snout or snub nose;
- back with a bend;
- too thin legs;
- the head is noticeably light.
In addition to external examination, it is recommended to observe how the piglets eat. If the process of eating takes place by capturing it by the mouth, the animal is quite developed. If the pig continues to suck food, then it is better not to buy an animal: it is too young and requires different care
When buying a female, be sure to pay attention to the structure and condition of the nipples: they should be located symmetrically, there should be no discharge normally, as well as wounds.
How many individuals need to be purchased to get started
It is important to determine how many individuals you need to start a pig business. Usually, in order for the business to work properly and start paying off as quickly as possible, it is recommended to purchase about 300 pigs. Of course, these are average figures, they can change in any direction, depending on the specifics of the plans.
If you continue to follow the standard recommendations, then among 300 individuals there should be about 13-17 males and at least 100 adult sows. The remaining piglets are usually bought for slaughter or taught after a short period of feeding.
Pig house requirements
Pigs do not require special conditions for keeping, they are considered one of the most unpretentious pets.But this means that the pigsty does not have to be equipped with everything necessary. Some conditions still have to be met:
- It is necessary to create conditions under which the temperature regime in the room will be kept at a level not lower than 12 ° C, the most acceptable temperature is considered to be about 19 ° C.
- Ceiling heights should not be too low, otherwise sufficient ventilation will not be provided.
- It is recommended to make the walls in such a way that periodically it is possible to carry out local disinfection: surface treatment with whitewash with limestone.
- Pigs need flooring, which also needs to be completely changed from time to time as it gets dirty.
- The floor is recommended to be performed with a slight slope so that all excrement flows into one corner and does not stagnate.
- The windows in the pigsty must be strictly necessary: this way the animals will regularly receive sunlight and clean air.
If you have enough money, it is recommended to build a pig house from scratch. It is worth starting with a step-by-step planning at home in order to take into account all aspects of the construction and breed pigs correctly.
In order for the construction to be capital and complete, it is necessary to provide heating in the plan: this way it will be warm in the room all year round, without this it will not be possible to breed animals. Based on the feedback from experienced farmers, beginners are advised not to save on this cost item, as this will protect animals from freezing and, therefore, from many diseases. In addition, if the room is not warm enough, the pigs will have to use their own calories to heat up, which will negatively affect weight gain. Examples of ready-made buildings can be seen in numerous photos and videos.
Organization of pig feeding
In addition to the heating system, it is important to think over the scheme and method of power supply. It is recommended that you immediately switch to automatic feeding of both feed and water: this will save a lot of time and establish a more efficient weight gain. It should be said that automatic drinkers and feeders are not as expensive as it is commonly believed.
As for the choice of feed, the cheapest option in pig breeding, of course, will be dry feed, and it is recommended not only by experienced farmers, but also by the sanitary and epidemiological service, since it meets all standards, requirements and technologies. Today, about 80% of pig farms use only dry feed and completely abandon wet feed.
What should be the nutrition of pigs
It is worth paying maximum attention to the nutrition of animals at home, since it will directly depend on how quickly the pig or boar gains the required weight and goes to slaughter. Pork feed can be roughly divided according to criteria such as quality and taste. Breeding pigs at home involves dividing them into the following subgroups:
- The simplest, most traditional. This includes components such as wheat, rye, barley, some types of legumes, root crops (carrots, beetroot).
- Mixed meals. It is customary to include herbal plants such as alfalfa and clover in this group.
- Improper nutrition, which is often used by farmers. This includes potatoes, potato peelings, beet molasses, corn, and products containing milk. Of course, such food is the most profitable financially, but such a technique will not allow you to fatten the pig to the maximum, moreover, the quality of meat and lard will also suffer.
How profitable is the pig business
The question of profitability interests every novice farmer, because the initial investment is quite impressive. First you need to calculate how much is needed at the very beginning at the stage of building a pigsty and purchasing pigs. Here are all costly items:
- building a pigsty or renting a finished building in the village;
- purchase of all the necessary equipment;
- direct purchase of animals, including the cost of their transportation
In addition to the main articles, do not forget about additional ones:
- catering (purchase of feed);
- the salary of au pair.
Now let's move on to the specific figures that currently apply to the number of pigs about 300 heads:
- rent of a finished pig farm per year - about 4 million rubles;
- pig farm equipment (including industrial equipment) - about 3 million rubles. (here only the most necessary things are taken into account, the amount can change upwards);
- wages to workers on a large farm - about 15 thousand rubles. per month, while a person must perform the functions of a livestock technician and have basic knowledge of veterinary medicine
Now let's move on to a description of the cost of feed, average prices are taken, they can vary, depending on the region and location of the farm:
- bran, a bag weighing about 20 kg, for adult animals - the price is about 90 rubles;
- the same bag, but with a smaller weight for young animals, 15 kg - the price is about 170 rubles;
- a special mixture for fattening for meat, its price is about 300 rubles per bag weighing 30 kg;
- when keeping and growing 30 kg of a special mixture for lard, it costs about 250 rubles.
As for the sale of meat, pork in live weight is currently sold in Russia for 120 rubles. per 1 kg, already disassembled carcasses can cost up to 600 rubles. per 1 kg, depending on the quality of meat products. Ultimately, it becomes obvious that breeding piglets is profitable, because all costs will pay off in a period of about 3 years, after which it will be possible to receive a net profit.