Pig

Pig Farming in Nigeria

If you’re interested in pig farming in Nigeria, there are certain key things you need to know and put in place in order to be successful. These things are:

• Breeds for Pig Farming in Nigeria

The most common pig breeds for commercial pig production are the Yorkshire, Landrace, Hampshire, Duroc, and Tibetan, Tamworth and Meishan breeds and their crosses. These breeds produce lean meat combined with efficient feed conversion (3 kg of good feed is needed to produce 1 kg of pork). A very good breed for pig farming in Nigeria is Large White.

• Start-up Cost of Pig Farming in Nigeria

The major expenditure of pig farming in Nigeria is in the construction of their pens (housing) and buying the pigs (weaners). A pig pen is an enclosure that houses pigs. It is also called or known as a Sty. A pig pen that can house 10 pigs can be constructed for about N100, 000. The different types of pig pen used for pig farming in Nigeria are:

1. Breeding Pen: This is the pen where mature male and female pigs are kept for mating purposes. 
2. Farrowing Pen: This is the pen where pregnant and nursing female pigs (Sows) are kept. It is like the maternity ward for pigs. 
3. Weaner Pen: This is the pen where baby pigs (piglets) are taken to when they become 2 months old. This is the pen where the piglets are introduced to solid food after feeding exclusively on breast milk for the first 2 months of their life 
4. Grower Pen: This is the pen where pigs are kept for intensive feeding necessary for rapid growth.
5. Finisher Pen: This is the pen where pigs are kept when they’ve reached maturity (8 to 9 months old) and are ready to be sold or slaughtered.