Breeding pigs at home for beginners: making a pigsty and drawing up a business plan. Pig breeding

The demand for pork meat has remained consistently high over the years. Given this fact, many investors invest in the construction of large pig farms, which, as a rule, is justified by significant profits. But how profitable will it be to raise pigs at home?

In this area, much depends on the personal qualities of a person, his hard work and ability to work with animals, as well as the availability of sales in the intended region, a sufficient number of wholesale and retail buyers.

The nuances of raising pigs at home

In reality, raising livestock is quite a difficult and labor-intensive task. This type of activity has not only advantages, but also disadvantages that beginning farmers should take into account. The main advantages of pig farming include:

Main disadvantages of pig farming are considered:

• Very difficult animal care. For beginning farmers, the processes of breeding and further feeding of born piglets are quite difficult.
• Labor-intensive work processes. When raising pigs at home, the main work is done manually.
• Certain risks. Animals, especially at an early age, are susceptible to dangerous diseases, which can lead to infection and mass death of the entire pig population.
• The need for significant capital investment. This type of activity requires considerable initial capital, which is not always suitable for beginning farmers.
• If you decide to thoroughly engage in pig farming, you need to take all stages of the preparatory process extremely seriously: from purchasing feed to equipping the pigsty.

Which breeds are best for a home farm?

Before purchasing piglets, special attention should be paid to studying the different breeds of pigs and their characteristics. Each breed of pig was bred by breeders taking into account: the climatic characteristics of the region; availability of the necessary food supply; certain conditions of detention.

More than 40 breeds of pigs are bred in Russia, which are conditionally divided into 3 main categories:

• tallow rocks;
• meat, or otherwise bacon breeds;
• universal breeds.

Greasy breeds pigs have a special exterior, which is characterized by a massive front part of the body. This type of pig is characterized by a high content of subcutaneous fat, since at the age of 6 months muscle growth in piglets stops and the processes of fat accumulation are activated.

The most typical representatives of this species include the following breeds:

1. Large Black.
2. Breitovskaya.
3. Meishan breed.
4. Mirgorodskaya.
5. Bashkir.

In breeds meat type, unlike sebaceous breeds, the front part of the body is less massive, with a fairly strongly developed rear part. Bacon breeds are characterized by a more well-developed muscular system and a small amount of subcutaneous fat. Bacon piglets are characterized by rapid growth and, with properly balanced feeding, reach a weight of more than 100 kilograms by the age of six months.

The most famous meat pig breeds include:

• Estonian.
• Duroc breed.
• Landrace breed.
• Tamworth breed.
• Hampshire.

Universal breeds They are a cross between Greasy and Meat breeds. Pigs of these breeds grow quite quickly and are distinguished by the fact that after slaughter they allow the farmer to receive not only meat, but also a certain amount of lard. The most common breeds of this type are:

1. Yorkshire.
2. Siberian.
3. Vietnamese pot-bellied.
4. Ukrainian steppe white.
5. Livenskaya.

The largest pigs are found among representatives of meat and universal breeds.

It’s good if the area intended for raising pigs already has premises suitable for these purposes, since the construction of a new building will cost the farmer at least a million rubles.

Another advantage would be the presence a plot of land with an area of ​​25−35 acres, on which you can grow various feed crops suitable for feeding pigs.

The territory of a domestic pig farm must be equipped with:

• cattle paddock;
• barn;
• manure pit;
• hayloft

In the main room of the farm microclimate must be maintained, which will contribute to the fastest growth of piglets. Breeding and keeping pigs at home must be carried out in compliance with all established standards.

The ceiling height in a building for raising pigs should not exceed 2.5 meters, which will save costs on lighting, heating and ventilation of the premises. Temperature in the pigsty should not fall below 16 degrees, and in the compartments where newborn animals are kept, it is necessary to use local heating, which will ensure a temperature within 30 degrees.

It is very important to note that piglets are often susceptible to various colds and do not tolerate damp and cold air well. It is necessary to constantly ensure that air humidity in the pigsty did not exceed 70%.

Raising pigs does not require an increased level of illumination; piglets grow and develop well in a relatively dark room.

Particular attention should be paid flooring in a pigsty in the way that the comfort of keeping animals depends on it. Cement flooring is not suitable for this type of premises because it is quite cold and can cause joint diseases in pigs. Typically, floors are made of concrete screed, on which boards treated with antiseptic agents are laid.

Pigsty divided by partitions into several zones, some pens contain boars, others contain sows and gilts.

Purchase of piglets

After the main work on arranging the farm is completed, you can purchase piglets. To exclude the option of inbreeding, it is better to buy young animals from different suppliers.

The most correct thing would be to buy young animals at the age of 2 months, since after this period the piglets stop feeding on the sow’s milk and begin to feed on rougher feed on their own.

Healthy piglets need to be selected based on several criteria:

1. At the age of 2 months, a healthy gilt weighs at least 13 kilograms. If the piglet's weight is below this figure, this may indicate that the animal has some disease.
2. A healthy animal behaves actively and does not have any injuries.
3. The piglet's snout is pink, without visible spots or redness.
4. The piglet should stand confidently on its feet and show increased interest in food.
5. A business plan for breeding pigs should include an item on updating the livestock, since in the future you will have to start and raise 2-3 new boars, which in the future will replace older producers.

Reproduction

To obtain healthy offspring, breeding pigs at home must be under the constant control of the farmer. To begin with, you need to raise or rent a young, healthy boar from which you can get high-quality offspring.

There are about 10 sows per producer, who are also required to be in good health and of a suitable age for mating. Females bear the most numerous and strong offspring in the third year of life.

The gestation period usually lasts about 115 days. The number of offspring is from 8 to 12 piglets, each of which weighs 1.2−1.4 kilograms. If the weight of a newborn piglet does not exceed 700 grams, it is culled, since the probability of survival for this individual is very low.

Boars that are not intended for subsequent breeding castrated at 3 weeks of age. This procedure is very important, since castrated individuals show less aggression and gain weight more rapidly.

Feeding

Inexperienced pig farmers believe that pigs can be fed absolutely any food. Of course, pigs are omnivores and will grow on almost any diet offered to them, but the quality and quantity of meat obtained will remain at a very low level.

So what is the best way to feed pigs to gain weight? On large pig farms, an exclusively dry method of feeding pigs is used using combined mixtures. On a home pig farm it would be more appropriate to use wet feeding including in the diet:

• various cereals;
• food waste;
• vegetables;
• fermented milk products.

In winter, a farmer may have problems with the availability of fresh herbs and vegetables. In this case you will have to transfer pigs to dry feed. Feeding animals with compound feed does not have a negative impact on the rate of their development and can be successfully used in the absence of alternative feed. With experience, you will learn to determine which type of food is most suitable for your pets.

For the full development of a pig, it is necessary to include in the diet various feed additives, which contain essential vitamins and microelements, which promotes more intensive growth of the animal and strengthens its immunity. Such additives can be mixed with dry feed or diluted in liquid food prepared for pigs.

To achieve great success, the farmer must constantly work to increase the productivity of pigs, selecting the best conditions for keeping animals and experimenting with the composition of feed.

It is always worth paying attention to reviews from other farmers regarding new brands of feed and other innovations in pig farming. With the right approach, pig farming will become a very profitable business for you, the resulting products will be successfully sold, and you will not regret the effort expended.

Home breeding of pigs, contrary to established ideas about its troublesomeness, is a profitable and interesting business, which, like any other in the agricultural industry, requires the investment of labor and money. The key to success and quick payback for the meat products produced will be a well-drafted business plan, a properly organized pig farm and the correct placement of investments.

Home-produced meat is a high-quality, healthy and natural product, which determines its demand in the consumer market and increased interest.

Pig Breeding: Benefits

The pig, in comparison with other domestic animals, is more endowed with such qualities as:

• High productivity, high speed of meat growth and significant volumes. The weight of a newborn piglet is approximately one kilogram, after a week - 2-3 kg, after a month - 20-30 kg. A one-year-old pig weighs 150 kg, and it crosses the 100 kg mark at seven months of age.
• Omnivorous. Pigs eat almost all plant and animal foods, including food waste.
• Good reproduction rate and high fertility. Under good housing conditions, one sow is able to please the farmer with offspring twice a year, that is, in one farrow there are 12-14 piglets, each of which will produce more than 100 kg of good meat in a year.
• High digestibility of food - up to a third of the substances contained in the feed. For example, poultry can absorb only a fifth of it. That is, to gain weight, a pig will need less feed than any other animal.
• Popularity. Pork, like chicken, is especially loved and popular among consumers.

Premises for a home pig farm

How to raise pigs correctly if the conditions are at home? Raising pigs first of all requires the availability of suitable premises. It should be a dry, warm and well-ventilated barn (or barn), reliably protected from piercing winds, especially in winter. In order to maintain sanitary and hygienic conditions and prevent various infections, the barn must be whitewashed from the inside.

Laying a foundation 50-70 cm high above the ground before building the room will ensure it is dry. Particular attention should be paid to the location of groundwater, the depth of which should be deeper than 1.5 meters from the ground level. Otherwise, the room will be humid, which will negatively affect the health of the pigs.

The walls must be thick enough to maintain heat in the room and protect animals from freezing. It is advisable to insulate the ceilings from above; As an inexpensive insulation, you can use a 20-centimeter layer of sawdust and a 5-centimeter layer of sand above it.

For a roof that must be waterproof, warm and strong, slate or corrugated sheeting is most often used. The floor is often made of concrete (without depressions or cracks to avoid accumulation and rotting of animal waste products). It is easy to clean and non-slip, which prevents possible injury to the pigs. Drainage ditches must be provided to remove excrement.

Comfort for pigs: the key to success

The barn must be equipped with pens, which, in turn, must be divided into an area where the pigs will be fed (with a food trough located in it) and a den - where the animals spend the rest of their time. A pig is a fairly large animal, and it is prone to destroying partitions and undermining the floor, so special attention should be paid to the strength of these parts of the room. Ideally, the machine fences will be metal. Be sure to have a drinking bowl located on a small hill. Otherwise, the pigs will pollute drinking water.

Pigs also need a shallow pit filled with water for swimming, and a sheltered space for walking in the warm season. Moreover, such an area should be quite large (at least 10 sq. m), especially if it is planned to let a sow with her offspring or a large number of individuals out for a walk.

The pigsty must be provided with electric lighting, used during the period of farrowing and the sow's feeding of young offspring. For small piglets, heating devices will be required.

Breeding pigs: choosing a breed

Let's consider another important issue when raising pigs at home. This is the choice of pig breed. There are three types of them: greasy, meat (bacon) and meat-fat (universal).

Tallow breeds of pigs are aimed at producing high-quality lard. Naturally, there is meat on the carcass, but at a certain point, starting from the age of six months, the growth of muscle tissue slows down, causing intense accumulation of fat. One pig carcass of this type contains 40-45% fat and meat, respectively 50-53%. Externally, greasy pigs are characterized by a wide and rough body; its front part is an order of magnitude heavier than its rear part. The most popular breeds of the greasy breed are the Ukrainian Steppe, Berkshire, Hungarian "Mangalitsa", and Large Black.

Meat (bacon) breeds of pigs are characterized by an increased intensity of muscle tissue development compared to fat tissue. Breeds of this type have rapid growth of offspring, which, with proper intensive fattening, reach a weight of 100 kilograms by 7-8 months of age. The amount of meat obtained from such pigs is 58-68%, less often - 80%, lard - 21-32%. The body shape of meat pigs is somewhat elongated, characterized by a shallow chest and a highly developed rear part, which is larger than the front. The most prominent representatives of the meat type are the English large white breed of pigs, Estonian bacon, Vietnamese pot-bellied, Tamworth, Duroc, Pietrain, Landrace.

The meat breed is considered universal because it produces delicious meat and tender lard. Even with standard feeding (food waste), pigs of this type quickly gain weight, the meat content of which varies from 53 to 65%, lard - 29-37%.

Feeding

Feeding animals can be done in two ways: wet and dry.

Wet feeding is traditional and involves the preparation of mash - feed diluted with water. The pigs are given food scraps and boiled root vegetables. This method is low-cost, since it does not require the purchase of additional feed, however, the animal’s weight gain will not be particularly intense. Therefore, to quickly obtain meat, the emphasis should be on dry feeding, which is less hassle, and the result will be more noticeable. Dry food for pigs must be combined with plenty of water. You should also take into account the characteristics of each food; So, it is better to give pigs a lot of ground grain, which will become the basis of nutrition. Boiled potatoes can be used as an addition. In their raw form, root vegetables can be given in small quantities as vitamin supplements.

It is better to feed in small portions, because with significant one-time volumes, part of the food will remain in the trough unclaimed for further use.

Fish and bone meal, leguminous crops, feed yeast, cake and skim milk - sources of protein, will be excellent additives to the main feed, especially for meat breeds of pigs.

Often, for breeding pigs, young animals are purchased on the market (which is quite expensive), but you can also keep your own sow. Sexual maturity in a female usually occurs no earlier than 8 months, farrowing occurs 110-115 days from the moment of fertilization. For mating, it is necessary to use a pig that has reached a weight of 100 kg. She should be well fed, significantly enriching her diet with vitamins. To carry out mating, it is necessary to determine the period when the pig begins to hunt, the signs of which are restless behavior of the animal, lack of appetite, the appearance of redness on the genitals, discharge and estrus. The pig should be mated with a boar within 12 hours. The ovulation period in an animal lasts for one and a half days, so it is important to determine it in a timely manner. Within 17 days from the moment of mating, you should observe the behavior of the animal: if fertilization has not occurred, the pig will behave calmly, if there are signs of heat, then you need to repeat the procedure.

In the first 3 months from the moment of fertilization, the pig is given regular food, later it should be made more concentrated, preferring roughage and succulent feed. The animal should not be overfed in order to avoid complications during childbirth. A couple of days before farrowing, the pig begins to behave restlessly; her sides droop significantly, her mammary glands swell, and her genitals become swollen.

When giving birth to an animal, the presence of a person is desirable, especially if the sow is young. It is possible that the birth may be delayed and the animal will need help. The piglets, which appear one at a time with each push, must immediately be wiped with hay and freed from mucus in the mouth. The piglet may appear in the amniotic sac, which must be immediately torn open and the baby released.

Caring for piglets

Piglets are born weak, therefore, in order to avoid losses of young animals, the most comfortable conditions should be created; The temperature of the pigsty must be at least 18 degrees Celsius, the room must be well ventilated and dried, without traces of dampness, and electric lighting is required. During the first three weeks of life, little piglets feed on mother's milk, which can boost their immunity and gain the necessary weight; Next, the young animals should be accustomed to other foods aimed at intensively stimulating growth. It is recommended to wean piglets from the sow no earlier than 4 weeks after farrowing. If there is no sow, the young animals are fed from the nipple with cow's or goat's milk. During dairy age, it is also important to give them vitamin injections containing iron.

Caring for pigs is not particularly difficult. It is important to provide them with appropriate living conditions, timely feeding of pigs and high-quality supervision of young animals. The air temperature in the barn should vary from 12 to 16 degrees, for young animals - 18-20 degrees. The optimal indoor humidity is 70%. It is important to comply with sanitary and hygienic standards for keeping pigs, regularly clean the floor in the pigsty, and clean the feeders from food debris.

Home Pig Business Plan

Drawing up a business plan when planning to create your own pig farm requires the inclusion of costs such as the construction of a pigsty and the purchase of equipment necessary for operation, staff salaries, the purchase of feed, and veterinary services. The cost part can be affected by a number of different factors. For example, you can build a pigsty yourself from scratch, or you can purchase an old pig farm and carry out repair work on it. The use of modern equipment will significantly reduce wage costs, which will make pig breeding more profitable. Although most businessmen prefer to use manual labor, saving on service automation.

Pig farming is always profitable

The profitability of pig farming as a business is estimated at 30%, but if desired, higher figures can be achieved. This requires:

• Choose the pig breed that is most suitable for the purpose of keeping and its conditions. Particular attention must be paid to the selection of young animals, which are recommended to be purchased from different suppliers in order to avoid genetic mutations. Purchasing sows requires taking into account their milk production, productivity, condition of the teats and the safety of the brood.
• Periodic disinfection and avoidance of dampness and drafts in the pigsty.
• Creating optimal conditions for pregnant sows.
• The presence of experience and professionalism among farm workers.
• Providing animals with nutritious, high-quality, vitamin-rich food, taking into account all the characteristics of animal feeding.
• Vaccination and regular examination of animals to prevent the occurrence of diseases, timely treatment of pigs when they appear.

Pig farming as a business, taking into account the above recommendations, can be a very profitable activity, because high-quality pork is always in high demand.

Pig breeding is the most profitable business in the field of animal husbandry, so keeping even one pig in your homestead is always profitable!

One of the very first animals domesticated by man was the pig. Currently, domestic pig farming is profitable. Many people raise a sow at home and get a piglet from it. You can raise them for meat, or you can sell them as piglets. Sold meat or piglets will justify the work of caring for a pig farm. Keeping pigs at home is not very difficult. You just need to calculate your strength and time, whether you have it, since you need to feed two or three times a day and, of course, clean the manure. This is one of the most unpleasant parts of pig farming. Now let's take a closer look at all the keeping of pigs.

A pigsty is a must for keeping pigs at home. Any shed can be turned into a pigsty. Pigs are not picky. The barn must be strong and warm so that they do not freeze in winter. There should also be windows and, of course, light if possible. The floor must be made at an angle so that the slurry flows into a special hole for pumping out. But if you build a large pig farm, you need to equip it with automatic manure removal. If you have a small barn, you will have to take the manure somewhere or throw it with a shovel. Then you will also need a wheelbarrow to remove manure. The wheelbarrow should be light and durable. In a pigsty of 20 square meters you can safely keep 6 pigs weighing up to 150 kilograms. You just need to correctly calculate the place for them, and it is advisable to make a pen for walking.

It is advisable to make feeders from thick iron. To do this you will need a grinder, a welding machine, and iron for manufacturing. But if you have never done this, then it is better to contact a professional welder. The feeder can be secured to the floor as pigs can turn over the food. But the only disadvantage of an attached feeder is that pigs can go to the toilet in the feeder, but you will have to scoop it out.

You need to purchase or make your own grain crusher. The best option is to buy it second hand, since doing it yourself will be expensive. There are many sites on the Internet where you can purchase this device. Many people prefer to feed at home with ready-made ground or mixed feed. It is very convenient, but, of course, expensive. The disadvantage of purchased feed is that you don’t know what it’s made of. It is better to feed your pig farm homemade food at home. It is not difficult to prepare grinding yourself at home, the main thing is high-quality grain for production. The growth and health of the pig depends on how well the feed is prepared.

Standards and conditions for keeping pigs

Also, at home, pigs need temperature conditions, lighting, air humidity and a pen for walking.

The walls should not freeze in winter with a warm impenetrable roof, a hard and level floor covering with ditches for removing slurry and manure, and good lighting. In winter, if the walls are covered with straw or manure, this will not be enough, and from the manure there will be condensation and the walls will become damp. And cold and damp are terrible for animals.

A new pigsty must be built in a ventilated place. Place it below the house, but not in a lowland, otherwise it could be flooded in a flood. The location of windows and doors is preferably to the south. Rubble stone is used for the foundation and laid to a depth of up to seventy centimeters. And the top can be covered with bitumen or roofing felt.

Materials for the construction of a pigsty are used with good heat-retaining properties, such as shell rock, adobe, cinder blocks, and brick. Reinforced concrete material cannot be used for construction. And the inside needs to be plastered and whitewashed.

Manure accumulations must be removed from the premises as they accumulate. You can also make a ventilation pipe with a cap. If there are small piglets in the room, then good lighting is needed. Make a place for pigs to walk next to the barn.

Start growing with two or more, they do not like being alone. When there are more of them, they feel calm, eat well and gain weight. The pigs will definitely have a leader.

The temperature in the room and in the farmstead where piglets are raised is from 20 to 24 degrees Celsius, and for sows – 17–19. Air humidity is no more than 75 percent. Where newborn piglets are placed, the temperature should be between 26 and 33 degrees Celsius. If the temperature does not meet the norms, then appetite decreases and they gain weight poorly.

Methods of keeping pigs

In subsidiary farms and large pig farms, a system of keeping pigs without walking is used. With medium and small livestock, free-range housing is used.

One commonly used method is free range. It can be used at any stage of cultivation. For walking, you need to collect a herd of the same age and gender, so that the big ones do not harm the little ones.

A mechanized and specialized system is used in the pig feeding farm. They are omnivores and can be fed plant and animal foods. This process is economical and has minimal workload. Mandatory control of access to food and water. Such walking is preferable in the warm season.

Animal food should be balanced and nutritious and, of course, healthy. Feed for pigs: concentrated - corn, barley, wheat, oats, as well as soybeans, peas and animal origin fish, meat meal, skim milk. And vegetables as food - beets, carrots, potatoes, fodder watermelon, pumpkin. And you can also feed with grass - clover, nettle, quinoa.

You need to feed twice a day, and babies three times a day. They give everything in chopped and ground form; it is advisable to boil the potatoes and vegetables and also mash them into a grinder. Food should be prepared two hours before feeding to avoid spoilage. In winter, it is necessary to add feed chalk, vitamins and minerals, table salt, bone meal, and crushed charcoal to the food.

Procurement of feed for the subsidiary farm begins in June. Brooms made from grass, nettles and roots are dried for the winter. Rowan is harvested after the first frost and stored frozen. They also make hay. In winter, add one drop of vitamin D3 per pig to the food. Carrots and Jerusalem artichokes are grown for food. It is highly productive and produces up to seven kilograms per bush. Maral root is dried and helps relieve stress.

The no-walk method is used in private farming during the cold season. They develop a special microclimate to maintain good reproduction. The conditions from birth to weight gain remain the same.

The camp method is also a no-walk housing system. This system is used on breeding and reproductive pig farms. These animals have frequent metabolic disorders in the body, and the level of offspring decreases. For the successful raising of hardy and healthy animals in special pig farms, especially reproductive and breeding farms, the camp system is an integral part of modern technology.

Pregnant sows, before the expected polling date, are transferred to specialized pens that are designed for farrowing and feeding small piglets.

Piglets that are weaned from their mother are kept up to twenty head in one pen, and young animals can be kept in one cage up to thirty head.

Boars up to three heads are kept individually or separately with walks of at least two kilometers.

Deep litter technology

This technology has only recently begun to be used. Thanks to this litter, profitability increases and material resources are reduced. The technology is improving every year, there is the first experience of how to reduce physical work and minimize material costs. This technology has its pros and cons.

For this method, special bacteria are used, which are mixed with straw, sawdust and manure and a reaction occurs. Everything is processed by bacteria and heat is released. The temperature inside the litter can reach + 40 degrees Celsius. In a cold and unheated pigsty in winter, the temperature on the deep litter reaches from +5 to +15 degrees. It turns out that an unheated pigsty will be suitable for keeping pigs.

Using deep litter, what to consider

There should be no cracks in the shed to prevent drafts. Be sure to keep an eye on the water as it may freeze. Use feed with fiber, as this process is responsible for heat exchange.

Pros of keeping pigs:

• Reduced heating costs, heat from bacteria.
• The design is easy to use.
• Can be used on a large pig farm or at home.
• There is no need to constantly clean manure, as it is processed by bacteria.
• Good growth of pigs using this technology.
• Mice and rats do not live in the litter due to the high temperature.
• There is no need to purify the air of ammonia.
• Change the litter once every five years. And use it as fertilizer for depleted soil, since humus saturates the soil.
• The air is fresh and the pigs are clean.

A few disadvantages of this bedding

• When changing the litter, it will take a lot of time to clean it.
• Water in sippy cups freezes quickly at sub-zero temperatures.

Cost for deep litter

The technology will be economical. You can get sawdust for free at the sawmill. But you just have to deliver it to your pig farm yourself. You also need to stock up on straw; it costs about 100 to 400 rubles per bale.

Bacteria cost from 200 rubles per 0.5 liquid. Prices depend on the manufacturer. This bottle is enough for 3 cubes of sawdust.

Measures to prevent diseases

During the weaning of piglets from the sow, she stops eating and just lies and becomes stressed. And there are many other situations that lead animals to stress - a new farm, noise, weaning piglets from a sow. Maral root regulates the action of the nervous system. You can add a decoction of the root to food - this is the prevention of all diseases. The decoction is prepared from dry roots and water, ten grams per glass of boiling water, pour everything in and leave for 30 minutes. Add 1 cup per pig to the feed. Give the decoction for 14 days, after a break of 10 days you can continue. They stop giving maral within a week if they cut it for meat.

Valerian can also be used for preventive purposes. You can alternate the root and valerian. The infusion is prepared from dried valerian roots, ten grams per 0.5 liter of boiling water, infuse and add 100 milligrams per head to the feed.

So, now we know how to keep pigs at home, in farmsteads and on deep litter. This does not require a lot of knowledge and education. It takes a lot of strength and desire. And this pig farming business will pay off in just a few years. And only you can decide how to raise animals.

It should be noted that with all methods of keeping, important factors in pork production are compliance with modern rearing technologies, a balanced level of feeding, creation of comfortable conditions for reproduction and growth, as well as sanitary protection and prevention of animal diseases.

Keeping pigs at home video

Some useful videos about keeping pigs at home:

Pig farming at home is not only quite exciting, but also profitable. In addition to the fact that you will always have delicious lard and meat in your refrigerator, you will also not have a shortage of buyers. There will always be a demand for an environmentally friendly and high-quality product. But to get a good profit, you need to properly organize your own pig breeding business, which will be discussed in this article.

Why is pig farming profitable?

Breeding pigs is one of the most profitable home productions. The advantages of this type of livestock farming activity are as follows:

Which breed to choose

Every novice pig breeder must initially decide on the breed that he wants to breed in order to ultimately get the final product he needs. Today we can highlight the following pig breeds:

If you want to get enough meat and lard, the last category is quite suitable, although to get the desired result, you should choose a certain type of feeding.

It is also necessary to take into account that not all types of pigs are adapted for harsh winter conditions, therefore the profitability of pig farming largely depends on the choice of breed.

Caring for pigs at home

To ensure normal gestation and development of young animals, it is necessary to provide pigs with appropriate care and organize optimal living conditions.

Organization of the premises

First you need to make a good quality pigsty with a durable and warm floor. A brick structure is stronger, and a wooden structure retains heat better.

The premises for pigs must be built away from residential buildings, since the specific smell cannot be avoided even with systematic cleaning, and this, in turn, will attract rodents and flies. The standard distance should be 15 meters or more.

Light

Lighting is an important factor for maintaining the correct biorhythm and successful breeding of pigs. In winter, artificial lighting is used, which stimulates the growth of animals, this is especially necessary in the farrowing area of ​​the queen and brood.

Among other things, light is necessary for the safety of small piglets, which the queen may accidentally crush in the dark.

Ventilation

Pigs are clean animals and usually go to defecate in one place. They love clean air and reproduce well, grow and do not get sick in conditions of good air exchange. Therefore, they need to organize high-quality ventilation and ensure a constant supply of fresh air.

Before wintering, the ventilation is closed and the room is ventilated. However, we should not forget that windows in a pigsty are a mandatory element.

Walking area

To strengthen their bones, immunity and get vitamin D, pigs need walks. For piglets and pregnant sows, such walks are simply necessary. If there is no suitable lawn nearby, then you can organize a special courtyard for walking animals near the barn, which is a regular area enclosed by a fence. In addition, in the summer, pigs can be fed there.

Content technology

Currently, the following most effective methods of raising pigs are used for quality growth:

• Danish technology. This method of raising animals uses a slatted floor with containers underneath to collect manure. The convenience of this method is the absence of thick bedding, which is not necessary, as a result of which the cleaning process is much simplified, and the pigs’ floors are almost always clean.
• Canadian technology. With this method, pigs are kept on deep bedding, and the layer of straw is not changed for a long time. In this case, hay, sawdust, and sometimes sand are used. Some farms use modern materials, for example, fermentation bedding, which retains heat in the pigsty quite well.

The required temperature regime for piglets is very important, so bedding for young animals is always required.

Some argue that it is best to buy piglets in the spring, but experienced pig farmers try to buy them in the winter. The fact is that winter piglets are no different from spring ones, but you can buy them cheaper and get the final product earlier. The only thing is that you need to take care in advance of a warm place to keep them with a temperature of at least 18 degrees above zero. At one and a half months of age, the piglet can be weaned from its mother and taught to live independently.

When raising piglets, it is necessary to care for them daily. To do this you need to organize:

It is especially important to monitor the development and health of small piglets, because they are more susceptible to various diseases than others, so if necessary, you need to immediately respond to all kinds of infections.

Feeding

Omnivorous pigs require a varied and nutritious diet. Only boiled root vegetables and waste are not suitable for high-quality fattening. To ensure rapid weight gain, you need balanced food (juicy, roughage and concentrated feed), as well as vitamins, protein, trace elements and amino acids. The pork diet is compiled based on the following criteria: needs, age, body condition and intended use of the animal.

Feeding suckers

For the first seven days after birth, little piglets feed on their mother's milk.

At one week of age they can already be accustomed to cow's milk, but this is necessary if the sow has a small milk supply or has a large litter.

On the twelfth day, porridge is cooked for the piglets from crushed barley using skim milk.

Then they gradually begin to feed him mashed potatoes with milk. Next, you can add 15 grams to the porridge. grated carrots, and then pumpkin, beets and grass are used.

Meat and bone meal, red clay, coal and chalk are also added to the piglets' food.

As a top dressing, you can use supplements specially developed for this age.

When starting complementary feeding, the following rules must be observed:

First, grind thoroughly, then give gradually and in small portions.

At one and a half months of age, piglets can be weaned from their mother, but by this time they must be practically accustomed to a regular pork diet so that the weaning process is not painful for the digestive tract of the little “piglets”.

When transitioning to self-feeding, weanlings often experience indigestion. To avoid this, it is necessary to provide the growing body with protein and all the nutrients for normal growth of bones and muscles, as well as strengthening the still weak digestive system.

After purchase or weaning from the sow, piglets need to be fed 4 to 6 times a day. In their diet must include:

But at first after weaning, be sure to make sure that the babies do not overeat or chew on boards, in order to avoid diarrhea.

In general, the diet of suckling and weaned piglets is not very different.

To increase appetite and prevent diarrhea, it’s a good idea to add an infusion of yarrow or wormwood to children’s food, which is prepared with 100 grams. raw materials and a liter of water.

Feeding growing piglets

The diet of growing piglets depends on feeding methods and the time of year. It includes:

• Juicy feed - from 10 to 25%.
• Roughage - from 5 to 10%.
• Concentrates - from 60 to 75%.
• Vitamin supplement premix KS-1.

Thick porridges are prepared from crushed barley, wheat and oats, adding peas.

Every day the pig should receive salt and chalk (15 g).

Protein foods should make up 10 to 15% of the total diet. It includes: legumes, food waste, meat and bone meal, cakes, skimmed milk.

If you plan to leave piglets for breeding, then it is necessary to strictly ration their food so that they do not become greasy and become unsuitable for these purposes.

Pig breeding

You can breed pigs yourself if you leave pigs for the tribe of young animals. A good producer can be borrowed from a nearby farm or grown at home. You can start using it from the age of ten months, but no more than one cage per week. In the future, the intensity of mating can be increased to six times a month, and in adulthood to twelve or more times.

In pigs, puberty usually occurs at six months of age, when she begins to experience heat and is ready to mate. Although there is no need to rush into this, since she is still young and will not be able to bear full-fledged offspring. The animal needs to fully mature and gain weight. The first mating is recommended when the female reaches 12 months of age and weighs at least one hundred kilograms.

If a pig cannot become pregnant after mating, then it is necessary to improve its living conditions, revise its diet or change the boar.

A sow's pregnancy lasts about four months. During this period, she needs to be fed well, enriching her diet with microelements and vitamins. Food includes mixed feed, silage, protein feed, and root vegetables. Towards the end of pregnancy, the amount of roughage and succulent feed is reduced, and before childbirth, the amount of food consumed is halved.

Shortly before giving birth, the sow should be moved to a separate pen and closely monitored in order to help her produce cubs if necessary.

In the first litter, a young pig sometimes gives birth to up to ten piglets.

Raising pigs is a profitable business. The meat of this animal is well digestible, and many nutritionists consider fresh lard a dietary product. The costs quickly pay off, so organizing your own profitable business will not be a problem, if only you have the desire and hard work.

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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.

Domestic pig farming: specifics of keeping and 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 raise either purchased or your own young stock yourself. 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 for sows, boars, piglets

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 and their meanings

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.

Deep and large barn

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.

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 kind of food should you 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.

Adults

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: where to start breeding and how to properly keep pork for sale

Video about organizing a business for raising pigs for meat.

conclusions

1. Keeping pigs at home is profitable and cost-effective if the basic standards and rules of animal care are observed.
2. 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.
3. The profitability of pig farming directly depends on the choice of breed and the quality of the young stock.
4. Pigs are unpretentious in keeping. Therefore, new pigsties can be made for them or deep old premises can be converted.
5. 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.