Access the detailed knowledge of pig of pig farming requirement in Kenya that can make you succeed in your pig farming business. As a starter proper guidance is paramount and its all here.
Successful pig farming in Kenya today has embraced the use of modern technology, especially for commercial pig farming. The traditional way of conducting the farming practice involved simple structures with straw, sawdust, and other comfortable local materials for bedding to avoid direct contact with cold. However, the advancement of technology has led to new inventory equipment.
12 Essential Pig Farming Requirements
Apart from the other general basic factors to be considered by beginner farmers, other useful equipment needed for pig farming include;
1. Negative Pressure Fan For Piggery
The gadget is a piece of electronic equipment whose work is to provide proper ventilation and cooling within the piggery rooms. The gadget contains an automatic on and off switch with the advantages of water and dustproof. It is stored in a strong and durable V-shaped bucket.
2. Pig Waterer
The waterer is an automatic bowl is where grown pigs and piglets can drink water from. The bowl controls the speed and pressure at which water flows.
3. Feeding Trough
The trough holds the animal feeds from a strong point to help with stability. The container can be made from iron, stainless steel, or can be plastic. There are troughs for piglets and grown pigs to enhance good feeding minimizing spillage and wastage. The troughs should be cleaned regularly to avoid the pigs from contracting infectious diseases.
4. Farrowing Crate
Is placed in the pig houses to contain feeders, feeding lamp and waterers
5. Nursery Rate
The crate is a small housing for newborn piglets used to isolate the piglets from their mothers. The nurseries are made from quality and long-lasting materials with proper ventilation to facilitate good aeration.
6. Gestation Crates
The crates are special areas from where pregnant sows are taken care of until they give birth. One is spacious enough to accommodate up to 10 sows’
7. Feeders
The feeders can be manual or automatic. The automatic feeders are designed to feed mostly fattened pigs. The feeders are set to control the whole feeding process which saves time.
8. Drinkers
There are two kinds of drinkers including, nipple drinkers and duck-billed drinkers. The drinkers come in various types with each type designed to feed certain pigs. There are drinkers for fattened pigs, adult pigs, and porker piglets.
9. Evaporative Air Cooler
The equipment is an electronic gadget that can perform many functions including; cooling, removal of bad smell ventilation, and dust prevention. The gadget can be used in piggeries, workshops, and barns.
10. Hot Blast Heater
The heater uses fuel for producing heat with automatic adjustable temperature. Computers are used to control the temperature and the heating times.
11. Piglet Heat Lamp
The equipment is a heating system that provides heat to the piggery. The heater can be an electric heat lamp or infrared heat lamp
12. Evaporative Cooling Pad
The equipment is a cooling device made from paper and designed as a honeycomb structure. The equipment works well with a negative pressure fan.
Types Of Pig Farming Affects Requirements
a. Small Scale Pig Farming
A single pig pen can be used to rare a small number of pigs for instance from 2 to 6 pigs.
Pig farming for beginners can consider separating the pigs such as; a single sow and her litter, one boar on its own, 9 fattening piglets sharing the same room, and 3-4 gestation sows in a single room.
The main house can be made by subdividing into spacious portions to accomplish the purpose of the reared pigs. The sub-divisions can be;
- A confined pen made for a single sow for farrowing and suckling
- A separate section for fattening pigs until they are ready for marketing.
- No- confined structure for a single sow for farrowing and suckling
b. Medium Scale Pig Farming
Pig farming is considered medium size farming when the farmer has at least 15 sows’ The farmers are advised to host at least 6-8 sows per pen. The number is regulated to discourage overcrowding. To eliminate potential health hazards from the animals the animals should be subjected to free moving areas.
Animal waste should regularly be cleaned from the pen to enhance high hygienic conditions.
The local farmers using bedding such as sawdust straw and other raw materials, are to change after some time for hygienic purposes.
c. Large Scale Pig Farming
Pigs reared under large-scale farming are to be kept according to age. Only pigs of the same age are to share a housing structure. Several houses should therefore be put up to avoid overcrowding of the pigs. Each house is to be located away from another for a distance of up to 20 meters apart.
The distancing helps control the spread of infectious diseases from one pig to the other. High hygienic conditions are to be observed to help manage disease control. The washing, feeding ad cleaning areas are to be disinfected regularly and left to dry after cleaning to enhance good health conditions.
Special attention and care are regarded for sows as they are kept under specific houses inside the main house. The houses are equipped according to the need of the pig at the production age such as the gestation period. A single house can host 20 to 30 sows before singling them out to their special units.
Pig Farming Business Planning In Kenya
Careful allocation of budget is necessary to avoid the pigs yielding with unproductivity. The sows have a gestation period of up to 130 days to farrowing, suckling of 3 to 6 weeks, and the sow can farrow at least 2 a year. The farm has been proved profitable to farmers over a short period of rearing.
