Breeding pigs at home for beginners: tips with video

Many backyard owners who take piglets for fattening are considering whether to start raising pigs as a family business. Our article is devoted to the most acceptable way to implement this idea, as well as the nuances that should be paid attention to by novice pig breeders.

Pig breeding can be a source of income for owners of even small backyards.

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%.

Before the beginning

Learn about the biological characteristics and benefits of breeding pigs and their breeds. You can read about this in detail in the article (Farm 31, “What pigs are fed”). The following factors make them attractive for breeding:

Rapid growth and weight gain. By the age of eight months, the pig can weigh one hundred, and by the year it reaches one hundred and fifty kilograms.
The ability to absorb feed of any origin.
Good assimilation of food. Better than other pets. This means that less feed is required per unit of feed. And the relative cost of a kilogram of meat will be lower.
The taste and quality of pork meat makes it popular with meat consumers. And this, in turn, should not cause problems with its implementation.

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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, in advertisements for the sale of pigs, you can find Urzhum or Hampshire specimens. 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.

Final part

In order for the livestock of piglets to be healthy and to receive only the best genetic qualities from the parent couple, it is necessary to approach with all responsibility the choice of breeding individuals and determine the method of fertilization in advance. How to do it correctly, you can learn from a special video.

Pig puberty occurs at 5-6 months, however, mating of pigs at this age is impossible, because their reproductive system is not yet fully formed. It is recommended that gilts occur at 10-12 months.

Before mating, the male and female are carefully examined. Semen samples are taken from males in a large farm. A couple of weeks before the start of the sexual hunt, the male and the female are transferred to a special fortified diet and kept separately from the entire herd. Pigs have a heat once a month, or rather, once every 27 days, and lasts for two days. It is recommended to cover the pig several times during the entire hunting period with an interval of 6 hours between mating.

It is recommended to mate only in a well-known place for the male, otherwise he will feel uncomfortable and begin to develop a new territory. A more reliable method is artificial insemination. It allows you to solve a lot of problems. To improve the quality indicators of the livestock, samples of biomaterials can be ordered from the best breeding boars from abroad. The quality of the offspring will largely depend on the breed and age of the selected breeding animals.

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, it is during this period that 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 breed requirements 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.

Features of winter content

In the summertime, pigs can walk and move around the farm or production facility. But in winter they need special conditions. In principle, these animals tolerate the cold well enough, therefore, at a temperature of 8-10 degrees, they will be comfortable.

Among other nuances that you need to pay attention to, there are:

Air humidity indicator. In the cold period, it should be no more than 75-80%.
All windows and cracks from which it can see through must be repaired. In areas with particularly severe winters, the sheathing should consist of additional insulation in the form of straw, sawdust or moss.
Litter in the form of hay has proven to be excellent. Pigs love to bury themselves there. So they are warm, and the financial side is not that expensive.
Use the heater only in special cases if the sow is pregnant or has already given birth to piglets. In all other situations, this is an expensive pleasure, and also unsafe, given how easily the straw that is in the room can catch fire.
In winter, you shouldn't exclude walking. In favorable sunny weather, you can let the pigs out for a little frolic and get some fresh air.
Feeding in winter also has its own specifics. The main requirements are the constant availability of warm drinking water and a varied diet with minerals and nutrients. It is good if the menu includes fish and meat waste, high-quality meadow hay, fruits and vegetables. Sometimes they put a bowl of salt so that the pig can consume it if his body wants it.

How many individuals need to be purchased to get started

It is important to determine how many individuals will be needed 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.

Mating process

The boar and sow are brought together. The process can take place both indoors and outdoors. The male takes care of the female for some time, after which sexual intercourse occurs. Animals begin the process both on their own and after stimulation.

Mating lasts from 15 minutes to half an hour, after which the animals are bred. To ensure success, the procedure is repeated 12 hours after the first mating. Some breeders prefer not to breed pigs, but leave them together.

Find out how long a pig's pregnancy lasts.

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 ° С, the most acceptable temperature is considered to be about 19 ° С.
The height of the ceilings should not be too low, otherwise sufficient ventilation will not be provided.
It is recommended to make the walls in such a way that from time to time 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 building 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 it, which will negatively affect weight gain. Examples of ready-made buildings can be seen in numerous photos and videos.

Waste collection technologies

In animal husbandry, the most labor-intensive technological process is the removal of manure. To simplify this task, pig producers are currently using two main technologies - Danish and Canadian.

Danish technology is primarily intended for large pig farms, but in principle can be used with the same success on a small family farm. The essence of the technology is to use special slatted floors through which animal waste freely fall into inclined troughs located under the floor and then flow by gravity into manure baths. This technology significantly reduces labor costs for keeping animals, and also allows you to save on bedding, which is simply not needed. An important condition for this technology is a warm (heated) room with good ventilation.

Canadian technology is the exact opposite of Danish and is primarily suitable for small farms or just for rural conditions. Housing pigs using this technology involves the use of a thick layer of non-replaceable bedding, which can be not only the usual straw, but also sawdust, sand or more modern types of materials, for example, fermentation bedding. With this technology, there is no urgent need for artificial heating, as the pigs receive a lot of heat from the litter itself.

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 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.

Pigsty construction

Having gained experience in raising pigs with a small amount, you can start building your own pigsty. It should be borne in mind that the keeping of farm animals is strictly regulated by veterinary services. It is worth studying the sanitary norms and rules. They describe in detail at what size of the herd, what conditions are required. Sanitary standards regulate literally every step. To figure out where to start. It is worth knowing that all approvals are made before the design stage, but even without a project, the final permission cannot be obtained. Professional specialists are indispensable here. The project will contain complete information on what and how to do.

Important! For the economy to develop effectively, before starting construction, think over how you will sell your products. It is impossible to compete on prices with large manufacturers. It remains only to take quality and look for a consumer who wants to consume quality meat.

Based on the project and the analysis of the sales market, you can calculate the profitability of the new business.

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.

Feeding rules

Feeding begins with 5 meals a day, as youngsters grow, they are transferred to a 4-time regimen. An adult pig can be fed 3 times. When drawing up a diet, you should adhere to the rule of what to feed:

50% green crops. In summer, the pig can independently supplement this part of the diet by eating grass.
10% succulent feed.
At least 5% animal supplements or herbal flour.
Root crops and cereals are crushed before feeding.

Important! It is important for the novice farmer to know that when using growth stimulants, piglets will gain weight quickly, but the quality of the meat will deteriorate. Antibiotics should be avoided in principle.

Subject to all the rules of feeding, by the age of eight months, 130 kg of excellent meat will be obtained from each pig.