Like all aspects of agriculture, pig farming can either be a very lucrative enterprise or an unimaginable horrible nightmare. What makes the difference between the two? I have personally identified the following as some of the reasons:
a. The assumption that agriculture is a get-rich-quick scheme that pumps millions into your account with just the click of a button ends in frustration when desired results are not achieved
b. A desire and ability to access and acquire the right knowledge
c. A desire to work hard and long as opposed to being an absentee farmer who drops money and feels his money will work for him in his absence. It’s laughable
d. Meeting the right and honest people who are willing and ready to see you succeed
e. Getting the right breeds/species
f. Patience (which we all know is a virtue).
Farmers are divided into two categories. They are:
1. INTERNET FARMERS: who have farms situated online and from there deceive the unsuspecting with fictitious and unimaginable Returns on Investment for so little effort. Their endgame is to sell ebooks which have no real practical applications; greed is what they feed on, afterall who wants to do so much work for so little returns?
2. THE REAL FARMERS: who are further divided into three categories:
a. Farmers who started Big: some individuals/companies enter the business with huge capital and are able to buy the highest quality assets and hire the best hands. Some eventually make headway and keep prospering, while a great majority fades out with time.
b. Farmers who are out to Exploit: I laughed when I read a quote in a book “when you are in the water, don’t bleed”. Some farmers are out there looking for prey. If you dare bleed, they will tear you apart with no mercy. I have, in the course of doing business, met a lot of farmers, some who are pastors and feel it’s their God given right to fleece new entrants.
c. Farmers who started small from Scratch: these are those who started small and were able to learn the ropes, intricacies and secrets of doing the business. True, quite a number of small farming ventures fizzle out because of the non-availability of funds to continue, but some farmers, including myself, have been able to multiply and move up the ladder.

I started pig farming in 2013 with just 3 animals (2 sows and a boar). Between that time and now, I have sold almost 100 matured pigs from my growing herd and have moved from renting rooms to owning a pen in Oke-Aro farms. I have gone through all the motions ranging from mortality to diseases, from pen issues to attendants wahala, from food shortages to formula compounding, from non-performing animals to crazy mothers, from breeding to slaughtering and more pig related issues than you can possibly think of. Because of this, if anyone is to point you in the right direction when it comes to pig rearing, it should be someone like me.

If you have been thinking of what agricultural business to pursue
If you feel pig farming is your passion
If you are willing and ready to drop your hard earned cash to embark on this long journey
If you are patient and ready to wait a while before you reap the fruits of your labour
If you are currently engaged in a daytime job and are looking for a second venture that will be sustainable over time and allow you resign/retire with dignity and pay you well
If you have access to single-digit agricultural loans
If you have read someone’s materials/testimonials and feel this is the right business for you
You need to get the right info before you proceed. I am not here to sell ebooks or any such materials. I am here to debunk some myths and open up some secrets you may not have been privy to.
You are welcome.

PIG FARMING: THE BASIC KNOWLEDGE NEEDED

Welcome!! The fact that you are here indicates you are willing to embark on this long stretch. Remember that pig farming isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme and it requires a level of dedication on patience your part to be a successful endeavour. I will list some vital information you need to know before you proceed.
• In pig farming, you can start at any level, with any amount of money you have. But to make complete sense, an initial capital of N200, 000 is advised. If you have more, kudos; you can multiply your investment.
• Breeding is the best way to go, because in the medium run, you control the entire process from birth to maturity. To be practical, you can start a piggery with 5 weaners (4 females and 1 male) and have around 69 pigs in your herd by 24 months, 277 by month 36 and 509 by month 48. This is a proven fact, however, you have to note the following:
a. Just like in any type of agriculture, anything can happen – disease outbreaks, wrong selection of the initial herd, mortality of young animals, sows being unable to produce the required minimum of 6 piglets, sows eating their newborns, bad practices by farmers or their workers etc. these can hamper the attainment of the desired results and slow down growth.
b. Dependence on your farm before 24 months can be the dividing line between success and packing up prematurely. The entire process from gestation to attainment of maturity is long and the waiting process can be very tedious if you don’t have a second income source. You need to have something else doing, realistically, if you are to eventually breakeven and succeed. The only other option is to get a single digit loan with a moratorium of at least 6 months and installment payments 6 months apart.
c. You can buy any female breed, breed is not key; just ensure that the females being selected for breeding look good (female weaners go for around N4, 500)
d. Males are the key to a perfect breeding program and must not be compromised. They are:
 The reason for the litter size at birth (8-15 is optimal)
 Part of the reasons why mothers eat their young at birth
 The key to eventually getting pure breeds in the long run (if you are crazy about pure breeds).
Exotic breeds abound and are of various builds but personally, I prefer the Camborough breeds because in my own words, they are “Designed for Africans by Africans”. You can get a weaner for around N10, 000.
• In pig farming, when engaged in breeding, you breakeven around 24 months and make profits from after 24 months above. If you engage in fattening, you can expect profits every 8 months if you deal in raising weaners to market weight or every 5 months if you decide to deal with raising growers to market weight. Thus, in the interim, before you make profits from breeding, you can make income by engaging in fattening and selling in months 10 and 18. With your initial capital of 200, 000, you can purchase 25 weaners for this purpose and in the first 10 months, revenue from their sales will amount to approximately N675, 000. You repeat it and make the same revenue in month 18, and you repeat it once more to make the same revenue in month 26. By month 24, your breeding program should have around 24 animals ready for market. The revenue on their sales will amount to nothing less than N618, 750, with a net profit of N250, 000 (these are very conservative scenarios. If you adopt a balanced feeding and management regime, you will definitely get better returns). Maintaining this trend will see your farm expanding because you will keep all your females for breeding and sell off only males. Eventually, you will have to get a bigger property to accommodate your animals.

WHERE DO I START OFF FROM? PERSONAL PROPERTY AS OPPOSED TO A FARMING COMMUNITY

This is one question many newbies and prospective farmers grapple to answer. A lot of ‘experts’ advice that you acquire a piece of property somewhere and start up your farm. You do that and your farm starts operations, you are initially happy and glowing with pride and self-satisfaction; then issues set in:
 Where do I source for food from?
 I am cash strapped, how do I sell off just one animal to raise some cash?
 How do I sell these extra weaners or growers?
 I have 20 mature animals, how do I get buyers for them who will take all and pay up at once?

When you meet advisors who compel you to run off and isolate yourself, ask yourself these and other questions, because herein are some of the reasons for the death of most pig farms. Except you have an iron-clad marketing plan that can never ever fail, even if you have enough land as a newbie, don’t isolate yourself. Stay within a piggery community for at least 3 years. Build knowledge. Build expertise. Build connections. Only then can u go, but maintain a link, a relationship with the community. Anyone who tells you otherwise is not seeking your health and sustainability.
I will suggest Oke-Aro farm, because that is where I have been for years, and it is the largest pig farm in West Africa. There are over 5, 000 registered farmers and their numbers keep growing weekly. Let me list some reasons why it will be beneficial to you to stay in Oke-Aro as opposed to starting on your own:
1. Knowledge to be gained: For a starter, it is essential that you are in the midst of a community of individuals who have been doing for a long time, what you intend to do. You stand on their shoulders and gain from their wealth of experience, and in so doing; you avoid a lot of pitfalls. Imagine you are alone in your bush farm and your newborns get diarrhea and start stooling uncontrollably, what will you do? How long will it take for your vet to get there? If you are in a community, you can get help and sound advice in minutes. This is just one example out of numerous issues that may occur.
2. It is easier and cheaper to source feeds, as you can buy any quantity you want. Staying outside means you have to buy in bulk which might be an inconvenience. Imagine a scenario where you are short on cash and cannot afford to buy a tone of feed, what will happen to your animals, bearing in mind that no feed equals no feeding and it equals a loss in weight and a waste of cash to bring them back to that weight they lost.
3. You have access to plentiful, cheap and experienced labour and veterinary services.
4. Market: One of the things you benefit from being a member of a large community is your ability to quickly sell off animals without stress and with cash down. Whether you want to sell five weaners or 200 weaners; if it is one mature animal or 1000 animals, there is always a readily available market and you sell off any volume cash down within 48 hours. When you are alone, how do you sell off animals when you need cash? If you lack the necessary marketing skills or don’t have a marketing plan, it can be a great inconvenience to you. But in the community, buyers constantly walk up to you to ask if you have animals available for sale.
5. Availability of cheap accommodation: No matter what level you want to play at, there is room for you in a community. If you are buoyant enough, you can buy an entire pen. If you aren’t, you can rent any number of rooms you like and payment is also flexible. You cannot get this offer if you are on your own.
In my earlier post, I said that most farmers are out there to skin you and make life a living hell. They don’t care whether you succeed or drown; all they are after is bleeding you dry. It happens in farming communities as well as in individual farms. Newbies are the prime targets of these dupes and they foment all kinds of stories, mostly relating to income and immediate profits, to lure and trap them before they begin digging deep. Most stories relate to superb breed quality, staggering live weight at maturity, obscene number of piglets at birth by a single mother, short growth span etc. Most long-timers in this business can attest to this fact and also can testify to numerous disappointments when time for performance came, haha!! All you need is someone who is passionate about your success, who is willing to go the extra mile to ensure that you succeed and you eventually start making profits.
From the above listed points, the benefits of staying within a community of farmers far outweigh the disadvantages. Some people might argue that poor sanitation and disease outbreak are one of the greatest risks you face as a farmer in a community. I counter by saying that once you take adequate prevention and adhere to proper management; your animals will be safe and will keep on being alive for you to reap the profits. As you embark on your journey into the world of pig farming, bear it in mind that staying with the herd is of greater advantage if you want to succeed

WEIGHT GAIN ISSUES
Numerous stories and views abound when it relates to what optimum weight your pigs should be at what point in time. It is distressing when after all you have done and all the ‘rules’ you followed, all the investments you have made towards achieving a particular market weight ends up in the gutter. Imagine the frustration you will feel knowing that it isn’t just working for you.
I have come with an entirely different viewpoint. All those stories about your animals attaining specific weights of over 100kg in 10 months when you feed them special compounded feeds and other such theories are just what they are; stories.
Pig farming like other ventures should be what it is- A business. We should strive to delete sentiments and treat it with objectivity and deal in timelines and milestones which should be measurable. Note the following as you enter the business:
1. Buy any breed of pigs to fatten (if that is where you want to operate) and buy females of any breed for breeding (if that’s what you want to do). The only thing to do is ensure that the animals you are acquiring aren’t runts and that they are good looking and well-formed. For this you need someone who is capable of spotting the differences in animals and ensure that you get the best animals to stock your herd with.
2. Feed your animals well. Compound feeds for them which should form the main part of their diets. Corn is the cornerstone of any livestock’s diet and it is contained in the compounded feed. You can supplement their diet with cassava pellets or peels (paki), brewery spent grains and Palm kernel cake (PKC) to ensure their daily weight intake is achieved.
3. Once your animals are well fed, your target weight should be 55-60kg within 8 months. If they attain that weight before they get to 8 months, good. Once you achieve 55-60kg weight, dispose of them and start all over. There should be no sentiments attached and no crying over large weights; the more you keep them, the more they eat and the greater your loss. Remember that this is a business we intend doing for a very long time and we intend to maximize returns. If your breeding program sets and you get bigger weights, kudos to u; but for now let us keep it simple.
4. Once your females get to 8 months old, you should cross them with your exotic breed males. Assuming they should attain a certain weight before they are crossed is funny because like I said earlier, the key to a healthy numerous litter lies mostly with the male. For this reason, you should be willing to spend more to acquire superb males.
You can forward integrate and control the entire supply chain by getting involved in butchering and selling either directly to individuals or supplying companies. Assuming live weight costs 450/kg while pork costs 1000/kg (these are the current standard prices on-site), a 60kg pig would sell at 27, 000. But once butchered, after the hair, blood, innards, feet and head have been removed (the innards, feet and head will also be sold); you will be left with approximately 32kg. This would amount to 32, 000 if sold to individuals or 35, 200 - 38, 400 if sold to companies (1,100-1,200/kg). Imagine the immense profits you could corner if you engage directly in it. This is a very deep and closely guarded secret and one that I have been engaged in for the better part of 2 years.
You can also backward integrate by leasing acres of farm lands and planting maize and cassava. This will drastically cut your feeding costs and ensure higher quality of feeds because you can decide to feed them with cassava chips, which are highly nutritious, instead of peels.

nice one.what treatment do u give to the mother pig after weaning d piglets ie before they take in again.what is d time interval b4 they take in again.thank u

thanks op!

overdrive:
nice one.what treatment do u give to the mother pig after weaning d piglets ie before they take in again.what is d time interval b4 they take in again.thank u

There is no specific time interval for waiting before you cross them after weaning. If you decide to cross them immediately, u just give them injections to balance their hormone, stop milk from flowing and tuck their womb in

dynamix101:


There is no specific time interval for waiting before you cross them after weaning. If you decide to cross them immediately, u just give them injections to balance their hormone, stop milk from flowing and tuck their womb in

pls kindly outline the injections.

following. pls sir, drop your contact, so those of us that want to venture into the business can reach you. Thank you.

God bless you for the info

overdrive:



pls kindly outline the injections.

Oxytetracycline and Dewormer

whugo:
following. pls sir, drop your contact, so those of us that want to venture into the business can reach you. Thank you.

Whatsapp 08082310865

dynamix101:

@ Oxytetracycline and Dewormer

thank u

A NEWBIE ASKS: WHICH SHOULD I DELVE INTO; BREEDING OR FATTENING?

Breeding vs Fattening: The beginner’s nightmare

Upon deciding to embark on the journey of pig farming, this is one question that is sure to weigh down the mind of any intending farmer. Before we discuss on which is best, let’s define both.

Breeding involves getting a boar (male pig) and several sows (female pigs), raising them either from weaner level or buying them fully grown for the purpose of reproducing.

Fattening refers to raising weaners (pigs of around eight weeks) or growers (pigs of around twenty to twenty four weeks) till they attain market weight. These weaners can either be gotten from the farmer’s breeding stock or acquired.

Now the question; which is better for me to start with?

Hmmmm…… There are actually no right or wrong answers- Why? Let’s look at the dynamics of the business again

Farmers play at different levels. The same is true in Nigeria as it is in other climes.

Some farmers concentrate solely on breeding. They acquire and raise around 20-100 sows and boars then sell the weaned piglets. With proper management, a farmer can sell twice a year. If he has good stock and averages 7 piglets per litter, he can get 140 weaners from 20 sows and twice yearly he makes sales of around 1.2M @ 4500 per weaner. Eliminating overhead costs, you are left with a tidy sum. But before you get carried away, this is just an analysis: with life anything can happen. You can get nothing or you can get more if your pigs average 8-12 piglets per litter.

Some farmers concentrate solely on purchasing weaners and raising them for a further 8-10 months then sell them off. This is where majority of farmers play and there is profit in it as long as you have a steady primary income source that will ensure that your pigs are well taken care of and constantly fed. When some people roll out figures to bamboozle you about the incredibly head spinning profits you make while rearing pigs, they forget to add that the business needs real capital, and a continuous one at that, for a long period before you can make any revenue. Caring for a pig over its lifetime costs an average of 13000. Multiply that by 100 pigs and prepare to be afraid. You need money and any break in feeding or care will have dire consequences.

Some farmers concentrate on purchasing growers and raising too. The argument they bring forth is that they cut off 3-4 months of waiting before they can achieve market weight. This is also a good endeavour as long as you have the financial muscle to put into buying animals at that price.

Some farmers play in all these niches. They breed and then raise some of their piglets to maturity while selling off at various stages: weaner, grower and market.

As a new farmer, you can and should play in all. When purchasing your stock, include animals for breeding eg, if you intend to buy 20 weaners, select 5 females for your breeding program, and then raise the rest for market. With that you are assured of starting your own herd within a year.

I hope this was helpful

Should I Buy A Pregnant Sow?

This is another question that bothers newbies. Should I cut off all the stress and time associated with raising weaners and purchase pregnant sows (in-sows as they are called)?

Have you looked at it from this angle: that pregnant sow will farrow (give birth) in less than 3 months and then you will have tiny piglets to care for – ones that are literally standing at death’s door for the next one week and you are blessed if you don’t have an experienced or capable vet doctor on hand to care for them.

Also, is it economical cost wise? Will they give you a good litter size, bearing in mind that some animals don’t give a good number of young during their first birth? What if the male that serviced them isn’t standard and the young aren’t what is expected?

There are a lot of questions you can ask and a lot of things that could go wrong or right sef like if they farrow 8-12 healthy robust piglets. But as a newbie, start small and grow till you know and master all the aspects of pig rearing.

It’s worth mulling over!!!

Thank you for this inspiring piece.

I am a newbie with a peculiarity of unavailability of cluster pig farm around here. I am currently building a 30 rooms pen and digging a well for the water supply. any further advice on how a newbie can survive and learn the rope alone?

Also, how possible is it to get quality and pure bred Camborough pigs for a starter? or any advice on other good and high performing breed for starting a breeding herd?

Thanks

Wow this is really getting interesting

The level of sacrifice and magnanimity displayed by some folks in this Agric section never ceases to amaze me. May the good Lord repay all of you beyond human measure. I am the type that is selective of what I read but the long thread just finished so soon.
Good work!

Absolutely spot on write up Dynamix, as professional pig farmers Jessam Cattle Ranch and farms would like to support your views in particular farming/livestock rearing takes alot of passion, dedication, continuous learning, hard work, discipline, forward planning, capital and a business plan. There is a lot of garbage on Nairaland and other Nigerian media on get rich quick schemes in the agriculture sector........yawn yawn yawn, so untrue. My people get the facts right before you delve into the 'Monkey see, monkey hear, monkey do' business model. Get the facts right and you stand half a chance.

Be glad and grateful for the write ups by Dynamix..... he has given you the run down, your deal now is to ask yourself if you have the knowledge, passion, money, dedication and a good game plan?

Jessam cattle ranch & farms aims to be a major player in the meat industry and help stop the importation of cheap, rotten, chemical induced meat from being dumped in Nigeria, often slowly ruining our health .

Slow and steady Jessam will grow to be a strong brand in food industry. We are based in Enugu. Please enjoy photos our farm. We rear livestock including Cattle, pigs, goats, poultry, ducks. We also process palm oil too.

We currently have a 300 sow operation yielding us around 5000 piglets a year.
Feel free to place your orders 08032455430 or 09099020582.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZK0UqV1rQQg


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gj5VRJWxLv0

pls add me to the whatssap group 08102068586

Op....this is a great piece u have here, I really like the break down of every aspect and the bitter truth therein, may God bless u very abundantly...the very least is an agricultural student and enthusiast like me can plan for the future with this information in mind...once again more grease to your elbow

ebena107:
Thank you for this inspiring piece.

I am a newbie with a peculiarity of unavailability of cluster pig farm around here. I am currently building a 30 rooms pen and digging a well for the water supply. any further advice on how a newbie can survive and learn the rope alone?

Also, how possible is it to get quality and pure bred Camborough pigs for a starter? or any advice on other good and high performing breed for starting a breeding herd?

Thanks

Hi

Sorry i havent been able to post for a while. Where do you reside as that would be helpful in knowing what to say concerning your new venture and sourcing for a good camborough boar.

But you need to ask yourself this: how do you intend to manage the smell and the huge amount of waste you will be generating on a daily basis?? A soakaway cannot help u except u are determined to build one that is as big as your land and as deep as 10 feet and then build your piggery on it

Jessam:
Absolutely spot on write up Dynamix, as professional pig farmers Jessam Cattle Ranch and farms would like to support your views.....

why not open your own thread to advertise your efforts and products.

From the numerous whatsapp messages I have gotten and am still getting, it is obvious that agriculture is the way to go because of its uniqueness – caring for life. But it’s such a shame that in every area that should be a money spinner, crooks abound in droves, ready to fleece whoever shows the capacity to spend. My mom and I were discussing this weekend about an encounter she had with our former attendant last week. The attendant was narrating how people were running in and running out of the farm after being bled dry with nothing to show. It is common to see and hear angry exchanges between new farmers and those who introduced them to the business because what was promised and invested did not tally with what was returned. If after reading this my long boring pieces you still fall mugu, you need to be flogged seriously.

Most of the messages I have been getting border on some of the issues I have outlined already in my earlier posts, but it seems I hid them, lol, so let me reiterate them:

Firstly, you MUST have a primary income source before delving into pig farming because it is very capital intensive. Don’t wait till you retire or are sacked and then use your entitlements/handshakes to start. The business will run you out eventually and you will join the bandwagon of those blaming others for their woes. You need to have an INITIAL investment then you should have monthly running costs to care for the business till such a time as you can start feeding off it. This is true with piggery as it is with any other business.

Secondly, please don’t ever do pig farming by proxy. If you or your spouse or a very close trusted person cannot be available up to 3 times a week to monitor the animals, sanitation, feeding, stock level etc especially during birthing, abeg don’t come in. you will definitely regret the decision to join.

Don’t give anyone money to buy anything for you or startup for you. Go and see what you want to pay for and pay for it and take it and leave with it. Don’t get scammed please. The only thing every newbie must do is to go along with someone who knows the terrain very well, who will help u look at the animals with an experienced eye and determine which will be best to stock your herd with. Not all good looking animals are good and not all bad looking animals are bad. Also don’t fall for all those crappy longwinded stories about biosecurity, improved superb stock, bla bla bla. You can create yours over time, it’s not rocket science. I can say a lot on this but the bottomline is this: Go with someone who knows the terrain so you don’t get duped pricewise and animalwise.

Also, don’t get swayed by figures and statistics. Seek knowledge because it is the only thing that will help you when all else fails. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. I have talked about weight gain. Ask anyone who boasts of incredible weights how old his animal is. Now here is the crazy fact; there are two ages in pig farming; the period from birth till now and the period from when the animal was bought till now. Imagine I bought an animal and kept it for 10 months and it attained a weight of 100kg, is the animal 10 months old?? What if I bought it as a 6 month old grower, is it still 10 months?? Do you understand this?? Read up and hear what the whites who own these exotic breeds say about the weight and one Nigerian will be bamboozling us with stories.

I asked you to decide on if it would be better to start with pregnant females or weaners, now let me be clear: no mature farmer will ever buy a pregnant animal because of the negatives I stated in that post. Imagine someone selling a pregnant sow for 65k and another last week was talking about 95k. For what nau?? Don’t try it else you will hear it hot.

I have come again with my breed brouhaha. This is why wars are fought and enemies are eventually made. Pig farming and livestock rearing should be all about improving your strain and raising the best animals through your own special program. Buy normal cheap females and then the only animal you should spend premium cash on is a male because therein lies the key to your breeding program’s success. Aren’t all those exotic breeds an actualization of somebody’s dreams? Why not create your own superb breed yourself in 5-7 years?? We are doing that and we are getting terrific results. You should too.

I will try to talk more on other issues but I need entrants to get these initial facts straight. Missing them is akin to hanging yourself with your own rope.

I am available to answer any questions you might have. Thanks to everyone who appreciates and everyone who has been emboldened to take that first step after reading this thread. You will succeed because the market is so wide that nobody can fill it, but wisdom is needed to be able to tap in.

dynamix101:
From the numerous whatsapp messages I have gotten and am still getting, it is obvious that agriculture is the way to go because of its uniqueness – caring for life. But it’s such a shame that in every area that should be a money spinner, crooks abound in droves, ready to fleece whoever shows the capacity to spend. My mom and I were discussing this weekend about an encounter she had with our former attendant last week. The attendant was narrating how people were running in and running out of the farm after being bled dry with nothing to show. It is common to see and hear angry exchanges between new farmers and those who introduced them to the business because what was promised and invested did not tally with what was returned. If after reading this my long boring pieces you still fall mugu, you need to be flogged seriously.

Most of the messages I have been getting border on some of the issues I have outlined already in my earlier posts, but it seems I hid them, lol, so let me reiterate them:

Firstly, you MUST have a primary income source before delving into pig farming because it is very capital intensive. Don’t wait till you retire or are sacked and then use your entitlements/handshakes to start. The business will run you out eventually and you will join the bandwagon of those blaming others for their woes. You need to have an INITIAL investment then you should have monthly running costs to care for the business till such a time as you can start feeding off it. This is true with piggery as it is with any other business.

Secondly, please don’t ever do pig farming by proxy. If you or your spouse or a very close trusted person cannot be available up to 3 times a week to monitor the animals, sanitation, feeding, stock level etc especially during birthing, abeg don’t come in. you will definitely regret the decision to join.

Don’t give anyone money to buy anything for you or startup for you. Go and see what you want to pay for and pay for it and take it and leave with it. Don’t get scammed please. The only thing every newbie must do is to go along with someone who knows the terrain very well, who will help u look at the animals with an experienced eye and determine which will be best to stock your herd with. Not all good looking animals are good and not all bad looking animals are bad. Also don’t fall for all those crappy longwinded stories about biosecurity, improved superb stock, bla bla bla. You can create yours over time, it’s not rocket science. I can say a lot on this but the bottomline is this: Go with someone who knows the terrain so you don’t get duped pricewise and animalwise.

Also, don’t get swayed by figures and statistics. Seek knowledge because it is the only thing that will help you when all else fails. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. I have talked about weight gain. Ask anyone who boasts of incredible weights how old his animal is. Now here is the crazy fact; there are two ages in pig farming; the period from birth till now and the period from when the animal was bought till now. Imagine I bought an animal and kept it for 10 months and it attained a weight of 100kg, is the animal 10 months old?? What if I bought it as a 6 month old grower, is it still 10 months?? Do you understand this?? Read up and hear what the whites who own these exotic breeds say about the weight and one Nigerian will be bamboozling us with stories.

I asked you to decide on if it would be better to start with pregnant females or weaners, now let me be clear: no mature farmer will ever buy a pregnant animal because of the negatives I stated in that post. Imagine someone selling a pregnant sow for 65k and another last week was talking about 95k. For what nau?? Don’t try it else you will hear it hot.

I have come again with my breed brouhaha. This is why wars are fought and enemies are eventually made. Pig farming and livestock rearing should be all about improving your strain and raising the best animals through your own special program. Buy normal cheap females and then the only animal you should spend premium cash on is a male because therein lies the key to your breeding program’s success. Aren’t all those exotic breeds an actualization of somebody’s dreams? Why not create your own superb breed yourself in 5-7 years?? We are doing that and we are getting terrific results. You should too.

I will try to talk more on other issues but I need entrants to get these initial facts straight. Missing them is akin to hanging yourself with your own rope.

I am available to answer any questions you might have. Thanks to everyone who appreciates and everyone who has been emboldened to take that first step after reading this thread. You will succeed because the market is so wide that nobody can fill it, but wisdom is needed to be able to tap in.

Nice write up

I am interested in going into buying and selling of Pigs and i need somebody to put me through from the scratch. Are you into Pig marketing big time? Fellow Nairalanders, I need your assistance please help your brother. I am currently located in Aba. Thanks[sup][/sup]

akpaaba:
I am interested in going into buying and selling of Pigs and i need somebody to put me through from the scratch. Are you into Pig marketing big time? Fellow Nairalanders, I need your assistance please help your brother. I am currently located in Aba. Thanks[sup][/sup]

do you have a readily available market? what volume are you looking at doing?

dynamix101:


do you have a readily available market? what volume are you looking at doing?

From my little research I detected there is ready market for Pigs in Nigeria, but I want someone who is already into marketing of pigs to put me through.

Nice write up. How can one reach u

Really nice

dynamix101:


Hi

Sorry i havent been able to post for a while. Where do you reside as that would be helpful in knowing what to say concerning your new venture and sourcing for a good camborough boar.

But you need to ask yourself this: how do you intend to manage the smell and the huge amount of waste you will be generating on a daily basis?? A soakaway cannot help u except u are determined to build one that is as big as your land and as deep as 10 feet and then build your piggery on it

Thankyou @dynamix101

My farm is located at Ejigbo, Osun State. The environmental is factored into the location- about a km from the nearest village. It has a good service road. There is plan to utilize the waste to be generated for biomass and subsequently as organic manure.

Any source of pure breed camborough in and around osogbo/osun will be appreciated.

The number you posted is not reachable.