It gets to a stage in life where one pushes himself to achieve what seems beyond reach due to the economic woes we are faced with in Nigeria.

It was a sunny afternoon, i was comfortably seated at my air conditioner office, pondering about events staring at me, getting married in few weeks time with a salary of about 150k with an official car in Lagos doesnt look right to me. Starting a family in such situation wasnt what i wanted but, but alas, this is Nigeria with limited opportunities.

I started planning on whether to start my own business in that line or venture into agriculture full time, i settled for the former... I was doing really fine, travelling across the country executing contracts until covid came, and it was like we were back to square one.

I relocated my family to Ibadan from Lagos as soon as covid subsided a bit, then i wrote an application to different government agencies seeking for a land lease, after some some few months of aggressive applications, i was able to secure some acres not far away from my abode. However, during the period of looking for land, i registered at college of forestry to attain some basic knowledge on what i'm about to venture into, i've got no knowledge whatsoever about farming, but i know i have a thing for livestock.

I was able to get some practical knowledge from a good samaritan who told me to feel free to visit his pig farm anytime i so wish. I will forever be gratful pastor, one hardly come across people like that who is willing to help. With that, i got to know there are different types of breeds in pigs, such as:
●Land race
●Large white
●Duroc
●Camburough
●Local breeds etc.

While i was waiting to complete the construction of my own pen, i rented 4 rooms pen at a farm, each goes for 15k/year. Then i bought a pure female landrace weaner at 40k, then 5 pure white females at 25k each. I placed them in 3 of the rooms while i used the fourth for food storage.

The day i bought the pigs, i got some milk from fanmilk, then i mixed their feeds with it..for them to grow faster and healthier.

Pigs are fond of water and they are also voracious eaters, pig feeds is what a new farmer should consider before venturing into the business, once feeding is sorted, then be rest assured your pigs will give you the desired results.

This is a landrace, they are fond of having drooping ears, they have high littered rate and they are also good mothers.

Pig feeds requires combination of different products, Pkc, soya, barley, starter among others.
Note: pigs can eat anything as long as its not injurious to their health, they like watermelon too and some food wastes that is no longer needed at home.

Following

It takes a pig 3months, 3weeks and 3days to reproduce after mating, and pigs are known to give birth to atleast 7 piglets, some do give birth to as much as 20 piglets at a go. The demand for pork is now on the increase in Nigeria, that is why a piglet(weaner) goes for atleast 20k now, some exotic piglets goes as much as 70k right now, a pure duroc piglet goes for atleast 100k right now, imagine if one has 15 of such in one's farm, thats like 1.5 million staring at such person.

Will update later and i will be ready to take questions and at thesame time learn from other experts on the forum.

Following.
God bless the work of your hand sir.

I also ensured i had a deal with an aboki selling fruits at a location close to me, whenever i go there, he supplies me with loads of fruits waste just for a pittance, which is also serving a nutritional purpose.

I was paying the farm hand helping in the cleaning of the pens and feeding about 10k monthly and with some tips so as to give the pigs utmost care & presence. I could have been cleaning and feeding it myself to cut cost, but i knew there would be days when i wont be physically available to visit the farm, hence the farm hand. Nevertheless, it is advisable one visits the farm each day to keep your farm hand on their toes, and also to monitor your feeds, if not one would be running at loss as they can be using your feeds to feed other animal of interest to them., some can even be selling it.

Currently, i spend 20k every two weeks for 10 pigs which is on the high side, a kilo of pkc now goes for #85, i buy 100kg, a kilo of soya is #350, i buy atleast 10kg, also barley goes for #80/kg now, we buy atleast 25kg. Then we round it up by buying a bag of super starter at the rate of #6000 plus.
We are devising a method whereby we buy dry cassava peels, grind it and mixing it with pkc and some barley, that should get us more quantity at that sum to last them for a month atleast.

Feeding is just the most headache of a pig farmer, because they are voracious eaters, if one can manage that department right, then one will make good money.

Pictures taken when they were 3months old

All they do is just to eat and sleep, i've noticed as soon as we serve them the milk, they start feeling sleepy.... you will then see them struggling to stay awake so the next pig does not finish the feeds before they wake... pigs can be full of drama, and they are so interesting to watch.

After sometime, i decided to buy some more piglets, the more the merrier they say afterall....
I bought 2 camburoughs for 30k each, 2 large whites for 25k each. I was giving them strictly starter feeds to give nutrients and also aid their growth.

Photo of the camburough reproducing...

I will be updating later, the essence of this thread is to educate and encourage whoever is willing to venture into agriculture but still having a cold feet to take that leap of faith, there is money in agriculture and there is no rocket science involved as long as you know the basic things necessary...

wizzie001:
Photo of the camburough reproducing...

How many piglets did the camburough produce?

xteve:


How many piglets did the camburough produce?

16, but we lost 2 due to negligence on the part of the mother pig and the farm hand. 14 is still a good number considering that some pigs are bad mothers, they either trample on the weaners or eat them when they are hungry...pathetic isnt it?
Thats why one should ensure there is enough quality feed with the mother so she wont be tempted when she is hungry.

Wow! Thank you for sharing your experiences and encouraging someone..... Am moved to start something with this inform.... Don't know if I can have your details for more mentorship towards my kick starting this project.... My contact... 08079779911... Thank you boss!

Well done. Great diary. I enjoyed every bit of the ride up till this point. More strength to sir...

That is a good one I can see U bought different female breed for breeding,but didn't buy d corresponding male breed?do U bought them pregnant?your feeding is on d high side I suggested U buy brewery waste in bulk(tipper load) dry them mixed with PKC in bulk or wheat bran in place of brewery spent grain,corn bran, if pigs can eat Moringa leaves plant them & feed them since it is high in protein,vit & minerals.
How much will a 2 month weaner cost?
Do not end this dairy keep us updated.

Keep it up I never knew Winners pig can go for 25k

Grt piece, interested in piggry

wizzie001:


16, but we lost 2 due to negligence on the part of the mother pig and the farm hand. 14 is still a good number considering that some pigs are bad mothers, they either trample on the weaners or eat them when they are hungry...pathetic isnt it?
Thats why one should ensure there is enough quality feed with the mother so she wont be tempted when she is hungry.

cjay10:
Wow! Thank you for sharing your experiences and encouraging someone..... Am moved to start something with this inform.... Don't know if I can have your details for more mentorship towards my kick starting this project.... My contact... 08079779911... Thank you boss!

Ofcourse, you can even start with just one female weaner, but you have to ensure you are not being sold a local breed in disguise of a pure breed. You will be surprise what turnover that one piglet would give after just a year. According to legend, people of old refer to pig business as 'bamitanse' in yoruba parlance which means,"end poverty for me".
May God help you through as you start.

bizzibodi:
That is a good one I can see U bought different female breed for breeding,but didn't buy d corresponding male breed?do U bought them pregnant?your feeding is on d high side I suggested U buy brewery waste in bulk(tipper load) dry them mixed with PKC in bulk or wheat bran in place of brewery spent grain,corn bran, if pigs can eat Moringa leaves plant them & feed them since it is high in protein,vit & minerals.
How much will a 2 month weaner cost?
Do not end this dairy keep us updated.

Yeah, i bought all as weaners, the feeds i give them with the milk ensure they grow at a rapid rate, and ofcourse i bought a large white male and a duroc male from a different farm to avoid in-breeding...
I havent tried brewery waste, but its an open option for me which i will be considering soon. Meanwhile, i'm working on getting bags of dry cassava peels, grind it to powder, mix with pkc, wheat bran and probably soya, that will be cheaper i guess.

And by the way, weaners are costly now due to the demand and perhaps the swine fever that wiped out most pigs last year, an exotic weaner at IR&T Ibadan goes for 60k, you can get it somewhere else lesser.

benzion72:
Keep it up I never knew Winners pig can go for 25k

I never knew pigs were that expensive until i ventured into it, exotic(imported) breeds goes as much as 60k, a pure duroc weaner as at April this year is selling at 120k. I dont know about now anyway.

tyeenigga:
Grt piece, interested in piggry

Please feel free to ask questions, its actually a great business.

I've come to realize we Nigerians are not lazy as was insinuated in some quarter, what is hindering most is just finance... and to think that most financial institutions and government agencies here are not sincere about loans and grants to help aspiring young farmers.
Irrespective of all of these, we shouldnt let all these setbacks hinder us from achieving our goals, just start something and put God first, i'm sure we will all laugh last....

A 12 room pig pen under construction. Please note when building a pig pen, the walls and floor must well solidified with cement so as for the pigs not to snack through the wall and escape, pigs are capable of snacking on anything in view. And by the way, the iron doors must be strong enough too, i was a victim of substandard iron gates and i had to do another when the pigs destroyed the initial ones.

My main challenge is start up capital and getting a place to keep them, planning to run it in ilorin

wizzie001:


Please feel free to ask questions, its actually a great business.

Those wires on the bars won't it injure them?how do U dispose d waste?how much do U sell market size life.

tyeenigga:
My main challenge is start up capital and getting a place to keep them, planning to run it in ilorin

Well, capital has always been the bane right from the outset, alot of people wish to start something, but when all avenues through which one could access capital has been flawed, what can one do?
Dont give up on your dream though!

bizzibodi:
Those wires on the bars won't it injure them?how do U dispose d waste?how much do U sell market size life.

The boko haram wire is just to prevent birds from intruding, birds are known to carry some diseases which could be injurous to the pigs. As for the pig waste, mostly goes as manure to plants whilst the rest into soakaway. The prices varies according to the kilogram of the pig, but generally, pigs are quite costly now.

xteve:


How many piglets did the camburough produce?

I've always known that Agriculture is the new oil with promising potentials yet fully unexplored.
I would love to learn from you further. How can we connect.

Weldone chief
I want to go into farming,
I'd like to be your protégé