How to Start Pig Farming Business in Nigeria (2024)

Is it profitable to start pig farming business? It would seem that the answer to this simple question is always positive. However, you can enjoy the successful start-up of a domestic pig farming business only when it is organized wisely, meaning that everything has been taken into account.

Starting a pig farm business is beneficial both on the farm and at home. It is profitable, despite the season and the financial situation of the country. Meat is an integral part of nearly everyone’s daily diet, an essential product for cooking.

Pig breeding is profitable on any scale and does not depend on the season.

If you find out how and where to start a business in pig farming and how to succeed, you can earn a good income. The pig trade will be successful if properly organized. It differs from other types of business in close contact with animals, which requires attention, care, and constant monitoring of their health.

Advantages of Pig Farming

1. Gestation time:  Breeding in sows lasts up to 3 months and feeding 1 to 2 months.
2. Healthy pigs produce up to 10 piglets at a time and up to 30 per year. When it comes to fertility, it goes around cows and sheep.
3. During the week, the weight of the pig increases from 1.5 to 2.5 kg. Six months later, it is 100 kg under a well-balanced diet.
4. Meat yield after slaughter. The percentage of finished products is 73% and minimal loss compared to other animal species.
5. Pork is popular in the country: From it in an industrial way and at home I make a lot of goodies for which there is always a buyer;

Starting a Pig Farm Business

No matter how attractive the business is, just wanting to keep the pigs is not enough. It is necessary to think about the organization of the whole process and to consider the necessary components.

Organizing the Farm

The main component of this business is the building where the pigs live. To do this, you can buy or rent a pig farm from which communications and advance arrangements will be included in the price. In the second case, you can build a stable by yourself or with the help of hired labour.

During construction, you need to consider many points: the building must be insulated, and protected from dampness and draft, while fully ventilated. Contrary to stereotypes about pigs, these animals are clean, they require special care and comfortable conditions.

Equipment for Raising Pigs

Breeding a pig for sale is significantly different from breeding a house for meat for your table. In such a business, it is important to make sure your product is of the best quality and tastes good.

Therefore, pig farms use equipment that significantly reduces labor costs and improves livestock living conditions. So, for a pig farm, you will need the following equipment:

• For water and feed
• Ventilation
• Lighting
• Heating
• Plumbing
• Feedline

Mandatory staff for pig farms

Veterinarians: When raising pigs for sale, don’t forget about their health. Healthy pigs carry good offspring, and their meat is valued higher. Moreover, some diseases make the disease inaccessible, and the sick pig may be the source of an epidemic. In turn, it makes a huge loss for you. Therefore, when drawing up a business plan for raising pigs, don’t forget to engage the services of a veterinarian.

Steps To Consider On How To Start Pig Farming Business

1. Selecting a Suitable Site

To start a pig farming business most specifically in Nigeria, the site for the business has to be taken into consideration. The size and number of pigs to be raised would ultimately determine the size and expanse of land budgeted for the business.

If the pigs are much and the land area is large enough, you can divide the land into several sections so that pigs of different ages can be raised separately. Other things you need to take note of when siting a pig farm business include:

1. The pig’s farm should not be located around a residential area
2. It should be close to an adequate supply of clean water
3. Transportation services should be readily available
4. Veterinary and Pig feed agents should be close to the site
5. The pig farm should be exposed to buyers and butchers
6. It should be well-sanitized and properly aerated
7. The temperature in the pig house should be warm during cold temperatures but can be made a bit cool when the weather is hot. Please note that pigs are very sensitive to temperature changes

2. Buying the Right Pig Breeds

Once you’ve gotten a suitable site for your pigs, your next thought should be on purchasing not just any kind of pig breed but the ones that would mature readily and into plump sizes. Crossbreeds of local and hybrid pigs make suitable piglets for commercial purposes. Though they consume more feed, they grow faster and healthier than other breeds.

Even when finding the right types of pig breeds for your pig farming business might be difficult, go for pigs with bright eyes, and glossy and smooth coats. You can get the necessary history and health information of a pig from a trusted veterinarian or pig farmer. Also, get to know if the piglets have been dewormed or vaccinated before your purchase.

3. Feeding Your Pigs

Pigs are omnivores and can eat almost everything including kitchen waste, grains, meat, roughages, stalks, cooked table food, and vegetables. The most common food for pigs is corn, just like grasscutters. They eat the cob, husk, and grain. Protein sources for pigs are mainly soybeans and boiled meat.

However, feeding your pigs with so much meat can cause them to become cannibals. This means that they may eat their piglets or younger folks when they become so hungry. You can add vitamins, supplements, and extra proteins to the diet of younger pigs so they can mature healthily. Clean fresh water in sufficient amounts should be given to the pigs daily.

4. Breeding and Raising Pigs

The breeding process of pigs is quite simple. On average, the gestation period of pigs is between 100 to 120 days. A sow can give birth to 10 piglets at a single delivery and can go on to birth another set of piglets before the year runs out.

During the first nine weeks of age, the piglets feed on their mother’s breast milk after which they can be weaned and separated from their mother so they can start feeding on the normal pig feed. On completion of the grower stage of piglets, the sow is ready for another mating exercise.

5. Marketing The Pigs

When Starting a pig farm business, the idea is to make some profit. Since there is a good market for pork, you can sell the meat both locally and internationally. China is noted as the world’s largest pork consumer and as such a good international market to penetrate with your products.

Finally, to get good pigs, they devote a great deal of time, attention, and care to the pigs. Therefore, in one case, one should not look for economic methods and methods. The more you invest in pork farming, the more you will return.

FAQs on The Pig Farming Business