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Tuesday, January 13, 2004
Agri-Business: Backyard Hog Raising
By Miko Santos
(First of two parts)
In almost every rural household in the Philippines, hog raising is a very popular enterprise such that there is a proliferation of backyard producers, which dominates the swine industry.
Other than providing a secondary source of income for small families, hog raising is a fast growing home based business in the Philippines which has the potential for high profits in a relatively short period of time.
No other backyard animal has the same versatility as the swine. Not only is it a source of high quality red meat but it is also an mportant source of essential and useful by-products derived from every part of the swine.
WHAT YOU NEED FOR BACKYARD HOG RAISING:
For simple backyard operations of around 10 to 20 pigs you will need the following inputs:
A. Initial Investments
- Decent hog house with concrete flooring
Simple hog housing can be constructed from locally available materials such as nipa and bamboo, but a more permanent structure made from concrete is advisable for the maximum performance of the swine and to ensure that proper hygienic measures can be followed to minimize sickness and disease.
- Breeder Sows or Fatteners
Choosing the right breed is important to ensure maximum profit potential.
Different breeds are available locally as well as a good mixture of crossbreeds, which have proven to be hardier and easier to take care of than pure breeds. It is advisable to purchase initial breeding stocks and fatteners from known breeding farms to ensure survivability of your stock.
B. Operational Costs
- Feeds
Feeds would account for almost half of your production costs. While it is possible to feed kitchen scraps to your swine, it is advisable to buy commercially prepared feeds in order to maximize the growth potential of your stocks and to minimize sickness and disease which may arise from contaminated kitchen scraps. There are a lot of commercially available feeds as well as special mixes that can be bought from large commercial farms.
- Veterinary Medicine, vitamins and food supplements
One drawback to hog raising, as in any livestock production, is their susceptibility to diseases. A single case of foot and mouth disease (FMD) or swine cholera could wipe out your entire stock. A whole range of veterinary medicines and supplements are commercially available to safeguard your stocks. You should consult your local veterinarian regularly to ensure the health of your stocks.
- Labor Costs
Of all the cost factors involved in swine production, labor costs are the one that you can easily control. Depending on the size of your herd, one person can easily take care of around five to ten pigs.
TYPES OF HOGS COMMON TO THE PHILIPPINES:
There are many imported breeds in the country today and it is sometimes difficult to determine the best breed most suited to our conditions. Here is a guide to help you select the breed to raise depending on your purpose, money and experience.
A. YORKSHlRE OR LARGEWHITE
Yorkshires are entirely white with medium, erect ears. Sows have superior mothering ability, farrow and wean large litters and are excellent milkers. They adapt well to confinement but not to rugged conditions. Slaughter animals yield a high dressing percentage, produce fine quality meat and compare favorably with other breeds in growth and economy of gains.
B. LANDRACE
Landrace are white, have short legs and medium to large drooping ears. The sows are noted for their excellence in mothering ability and litter size. They are heavy milkers and produce pigs with superior rate of growth and efficiency in feed utilization. When crossed with other breeds, they produce pigs of highly acceptable carcass quality. They are however, weak on the feet and legs and have problems adapting to rugged conditions.
C. DUROC
The Duroc color is of varying shades of red. The sows are prolific and are good mothers. They produce pigs that are superior in growth rate, feed conversion, and "their performance under rugged conditions is better than any of the white breeds.
D. HAMPSHIRE
Hampshires are black with a white belt around the shoulder and body. They are generally short legged and lack body thickness. The sows have a reputation of weaning a high percentage of the pigs farrowed and are able to adapt to very rugged conditions. The growth rate, however has generally been average or below.
E. BERKSHIRE
Berkshires are black with six white points -four white feet, some white in the face and tail. The ears are erect and inclined forward as the animal grows older. They are known for their style, meatiness and good adaptability to rugged conditions. They have desirable length, depth and balance of body but lack good growth and efficiency in converting feed to weigh gain. The sows are not as prolific as the other breeds.
F. PIETRAIN
The Pietrain is a very meaty type of pig with spotted black and white color. It has well-shaped hams, loin and shoulders. Ears are erect, The carcass has a high lean meat percentage, but it has a poor body constitution. Feed efficiency is not really good and they are a little bit slow grower. This breed is also highly susceptible to stress. Thus, Pietrain is only worthwhile in crosses but not as pure breeds.
(January 13, 2004 issue)
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