Weaner piglets require a balanced diet that meets their nutritional needs to support rapid growth, health, and development. Here's a guide to feeding weaner piglets:
1. High-Quality Starter Feed Formulated for Weaners: Use a specially formulated weaner piglet feed. Starter feeds should be highly digestible and nutrient-dense. Protein Content: 18–22% crude protein to support muscle growth. Energy Source: High energy from easily digestible carbohydrates (e.g., corn or wheat) and fats. Essential Nutrients: Include vitamins (A, D, E, B-complex), minerals (calcium, phosphorus, zinc, iron), and amino acids like lysine and methionine. 2. Gradual Transition Pre-Weaning Diet: If transitioning from sow milk, ensure piglets are accustomed to a creep feed during the nursing period. Avoid Sudden Changes: Gradually introduce the weaner feed to avoid digestive upsets. Mix new feed with the familiar creep feed. 3. Fresh Water Provide constant access t…Backyard piggeries should sell pork through spaza shops
Backyard piggeries struggle with market access and this is a common challenge that I witness daily on various pig farming Facebook Groups where I’m a member.
Farmers are constantly looking for a market for their pigs that they’ve reared until slaughter weight.
The majority of backyard pig farmers are in townships and villages across the country. In these communities, there is a striving network of spaza shops. In other words, we’re the very market, that backyard pig farmers are struggling to access...how strange is that?
Spaza shops are owned by us and run by us...if not rented out to foreigners. However backyard pig farmers fail to capitalise on this opportunity within their reach...why exactly?
PIGGERIES PLUS SPAZAS, A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN
If I was one of the backyard pig farmers, I would target all spazas in my vicinity...say 1-10km radius.
In no particular order, for the purposes of highlighting the untapped opportunity, I would do the following:
Approach these s…
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How to trade in pigs/pork without being a farmer
We can’t all be farmers in order to trade in pigs or pork. We already have a thriving community of piggeries throughout the country...producing slaughter pigs and weaner piglets weekly.There is a massive gap of sourcing live pigs directly from piggeries for processing. Processing comes in different formats...such as slaughter and slicing pork carcasses into portions for reselling. Or wholesaling, where you slaughter, cut into portions and package into small portions to supply resellers.
Become A Pigs BrokerYou can buy pigs directly from pig farmers and resell them at a markup. The scope is wide open on what you prefer to focus on:1. Breeding stock - here you would be buying pigs to be used at running a pig farm. You’ll need to buy good genetic stock that includes weaners, gilts, sows and boars. You’ll be selling such pigs to pig farmers wanting to start a pig farm or existing pig farms.
2. Weaner piglets - As you can see on the website, weaner pi…
How to start a pig farm with limited resources
If you want to start a pig farm, but with limited resources please don’t opt for the breeding route. This is the default pig farming route for everyone which involves keeping breeding stock (sows and boars). It's a long and expensive route if you’re not financially equipped.About 80% of your daily expenses to farming with pigs go to buying commercial feed and it's not cheap sadly. Therefore I strongly advocate for opting for fattening weaners instead.When you keep parent stock you’ll be responsible for feeding:1. Boar - Every day, it’ll need to be fed...mating or not.2. Sow - Sows, pregnant or not, they need to be fed every day.3. Pregnant sows - A pig’s gestation period is 114 days, almost 4 months of feeding without an income.4. Lactating sows - Once sow has littered, you’ll be feeding your sow lactation feed for sow to produce milk for piglets to suckle.5. Piglets - You’ll introduce creed at 10 days, while they’re still suckling until they’re 28 days old and wean them. R…
Meet Green Pigs SA founder – Bongi Nxumalo
I’m a member of Pig Farmers South Africa, Facebook Group where I first discovered Bongi Nxumalo. I regard Bongi amongst the best Top 10 pig farmers in the group as he excels at the trade. Himself and others are setting trends and leading the way on producing quality pigs through following industry standards.
Bongi does not hoard knowledge but shares it freely to guide new pig farmers to improve their piggeries. It’s a privilege today he agreed to share his journey to farming with pigs for profit…enjoy.
Hello, please introduce yourself, your educational background and where you’re based?My name is Bonginkosi Nxumalo, born in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga. I do not have a formal agricultural qualification, I have a Bsc in Computer Science from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. My farming operation is based in Devon (Gauteng).
What do you farm and why that choice of produce?I am a pig farmer having established Green Pigs SA, I chose to…
How Kabelo Moloto, grew piggery from 6-25 sows
This profile interview was first published on StarterJourney.com our sister blog.Southern Africa is currently struggling with high unemployment and agriculture offers opportunities to be self-employed. Pig farming has many untapped opportunities beyond just breeding pigs…but also processing pork, marketing and numerous other value-added opportunities waiting to be explored.
Read below how pig farmer Kebelo Moloto started his piggery, challenges he faced and the milestones he has achieved over the years…
What attracted you to pig farming?The love of farming even after being humbled by poultry farming previously.
What pig farming experience did you have before launching own pig farm?None.
How did you fund your piggery?Self-funded.
How many sows and boars did you start your piggery with?6 Sows and 1 boar.
How big is your breeding stock now?25 sows.
How long have you been farming with pigs? …