Pig Farming in South Africa
© National Pork Board and the Pork Checkoff. Des Moines, IA USA
Pig Farming might be on a commercial scale or on a small-scale to boost household income.
The commercial pig industry in South Africa is relatively small with a few modern piggeries with modern facilities, high feeding costs and excellent genetic material. South Africa also has thousands of subsistence and small-scale farmers producing pork meat for families and communal use. These small farmers often deal with rudimentary housing facilities and feed.
SouthAfrica.co.za offers pig farmers in South Africa educational agricultural material in all 11 South African languages, with a range of agricultural articles in an easy-to-read format to farm better quality pork under sustainable and safe conditions.
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Marinda LouwUnlike natural mating where a boar is physically placed with sows to breed, artificial insemination entails the insemination of sows with semen of a boar that may not necessarily be on the farm....
moreIn small pig herds with inexpensive input costs like home-built housing and cheap feed, there is a basic problem; not enough saleable pigs. This means there are not enough pigs and meat to make a profit....
moreBecause of South Africa’s warm climatic conditions, cold stress is not as serious a problem with adult pigs as in some cooler countries. The winters, however, and especially winter nights...
moreDiarrhoea, vomiting, constipation, hard dry dung with mucus, bloody dung, belly pain, pigs not wanting to eat or eating excessively but not gaining weight, are all signs that a pig may be suffering from digestive problems....
moreFarrowing crates are one of the best investments a pig farmer can make. Sows are moved to these crates about a week before farrowing and kept there until her piglets are weaned at 21 to 28 days of age....
moreSwill feeding is a big no-no in in pork production, because it can make pigs very sick. The greatest threat is that the pigs might contract African Swine Fever, a highly infectious disease that, depending on the virus strain...
morePigs are highly sensitive to hot and cold climatic conditions. The ideal temperatures at which they should be kept will depend on room temperature, relative humidity, the age of the pig, the breed, the type of flooring and housing....
moreHousing should be matched with the type of pig you want to produce. Unimproved breeds are able to cope under much harsher environmental and production conditions than improved breeds...
moreWhen starting pig farming in South Africa you will need a plan. In fact, everything pig farming enterprise needs a plan, from the thousand-sow unit to the two-pig herd in the backyard of a poor-resource owner wanting to increase his family’s income....
moreFor the most effective results, medicine, vaccines and any other treatment should be stored, applied and given according to the instructions on the label. Care should also be taken to ensure pigs have been diagnosed correctly before giving any medication...
moreDepending on the species, worms may not only have a negative impact on pig health and production, but also result in condemnation of the carcass at an abattoir....
moreFarmers may allow their pigs to roam freely outside and use no genetically modified feed or antibiotics, but their produce will only qualify for free-range, organic or pasture reared labelling...
moreLameness is a serious problem in pig production. The pain associated with lameness can make it difficult for pigs to walk to feeding and water troughs, which in turn would have a negative impact on their growth rate...
moreFor a pig farming operation to be financially viable, farmers need to secure a market for their pigs and calculate the cost of production before going into business....
moreThe sow, is the least demanding when pregnant (called a ‘dry sow’ in the industry) but she still has needs. A pregnant sow needs the company of other sows and needs protection against hot sun, cold winds and rain....
moreTo ensure better production, the first month after weaning piglets is critical and should receive careful attention. The weaning age is not strictly set and there is some benefit in ‘split-weaning’....
moreThe key with pig health management is to identify problems and diseases before they get out of control. To do so, farmers need to distinguish between normal and abnormal behaviour and health symptoms....
moreThe strategic selection of breeding material can help to upgrade a herd by, for example, increasing litter sizes, improving meat quality and output as well as the feed efficiency of animals....
moreGreasy pig disease and Diamond skin disease are two of the major infectious conditions that may affect the skin of pigs. Both are caused by bacteria and may be prevented through good hygiene practices....
moreThe South African Pig Welfare Code has been drawn up by farmers, vets, transporters, welfare organisations and abattoir operators. It is based on the so-called Five Freedoms principle as adopted by the Farm Animal Welfare Council...
morePigs that are growing slowly or not putting on weight will have a negative impact on farm profitability, with every extra day needed to feed them eating into farm profits....
moreRespiratory problems are extremely common in intensively produced pigs. Sneezing might be due to dusty conditions or infectious diseases, with atrophic rhinitis, being the most damaging disease....
moreWhen talking to other pig farmers, they will tell you that pigs often don’t show any symptoms of disease, with sudden deaths or higher mortalities being the only indication that something is wrong....
moreClassical and African swine fever are the two most feared swine diseases worldwide. Both are highly contagious and deadly, causing mortalities of up to a hundred percent. Pigs that manage to survive the disease remain contagious....
moreThe world's climate is getting warmer and drier and agriculture is under more pressure to produce nutritious and cheap food for Earth's growing population. The pig industry in South Africa has three main sectors....
moreThe South African pork industry’s focus on the production of leaner meat has resulted in South African pork having lower fat than pork from many other countries....
moreVarious regulations and codes of practices need to be followed when transporting pigs. In summary, their aim is to prevent the spreading of diseases and to reduce animal stress during transportation....
moreWhile pig slurry is one of the biggest pollution threats on a pig farm, it can also be used to enhance farm profitability by using it as fertiliser, compost or to generate energy....
moreWater is often a neglected topic when it comes to pig production, but it is actually one of the most important factors because of its role in the physiological functions of the body....
moreListeria monocytogenes - although it sounds mysterious and threatening - is an ordinary bacterium that is frequently carried in the animal or human intestine without causing any symptoms....
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