The complete guide for the beginner Pig Farmer

 Everything you need to know to start a small scale pig farming business – Pig Farming – The complete guide for the beginner

Pig farming is a truly enjoyable business. Every pig has their own personality and pigs are rated to be some of the smartest animals and can even outsmart dogs.

Steps to take to start a pig farming business.

• Get Land for the amount of pigs you want to farm with
• Pre-arrange and plan on getting feed
• Have a Market Strategy
• Plan the housing of your pigs

Get Land and make sure your pigs are comfortable

Pigs farming does not require a lot of space but be that your pigs are comfortable. Too much space will make your pigs run around a lot and they are curios creatures so expect them to dig and search for things to chew on. This will lead into weigh-loss and they are surely going to take longer to reach market weight.

Pigs do not get lonely like other animals but they do require some space to move around, lie in the sun or even a waterhole as they love a muddy bath that protects them from scorching hot summer sun.

If you don’t own land you can rent or in most cases farmers accept a barter deal to give you land. This is a popular way for upcoming famers to get hold of land. You trade land for some of your piglets or grown pigs and in return you don’t pay rent for land.

Get your plan in action on how to get food for your pigs

The hardest part of pig farming is getting feed at the right price. Many upcoming pig farmers make the mistake to get food from supermarkets in the form of expired or unusable vegetables and fruit. This is a great way of getting minerals into the pigs but most veggies and fruit are extremely low in protein. Pigs need at least 19% to 22% of protein value in their daily meals.

Protein feeds like barley, wheat and oats is easy accessible from agricultural stores but is very expensive. Depending on the area where you live pig feed prices can change dramatically as most inland agricultural stores has a hefty fuel charge on their feeds.

You need to plan how and where you can get pig feed before you start farming. This is vital to the success of your pig farming business.

Read the following article Food Types that will help grow your pigs faster to understand what proteins pigs really need. If you are going to farm with free range pigs you can read about Saving Cost on Pig Feed. This method has saved us a lot of money on feed and our pigs are truly healthy and happy.

Have a Market Strategy

Plan ahead on how you are going to sell your pigs. This will help you set your goals on how to sell your pigs. You can also plan on how to grow your business if you have a market strategy. There are many profitable ways to sell pigs and we have put together an article on how to sell your pigs and still make a decent profit.

Read this article on how to sell your pigs and still make profit

Plan your Housing for the pigs

Pigs are smart animals and they don’t want to be cooped up. They will dig holes under wooden and wire fences. Make sure that your fencing is secured and that no pig can escape. Brick walls build on a foundation is the best way to go. You can have a cement slab as flooring but keep in mind that pigs will need an dose of iron to keep their immune system strong.

Your housing or coops should have an dry area where your pigs can take shelter from windy rainy and hot days. Try to build your coops so that the North Western wind or South Eastern wind does not blow into the entrance. This will ensure that your coops has less rain water blown in by the wind when it rains.

Learn from mistakes.

As a beginner or veteran pig farmer mistakes will happen. Speak to other pig farmers and ask them advise on how to avoid mistakes. This is probably the best step a beginner farmer can do.

Read this important article about Mistakes pig farmers make

We have put together a compilation of topics on this website that can help you with pig farming. Please read them to make sure that you understand on how to get the best from your pig farming business.

These Shortlist Topics will help you guide through your Pig Planning

• Raising Pigs a guide for beginner pig farmers
• The best pigs to farm with
• Production Cycle when farming with pigs
• Housing Farrowing and Welfare of pigs
• How to weight your pigs by only using a rope
• How to load your pigs on a trailer
• Transport Permit
• How to make your own Feed
• What is the difference between a Landrace and a Large White

https://pigfarmingsouthafrica.co.za/pig-farming-housing-farrowing-and-welfare/

https://pigfarmingsouthafrica.co.za/how-use-a-rope-to-weigh-a-pig/

https://pigfarmingsouthafrica.co.za/how-to-load-pigs/

https://pigfarmingsouthafrica.co.za/best-homemade-high-protein-pig-feed/

https://pigfarmingsouthafrica.co.za/how-to-transport-pigs-in-sa/

https://pigfarmingsouthafrica.co.za/difference-between-a-landrace-and-large-white-pig/

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Tags: pig farming, beginners guide to pig farming, pig farming South Africa, how to start pig farming, what you need to know about pig farming, steps to take before farming with pigs

How to sell your chicken eggs and marketing tips

 Marketing and Selling Chicken Eggs – Probably no animal product of the farm is produced in a more sanitary or convenient form for marketing than eggs. They are one of nature’s choicest food products. Nevertheless, many farmers experience considerable difficulty in shipping eggs to market that will command the top price.

The principal reason is probably due to the fact that eggs are very perishable when improperly handled and are then very quickly affected by their surroundings. The sale of eggs is also governed by their interior quality, size, color, appearance, the type and condition of container, season of the year, and the like.

All these factors nay be controlled to a large extent by breeding, proper care, and good management. The freshness of an egg has to do with its age and quality: when used for food. The highest standard of quality in an egg is one just laid (“new laid”). It is customary to speak of “new laid” eggs as fresh eggs.

Farming with eggs

Almost every one has this definition in mind when speaking of fresh eggs; but, inasmuch as the quality of an egg is very quickly affected by unfavorable sur- rounding’s, freshness is more largely a matter of care and handling after the egg is laid rather than age. For example, it is possible seriously to impair the quality of “new laid” eggs in two or three days, while on the other hand the same eggs, under favorable conditions, might remain fairly fresh after several weeks in storage.

This results in several grades Of eggs according to their interior quality regardless of age.

Structure of Eggs

To understand what take place in eggs when they deteriorate in quality and the factors that are considered in the pricing and utilization Of eggs, it is desirable to have Some knowledge of their structure and of the relationship of one part to another. In a normal new-laid egg of good quality, the yolk is nearly spherical and Of a uniform surface color.

On the surface Of the yolk, usually the upper side. when the egg is broken out, there is a small area lighter in color and about % inch in diameter known as the germ spot. It is in this spot that embryo development in a fertile egg begins; consequently the size and appearance Of the germ spot on the yolk, when viewed before the candle, is Of importance in determining the grade.

The yolk material is enclosed in a covering called the vitelline membrane, which holds the yolk in its normal shape. However, as an egg ages, the yolk tends to take up water from the white with a consequent enlargement in size, and the yolk membrane weakens as a result, permitting the yolk to assume a more flattened or spread-out shape when the egg is broken out on a flat surface.” “The white, or albumen, of the egg consists of several parts or layers Of thick and thin white. The yolk is suspended in the white by a twisted, ropelike mass at each end of the egg, known as the chalaza. The yolk floats and turns easily within the white. Lining the shell are two membranes commonly described as the inner shell membrane, which is next to the contents of the egg, and the outer shell membrane, which is next to the shell.

These membranes are close together and normally do not become separated except at the large end where, as the fresh egg cools and as it ages and the water and gas escape from the egg, the two membranes draw apart and the space between them is filled with air.

The Shell is the container for the liquid parts within. When new-laid the egg is coated with a gelatinous covering which tends to seal the pores and gives the shell its bloom. Unless eggs are handled and kept under good conditions in a relatively short time they may reach a Stage at which they are no longer edible. One of the first indications of deterioration is the evaporation of water from the white through the shell, with the consequent enlargement of the air cell. Another is the flattening of the yolk already described.

Marketing and Selling Chicken Eggs

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Make your own Chicken Feed and save on your farming project

 When farming with Chickens, the question that is probably asked the most is how to make your Own Chicken feed and reduce feeding cost. Today we will discuss how to make your own chicken feed for broilers and layers. Feeding your chickens can be very expensive and the main reason why farmers fail to succeed with their poultry business. We have put together 3 recipes that works well, but not everyone can afford it so yes, there is a budget Chicken Feed Recipe included in this Article. How to make chicken feed for broilers and layers

Make your own Chicken Feed with 3 easy recipes

Breakdown of ingredients used to make Chicken Feed

When making your own chicken feed it is important to bag it and store it as you do not want to loose any nutritional value and moist. You do not need to crush your grains and chickens can eat whole corn (mielies), it is actually better as the corn pips does not loose oils and vitamins.

Chickens do spill when they eat, so feeding them whole grain feed will save you money as they will pick up the spills whereas a powdered feed will be lost. For smaller chicks you can crack the grains.

For layers grains are healthier and will produce better eggs with harder shells. You still need to get the balance right as they need calcium, vitamins, protein and calories.

When you buy chicken feed at the stores (generally 14% to 16%) you need to know that there is nothing wrong with that mix, but with you own mix you can increase the protein levels especially when it comes to broilers.Not every chicken needs the same amount of calcium and too much can destroy their kidneys, Layers need more calcium to produce eggs.

You can introduce egg shelves back into their food mix, but be careful not to give big pieces as you will teach them how to eat eggs. Grinding the egg shelves into powder will be the best solution.

Wholewheat has about 14 to 16% protein and omega which will be a good value to our chicken recipe.
Oats only has 9% protein but is high in fiber and chickens need fiber. Lots of it.

Corn surprisingly enough, has very little nutrition value, it is mostly calories and you want to add a bigger percentage corn to your chicken feed in winter times to help fatten up broilers and keep them warm at nights.
Corn is good for broilers but keep it balanced for layers.
Flax seed is great to add but it’s hard to get and expensive, with lots of minerals and 25% protein I would suggest to add it to your chicken feed.

Another good option is to add calf manna, a feed that has 25% protein, calcium and minerals, you don’t need a lot for your chickens. Calf Manna is expensive, you are not saving money with calf manna, but boosting your layers.

How to make Chicken Feed for Layers

• 100 kg Wheat
• 100 kg Oats
• 100 kg Corn (Milieus)
• 60 kg Soybeans
• 10 kg of Calcium (make your own powdered calcium from egg shelves)

This is a very basic recipe and you will get the most eggs from your farming operation. It’s been tested and works well.

How to make Chicken Feed For Broilers

• 100 kg Corn (Mielies)
• 70 kg Soybeans
• 10 kg Oats
• 10 kg Crushed Luserne
• 10 kg Bone or Fish meal
• 5 kg Calcium
• 7 kg Poultry Nutri Balancer – You can buy this at most Agricultural Shops.

A lot of people are against bone and fish meal so here is an alternative recipe for chicken feed.

How to make Basic Broiler Feed

• 100 kg Barley
• 50 kg Wheat
• 50 kg Corn (Mielies)

We have used this recipe many times and our chickens was ready to sell at around 75 days. (2.8 kg in weight – that is way to big, but we like selling BIG chickens.

A Few Important Notes About This Homemade Chicken Feed:

How to make money with a small farm in South Africa

You have land but have no idea to do with it? Let’s answer the question that thousands of people ask everyday: What can I do with my small piece of Land – Here are 9 Ideas that works for you to do on your land.

• Chicken Farming (Meat Chickens)
• Farming Chickens for Eggs
• Pig Farming
• Market Stall
• Vegetable Farming
• Make Cement Blocks
• Farm with Sheep
• Start a Scrapyard
• Storing Units

Farming with Meat Chickens

Broilers or meat chickens is one of the fastest ways to get an return on your investment. You can sell them alive or get them butchered at an credible abattoir. From day one, broilers only take six weeks to become slaughter ready. You don’t need a ton of money to get coops ready and it’s very rewarding, both financially and lifestyle wise. The pros is that you will always have meat to sell and to consume.

Farming Chickens for Eggs

If you own a piece of land and have time then you might consider starting a layer production. Layers such as Lohmann Brown can start turning your investment around in just 6 to 8 months. Eggs is in high demand across the world and you can sell eggs to shops, restaurants or directly from your farm.

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Starting a Pig Farm in South Africa - What you Need to Know

Starting a Pig Farming Business in South Africa – When 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.

Whether it is a large commercial pig farm or a tiny one, the basic planning rules are the same. The first thing to start with is the desired outcome, the end result. Do you want to breed and sell weaners? Or buy weaners and grow them to slaughter? Or buy and sell pigs as a speculator? Or breeding and raising young pigs up to slaughter-age?
The second thing to consider when starting a pig farm is to estimate the market requirements – how flexible, seasonal and what competition there already is.

Thirdly, consider the restrictions, regulations, health and environmental by-laws, town planning intentions for the town or area you plan to set up your farm?

Then, do a preliminary cost of production. You will need to calculate the basic cost of raw materials, what buildings (such as housing) are required, how much mechanization as well as the number of workers and their skill levels you will require.

If the end-product is perishable (pork meat), determine what is the shelf-life and storage capacity, refrigeration, transport, packaging you will need.

Funding for Pig Farming

When planning pig farming you must find finance to carry the new business through the period of development. The development phase will include setting up fencing, buildings pens and housing, buying equipment and sorting out labour, power, water supply, rates, insurance, while still paying your household expenses.

Determine how long will it be before there is an income so that the cash flow becomes positive and starts to make up the backlog.

A realistic cash-flow estimate is essential, but often the worst part of a business plan. One is trying to predict the cost of production, interest on loans, running expenses, storage and balance these against the returns from sales over a future period of time when values and expenses are variable and unpredictable.

However, if a start-up entrepreneur wants to approach one of the possible sources of funds and be taken seriously, he or she must have gone to the trouble to enlist the help of someone who understands finance and, just as important in this case, pigs.
Together, they will be able to develop a business plan that should get them through the first stage of a viable enterprise.

There are several organizations who are in a position to help and focus on the support of small-time farmers in particular.

The South African government is the leader in the field and a succession of Ministers of Agriculture are on record as strong supporters of subsistence farmers and farmers in the informal sector. There is a substantial fund made available in the annual budget and with the

Provincial Departments of Agriculture, this is allocated and spent through local provincial selection committees which have representation from the appropriate farming specialities. Other arms of government such as the Department of Rural Development and Land Restitution have a role.

However, there is never enough funding to satisfy the applications so other organizations come into the picture, including the Land Bank, provincial aiding funds and municipalities.
In general, the beginner or small-herd pork producer should approach the Provincial Department in the first instance and find the section dealing with farm support and development.

Training and Advice for New Pig Farmers

The most prominent and active organisation is the South African Pork Producers Organisation (SAPPO), to which most commercial producers belong. SAPPO is now increasing their membership among the aspirant small-herd section of pig farmers.

SAPPO has access to levy funds contributed by commercial farmers and collected at slaughter on a per-head basis. These funds are, in consultation with the government, employed for the promotion of the pork industry and a percentage is directed to developing farmers for activities related to upliftment and training. These funds, are not cash for funding new businesses or feed costs.

The Pig Veterinary Society (PVS) is a group of the South African Veterinary Association which works in close cooperation with SAPPO and commercial producers in organizing training and advisory courses, practical demonstrations and planning sessions. These training sessions focus on biosecurity, welfare, feeding and housing of pigs, disease prevention and management.

How to Sell your Chickens in South Africa

You have raised your chickens and now they are ready to be sold but where an how? In this paragraph, we will cover the topic: Where to sell Chickens in South Africa

• Local Township
• Abattoir
• Shops and Butcheries
• Sell from your Farm

The most profitable way to sell your chickens is in Townships. South Africans love chickens and we can consume most of it. Driving through townships does not sound like the ideal business plan, but it works. If your price is rigth you can sell hundreds of chickens per day in townships.

Potential clients come to your vehicle and pick the chickens they want, pay you and it’s a done deal. You don’t really need marketing skills to sell from your vehicle, but you will need someone to assist with sales as it can get busy and you will get confused with the number of chickens sold.

Selling to Abattoirs

This is one of the hardest methods to sell chickens in South Africa. There are only a few abattoirs that will buy your chickens in South Africa. If you are one of the lucky ones to supply an abattoir, you will have to farm with large numbers to make a profit.

Supplying Shops and Butcheries

There are many shops, supermarkets and butcheries that will buy your freshly slaughtered chickens. You will have to get them slaughtered by a certified abattoir and have your paperwork in order to sell to them.

We will discuss setting up an abattoir on your farm at a later point on this website.

Selling chickens from your Farm is not only fun but also very rewarding. Once you are an established chicken farmer people will come to you to buy chickens.Sell from your Farm

You can sell day-old chickens and chickens that are ready to slaughter.

The most common meat chicken to farm within South Africa is the Ross Broiler chicken. You can start selling them after only 5 weeks.

You do not need a TransporT Permit to sell Live Chickens.

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Where to sell Chickens in South Africa

Free Pig Business Plan South Africa

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Free Pig Farm Plan South Africa – Starting a Pig Farming Business in South Africa. This Paragraph will discuss the procedure of setting up a business plan.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR THE PORK INDUSTRY IN

IN SOUTH AFRICA

CONTENTS

INDUSTRY REGARDING THE FUNDING OF R & D 6

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Business Plan provides information on the areas of R & D where interventions are required. The outcomes and results of these interventions are considered as necessary and relevant to support the vision and mission of the pork industry, namely, to become a more profitable and sustainable industry through an increased local market share and an improved export initiative.

The industry structures are described, as are the RMRDT structure and procedures to prioritize, evaluate and fund R & D projects. Research focus and projects are categorized under eight Research Focus Areas which relate to national objectives:

• Sustainable animal resource conservation and utilization

• Livestock production with global competitiveness

 · Animal health and welfare

• Animal products and value-adding

• Red meat safety, quality and value

• Consumerism, market development and trade

• Livestock-based technology transfer and dissemination

• Climate change and sustainable livestock production

The need for funds and an estimate of requirements are expounded upon from several perspectives. This should provide a basis for discussion when funding methods and options are considered, e.g. the request for a statutory levy.

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