Piggery is another aspect of farming in Nigeria that is making smart investors huge money on daily basis. If you are into pig farming you are sure you will never lack money again for the rest of your life. despite having religious and tribal barrier, pig is the most lucrative livestock.

The meat is in a very high demand in Nigeria, for instance in Benue state it is used in paying dowry for marriage, it is used by catering companies for making sausages, while the fat is used for making cooking oil. There is currently a scientific research that its kidney works like that of man, so in the nearest future when the world health organization certifies the research, kidney problem will be over. The insulin works like that of human, so it is always extracted in the manufacture of insulin capsules for the treatment of diabetes. As a result of the domestic and industrial use of pig meat, it is in a very high demand. one hardly see it in the market and slaughters.

Pig reproduces in large number and grows very fast. A single pig gives birth to as much as 15 piglets at a time and all attends market size at 6months, making it one of the most reproducing and fastest growing mammal in the world.

Despite the huge profitability in pig farming many are still ignoring the enterprise for some reasons, probably because of ignorance of how it works, religious barrier, tribal barrier, its dirtiness, etc.
The few people that engage into the business are either do it as a part time business or in a traditional way. If you can engage in this business fully, you are going to smile to the bank.

A fully grown pig goes as high as 50,000 depending on the weight. Assuming in a year you are able to rear hundred to maturity, you may be making 5 million from the sales. if you can take it higher, let us say 2000 pigs in a year, you will be talking of 100 million. Imagine the kind of oil company you would have opened in your village which you have been ignoring. Considering how fast pig produces, it will not be a difficult task to produce 100 pigs in a year . For a start buy about 10 pigs (winners) rear them to maturity, during reproduction, each of them gives birth to a minimum of ten piglets, that means you can get 100 pigs within the year.

How to start Pig farming:

1. SECURE A BREEDING GROUND: Depending on how you plan to feed your pig , a plot of land may just be ok for a small scale starting but you can get a large farm land (from five hectares) that will be better so that your pig can graze in the open and retire to the pen where they will continue feeding and playing. Land is your biggest investment in this business. once you have it, you are half way done. Look for land in a rural Area where you can get it cheaper, do your stuff there and transport them to the town where you will sell it. some companies and butchers will even be locating you in the interior village. it is good to raise pigs in pasture by leaving them occasionally to root around in the fields where they can find plants to eat, and that can only be achieved when you have enough space. As they mature, you take care so that they do not wander away.
2. BUILD STANDARD PENS: Pig pen is important if you do not want your pigs to injure themselves. A good spacious pen is also important to keep the pigs healthy and free from diseases and contamination. proper drainage is needed to avoid flooding the pen which could attract insects and other harmful pets to the farm. To avoid your pigs getting overly dirty, you have to build a water pool where they can play, swim, as pigs like swimming and cool their body which is important to their well being. Changing the water and refilling the pool as frequent as possible will ensure that they are clean all the time. if you are keeping them outdoor shelter should be provided for them.
3. BUY HEALTHY PIGLETS: To ensure healthy farm, you need to make sure the piglets you are about to start with are healthy. Buy from trusted source and make sure the ones you are buying has vaccination history. Buy as much as you want but do not buy too many. it is advisable to start with small number and increase gradually. In this way you will be able to learn the rope and grow, incase anything go wrong at the initial stage, your risk will be minimal.
4. GET A VERTINIARY DOCTOR:  You need the services of a veterinary doctor for regular check up and vaccination as well as feeding and nutrition advice. pigs generally eat what human beings eat and do not present much worries when it comes to feed. But the service of a vet doctor is inevitable and should not be ignored.
5. EMPLOY WORKERS IN YOUR FARM: Employ the help of others in your farm to make the job easier for you, Employ at least  4 to 5 persons if your pigs are up to one hundred. if you are starting on a small scale, you need lesser number of workers who will be assisting in the cleaning of the pigs and the pens, feeding them and other petty jobs.
6. PLAN FOR FEEDING: 

Just like human being, pigs eat a wide variety of foods, anything human being can eat, pigs can eat them. Like human beings they need balanced diet such as fiber, energy, protein, carbohydrate, vitamins and minerals to thrive. Feed takes the major chunk in livestock production. Pigs like all animals must have constant access to clean fresh drinking water as well as tipping the trough to make a wallow, pigs will also stand in the water through and wash their dirty feces in it, so it needs to be checked regularly, cleaned out and refilled. galvanized troughs are robust and easy to clean, and too easy for the pigs to tip over. Automatic drinkers are available but they are not half as much fun for the pigs. put all these in place and you are as good as having started your business. There is nothing as good as being in the business you are sure of profit. pig business is one of such business. All you need to is to feed and take care of them. Do that proper and watch them multiply in three fold.

Advantages of Pig Farming:

1. Pig has the highest multiplication rate of all the ruminant animals
2. it has a short generational interval
3. Kitchen waste are converted into meat since they eat them.
4. Pig droppings are rich in nutrients, so can be recycled into livestock feed.
5. it does not need a specialist to do the business, anybody can do it.
6. It has a very high already market, you do not need to look for customers

Types of Pig Enterprise (Business):

1. Farrow-to-finish operation: This is when a farmer keeps a sow herd and produces his own growers for and finishing operation which he also owns.
2. Farrow only: The farmer keeps a sow herd which produces weaners, he then sells to growers and finishing operators.
3. Finishing operation: Farmers buy piglets either as weaners or growers and fatten them for the pork market.
4.  Breeding: The production of breeding stock is very specialized enterprise reserved only for the experienced pig breeders and requires heavy capital investment.

PIG FARMING MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

1.  Care of the in-pig-sow. About 114 days of breeding, farrowing should take place. in order to reduce the stress, sow should be move to the farrowing pen about 2 weeks before the expected date. new born piglets has less resistance to diseases, therefore, the farrowing pen should be disinfected and keep clean before the sow is brought into the pen. The sow must be washed to prevent diseases.
2. care of farrowing pen: The farrowing pen must be kept neat at all time, there are various ways of doing this
   i. ensure you remove all the loose bedding material manure.
   ii. soak the pen with water, this is to loosen the residual dirt.
   iii. wash thoroughly and disinfect with izal solution.
   iv. the floor should be allowed to dry always.

1. Through oral dosage with iron tablet.
2. By injecting it into the blood system.
3. Rubbing the sow’s under with iron solution.
4. Providing sterilized soil in the pen.
5. Milk contains a very small amount of iron, this is why alternative means becomes necessary.

• Provision of specific environment for each category of pig for optimum growth and development.
• There should be cost effectiveness in housing construction.
• The stockman should have easy movement from one place to another.
• The stockman should have easy movement from one place to another.
• It should be allowed for inherent behavioral pattern of the piglet, giving no room for overcrowding.

1. FARROWING RAIL: The rail is made in such a way to prevent the sow from crushing the piglets. it is constructed to about 1.5 -1.7m high along sides of the farrowing pen.
2. WATER TROUGH/FEEDERS:  Feed and water are essential in pig house and can be incorporated into the building. it should be kept clean always, washed and disinfect at least once in a week. This will minimize infection.
3. FARROWING CRATES:  The farrowing crates is meant to prevent the sows from crushing the piglet. This is by preventing it from lying down quickly.
   It also enable the easy handling of sows and piglets.
4. WEANER CAGE: The weaner cage is very necessary in the pig house. This is due to the fact that it prevents the piglet gain easy access to the sow in terms of feeding. It is made of covered solid-floor sleeping, eating and drugging areas.
5. PIG-HURDLES:
   The hurdle helps in separating pigs from the pens. It facilitates the movement of pigs through the ban. It is made from strong wooden post of about 1.8m wide.

1. WATER: Water is next to life of the pig, so it is very essential in pig breeding. There body is always hot and they always look for water to reduce this heat. Hence water should be supplied daily. Lack of water can cause a rise in body temperature of the pig and can lead to death. Water enables the pig to maintain its body temperature, they can be fed on green leaves, cucumber and carrots as such contain quantity of water.
2. ENERGY: Energy feed for are carbohydrate which are sourced from cereal grains (rice, maize, guinea corn, millet etc), root and tuber crops (yam, cassava, potatoes etc)
   PROTEIN: This is sourced from groundnut, soya beans, cotton seed, palm kernel cake, blood meal, fish meal etc.
3. MINERALS: Common sources of mineral are bone meal, oyster shell, limestone etc. these are the most common sources of calcium and phosphorus in pig rations. The importance of iron in pig meal cannot be overemphasized. Sometimes iron is being injected into the piglets as in the case of weak and small piglets.
4. VITAMINS: Common sources of vitamins are  green leaves and vegetables. they are needed in small quantity for normal growth of the pig. They are organic compound in small amount for normal growth, reproduction and health maintenance.
   vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat soluble while vitamin B is water soluble.

How to Feed Your Pig:

1.  PARASITES: These are organisms which live on and obtain its food from the host without contributing to it. we have internal and external parasite. the external parasite are those ones that live outside the host while internal parasite are those ones that live inside their host. An example of internal parasite is A Saris Lumbricoides, it is a round worm which cause a lot harm to the pig and herds once it has been affected.Mostly common among pigs in the free range, its infections leads to frugality in the piglets, weakness and loss. Other harmful ones include tape worms eg Taenia solium has the as its intermediate host. An example of external parasites are flies, lice, termites and ticks. The external parasites cause irritation to the skin surface of the pig, this will result to wound and increase the risk of infections in the pig.