Acknowledgement
Hello Steemians, this is my first post on DailyCelestialChallenge, let me begin by throwing my cap once again to 
PIG FARMING: An Open Door to the World of Unlimited Possibilities
My post today will be on Pig Farming, I hope to unravel to us, untapped potentials, challenges of and in pig farming, and I will also attempt to answer few questions that may have been on our minds,all along the post. I may not be able to give you answers to all the questions you may seek, but i will do the bit. This I promise, it's going to be an informative and educative post.
The Big Question?
What is Pig Farming?
Pig Farming has been defined by different school of thoughts, which I acknowledge, I will not draw out here that, any school has the highest authority hence is the most acceptable.
I will simply define pig farming as the raising and breeding of domestic pigs as livestock and is a branch of animal husbandry.
Pigs are farmed principally to be eaten e.g bacon, gammon or sometimes skinned. Pigs are amenable to many different styles of farming. Intensive commercial units, commercial free range enterprises and extensive farming.
Pig Housing
Pigs can be kept in a pen outside the owner's house, it can be allowed to move freely around the community of the owner's house. The majority of pigs are used for human food but also they are used as supply skin, fat and other materials for use as clothing, ingredients for processed foods, cosmetics and others and also for medical use.
The Factors to be Considered
Many factors have been identified to be what can influence the types of pig farms in any given region or country; but we will be considering the following:
- Available food supply suitable for pigs
- Local diseases or conditions that affect pig growth or fertility
- The breed or type of pig available to the farm
- Local requirements, including government policies/zoning and or land use laws
- Local and global market conditions and demand.
Why Pig Farming, You May Ask
You have to beware of what is said to be the acceptable way of life. Being able to identify Ones inner voices, and choose for yourself the direction you want to go. Our parents believed that if you are not a doctor, you must be an engineer or Architect, I say No! It shoudn't be.
So, if you are not any of these, they start shutting you down when they are supposed to actually support you. I still want you to know; how you venture into farming bearing in mind that nothing is certain nor permanent in our world of today.
Even if, you are gainfully employed now, there are chances that if you are a dependant: if you work for a company or for any other corporate organization, you can get to the office tomorrow only for you to log in, shockingly, for you to discover that you are out of job, you have been fired.
Plagued with the highest level of job insecurity,considering the skyrocketing level of poverty, financial amnesia, low or shortage of food availability to feed millions and billions of the populace, you may agree with me that pig farming is a wise and considerable factor, hence, it is timely.
The Dawn of Reality:
A friend of mine shared with me, the experience of a bank manager that was sacked after 27 years of meritorious service, Just like that you say, yeah!!! Just like that.
You should ask yourself, if this happens to me, where will i turn to? What if you do not have anyother skill outside banking or your career or profession, and as it stands, you do not have a land ,you have not built a house. if it was me , what will i do?
So, this is a wake up call, you should not wait until you are asked to go on a day,you do not expect.
The Psychological Effect
Imagine the PTS (Post Traumatic Stress) the newly sacked bank manager may be faced with, he has family (wife & children) to cater for, the children may be attending one of the most expensive schools, tertiary institutions on earth, the wife may be running an expensive business enterprise or a company, he also have relatives that are dependant on him and have been dependant on him for years, he also has his parents and his in-laws to cater for etc It will indeed be moments of dark fountain for him.
The Staff of Wisdom
You may say that I do not have so much money, I can't resign to start a trade or learn a skill. I need something i can run while still on a paid job, you can speak with farmers, consultants in the chosen field so as to acquaint yourself and get adequate knowledge about what you are about to go into.
You may say but I don't have any experience of farming or livestock whatsoever, locate people who are into livestock farming, or those that lectures at school of animal health and production.
My friend told me she started with just 6 female pregnant pigs - they are called sow. She paid rent,bought some feed , got an attendant and she started.
The Financial Implications
With just 250 thousand naira in Nigeria or in it's dollar equivalent in your country. You can start pig farming. if you have the zeal you can achieve anything.
Capital is not the first requirement She affirmed that she has sold well over 300 pigs,
so my steemian community, what you really need is not capital, what is needed first is the realization of your present position, where you are going and how to get there.
The vision is key, not the money. if you have the vision it will drive you to start small.
The Inevitable Stumblingblock
She identified some of the challenges encountered to be either as:
first she recalled that she started as an absentee farmer, meaning i am not there everyday or as not too absentee farmer: first challenge was that , i got to the farm one day unannounced and 10 of my weaners( piglets that just stopped breast feeding) were missing. what happened? Her attendant connived with a fellow pig farmer to sell them,
She advised people of all age: old and young who want to go into pig farming despite been an absentee farmer probably because they may not be able to be at the farm always, seek the necessary ways to get trained by professionals.
The second challenge was feeding: for one to make profit in pig business ,you must be able to drive your cost of feeding very low without compromising the basic nutrient requirement of the animals'
Generally in farming, the major challenge is labour, they can be very inconsistent and they are capable of running the business down. so feed and attendants is the challenge. every other challenges are around that.
Because of high fecundity- they give birth to high number of piglets . the highest you can have can vary,my friend had in her farm 14 as the highest but i have another friend that his pig had 22 piglets at once she added.
Economic Importance/Hot Counsel
In Pig farming, because pigs are very rugged, and you can easily account for them. imagine if it was fish that she was doing, the day they stole her pigs , she wouldnt have noticed. they will just keep telling you that the fish is burried inside water. secondly- pigs can eat anything provided its not poison.
you must be ready to sacrifice your time, to learn the work , don't rely too much on the attendant, always have a back up plan. because the moment the attendants find out you dont know anything , your case will be like the child that got home and told his parent that he need to buy dic, tion and nary , 3 books instead of 1 dictionary. then look around for cheap feeding source that are also good. then ultimately start small and grow.
In case you are wondering, hence you asked; will it not affect my academic pursuit or learning a skill?
Both must go hand in hand. I will advise.
The Final Stick
Almost everything we need to learn are on youtube, so if you don't have an opportunity of leaving the school , you can read up and learn virtually , so that when you have the opportunity of doing the pratical, it will be much easier.
On Profitablity
Livestock generally are profitable,so also is pig farming, yes but its not as easy as said. you must pay your dues. Returns on investment if you do it well can begin in 18 months, less or more.
Pigs are sold by weight. life weight in places differs, In some part of Nigeria, it is between 400- 450 naira / per kg. so if i have a pig, a pig weighing 50kg and you can sell at 400 naira/kg = 20 thousand naira or in it's dollar equivalent but for does that slaughter (kill to eat), they sell between #900 naira and #1,000 naira /kg or in it's dollar equivalent.
Your Network: Is Your Networth
The saying that your network is your networth.
In the past, here in Africa, Nigeria to be precise; people come from neighboring countries to export but they ran away during the exchange rate crisis, which means they've left a lacuna to be filled. I feel this might just mean more opportunities, yes! you can if you are lucky to get a pen to rent. Prices can vary at 6 thousand naira or in its dollar equivalent per year. Buying animal worth of 140 thousand naira or in it's dollar equivalent, you can buy feed and pay an attendant too.
So, the giant leap is now, not tomorrow because, tomorrow may be too late. Start now and in a shortwhile, start making money in the world of unlimited opportunities.