When Covid hit Kenya in 2020, many people were left jobless as business operations were disrupted by containment measures that were put in place.
This was not different for Annastacia Gakuyu, who was running a bar business. Gakuyu ditched the business for pig farming, a decision she doesn’t regret today.
The farmer rears pigs on a quarter-acre piece of land in Kahawa West, Roysambu Constituency, Nairobi County. Her farm, which operates under the name Grace Farm, currently hosts 80 pigs.
She notes that she settled on pig farming after online research. She purchased two pigs, nearly ready to breed, for Sh60,000 and started the venture with a capital of about Sh100,000.
Through her research, Gakuyu discovered that many farmers have found success by breeding Landrace and Large White pig breeds to maximize their profits. She, too, has chosen these breeds because of their excellent reproductive and maternal qualities.
Tips to starting successful pig farming
“On average, it costs me around Sh10,000 to feed and care for a pig from birth to the age of six months when it’s ready for sale. I sell pigs for Sh21,000 each,” Gakuyu explains.
To ensure a consistent market supply, the farmer ensures she has pigs at various stages of growth. This includes piglets, weaned pigs, and those ready for market, weighing approximately 70 kilograms.
The farmer notes that cleanliness is crucial in pig farming to prevent disease outbreaks. She feeds the animals vegetables such as spinach and kale grown on her farm. She utilizes pig waste as organic fertilizer, ensuring a sustainable and eco-friendly farming practice.
According to Oxfarm, for profitable pig farming, farmers should feed the animals 18% crude protein. Pigs should feed 20-30 kgs of feed a day and should not be fed table scraps and garbage to prevent disease.
Farmers should be aware of disease symptoms like no interest in food, diarrhea, eye discharge, excessive coughing, hernia, dry skin and irregular spots on the skin, excessively long hair, and backbone showing, among others.
If the pig has diarrhea, farmers should call a veterinarian and treat it carefully to prevent dehydration, which can lead to weight loss or even death.
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