Swine Raising

Hog raising is a very popular enterprise in the Philippines such that there is a proliferation of backyard producers, which dominates the swine industry and a healthy viable commercial sector.

Despite the crises facing the swine industry, still many people are venturing in this enterprise. This manual hopes to bring appropriate technology to the interested farmers and would-be swine producers in order that they may realize profitable production and improve their quality of life.

Most gilts of the improved breeds reach the age of puberty at about six to eight months of age but they should not be bred until they are eight months of age or are weighing about 90 to 100 kg. Generally, boars should be four to six months old at the time of selection. Whatever systems of operation, hog houses must be constructed properly to ensure maximum performance of the pigs. A good hog house may not improve the health conditions of the animals but a poor one will certainly increase disease problem easily. The gilt should have well developed udder with a minimum of six pairs of properly spaced function teats. A sow with poor udder development is likely to have a poor milking capacity;

Choose those which do not have inverted teats such teats are inherited and do not secrete milk;

A long body is more desirably in sows because it provides more space for udder development;

The body should have a uniform width from front to rear;

Good development of the ham. Loin and shoulder is required of a breeding animal;

Must have a sound and well placed feet and legs. Animals with medium short feet and short upright pasterns are preferable;

Make it a point to select the biggest animals within a litter;

Female breeders should come from a litter of eight or more good-sized piglets with high survivability;

Do not keep the gilts that come from sows in which agalactia (failure to secrete milk) have been observed;

Select vigorous and hardy pigs from a healthy litter in a herd raised under good swine sanitation. Do not keep gilts or boars from litters that have physical abnormalities. 

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