Pigs

With her tiny 10-sow piggery, Western Cape pig producer Augusta Thomas lacks economy of scale. But despite this, she is making a reasonable living. She spoke to Glenneis Kriel about...

With 9 600 sows, Chalala Farms near Malmesbury in the Swartland will soon produce more than 275 000 piglets per year. Jeff van Zyl, manager of the piggery, spoke to Glenneis...

With the welfare of farm animals under close scrutiny in Europe, farmers there are increasingly utilising technologies and systems that balance animals’ well-being with profitability. Lloyd Phillips recently toured a...

Novice pig farmers should start with highly marketable and popular breeds such as the Landrace or Large White, says Shane Brody.

Today’s domesticated pig has most of the qualities that the modern farmer looks for in livestock, including high profitability, explains Shane Brody.

The enclosed sleeping area for pigs should take up about a third of total pen size.

The size of your pig housing infrastructure will depend on the number of pigs you have. Ideally, it should be strong, simple and adaptable, and it need not be expensive,...

Alternative feed options can help to buffer the impact of rising costs, especially when prices increase due to adverse climatic conditions. Mauro Delle Donne of Zandam Farm explained to Glenneis...

There are several key factors to consider before deciding to farm pigs, whether intensively or free range, says Shane Brody.

This is the first question you have to ask yourself when considering raising pigs, says Shane Brody.

Dr Elsje Pieterse of the Department of Animal Sciences at Stellenbosch University offers some advice on good feeding practices.

Number Two Piggeries currently employs 1 000 people, and farms a total of 20 000 breeding sows.