Pig Production

Animal Production Technology · Level 5  ·  8 Chapters

Compiled by: Bonface Omondi

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What Pig Production covers

In this unit, you will be able to confidently design, build, and maintain pig structures while selecting the best site and equipment to support healthy pig production. You will skillfully manage breeding processes and keep precise records, ensuring your work meets both industry standards and environmental regulations. By the end, you’ll be ready to contribute to a successful piggery operation that supports farmers and promotes sustainable livestock management.

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Careers after Pig Production

Starting a piggery or working in the livestock sector opens doors to many practical, hands-on roles across Kenya. The abilities you develop in this unit let you move from building sturdy pig houses to managing breeding cycles, keeping detailed records, and turning waste into valuable resources - all skills that farmers, agribusinesses, and rural entrepreneurs need every day.

  • Small-holder pig farms in the Central highlands (e.g., Kiambu, Murang’a) - you assemble and install the tools, feeders, and water systems needed for a new piggery, earning a fee for set-up or saving on purchase costs for your own herd.
  • Peri-urban piggery sites in Nairobi’s Kasarani and Embakasi - you assess land, choose a location that meets drainage and bio-security standards, and design the layout of pens according to the Livestock Production Manual, ensuring the operation runs efficiently and complies with local zoning.
  • Commercial pig farms in the Rift Valley (e.g., Nakuru, Eldoret) - you construct concrete or brick pig structures, following approved dimensions and ventilation guidelines, and get paid as a skilled contractor or as part of the farm’s construction crew.
  • Livestock extension service offices in county headquarters - you install and calibrate equipment such as automatic feeders, temperature monitors, and waste-treatment units for client farms, earning a stipend or consultancy fee for each successful installation.
  • Piggery maintenance teams in large mixed-crop farms - you carry out routine repairs, replace damaged panels, and keep the structures safe, receiving a regular wage or service charge for keeping the facilities operational year-round.
  • Farm record-keeping desks on medium-scale farms - you maintain accurate construction logs, maintenance schedules, and equipment inventories, which helps the farm qualify for credit and you are compensated as a farm clerk or data-manager.
  • Environmental compliance units on agribusiness estates - you manage manure, slurry, and other waste streams safely, applying bio-security and environmental regulations, and you can earn income by selling processed manure as organic fertilizer or by running a small biogas plant.
  • Breeding-management workshops run by farmer groups - you assemble and calibrate breeding tools such as artificial insemination kits, heat-detection devices, and farrowing crates, charging a fee for each set-up or for training sessions.
  • Pig breeding record offices on cooperative farms - you prepare and update breeding logs, pedigree charts, and performance data, enabling the farm to track productivity and you receive a salary as a breeding clerk.
  • Breed-selection advisory services in western Kenya (e.g., Kakamega, Busia) - you identify local and exotic pig breeds, advise farmers on the best genetic lines for market demand and climate, and earn commissions or consulting fees for each successful breed match.
  • Heat-detection and service teams on intensive pig units - you monitor sows for estrus, perform flushing or artificial insemination according to the manual, and are paid per service or as part of a specialist breeding crew.
  • Pregnancy-care units on large farms - you provide nutrition, health checks, and housing adjustments for pregnant sows, ensuring high farrowing rates, and you receive a wage as a senior animal caretaker.
  • Farrowing stations in peri-urban farms - you conduct steaming-up (pre-farrowing preparation) and manage the farrowing process, assisting with newborn care and record-keeping, and you are compensated per farrowing batch or as a farrowing supervisor.
  • Entrepreneurial piggery owners in coastal tourism resorts - you combine all the above skills to run a self-sufficient pig operation that supplies meat to hotel kitchens, sells manure to garden centers, and offers farm-tour experiences, generating multiple streams of income.

Mastering these skills means you can build a career as a trusted pig-farm specialist, start your own profitable piggery, or become the go-to consultant for farms across Kenya. Your expertise will keep animals healthy, farms productive, and the environment protected - paving the way for a sustainable and rewarding future.

Chapters

What Pig Production covers: 84 main topics in 8 chapters

1. Construct pig structures

  1. 1.1 Construction tools, equipment and materials
  2. 1.2 Site selection for pig structure
  3. 1.3 Construction of pig structure
  4. 1.4 Maintenance of pig structures
  5. 1.5 Construction and maintenance of pig structure records
  6. 1.6 Waste management

2. Carry out pig feeding

  1. 2.1 Feeding tools, equipment and materials
  2. 2.2 Pig feeds
  3. 2.3 Provision of basal rations
  4. 2.4 Feed supplements
  5. 2.5 Evaluation of feed intake
  6. 2.6 Evaluation of feed conversion efficiency
  7. 2.7 Pig feeding records
  8. 2.8 Waste management

3. Carry out pig breeding

  1. 3.1 Pig breeding management tools, equipment and materials
  2. 3.2 Pig breeds
  3. 3.3 Selection of pig breeds
  4. 3.4 Heat signs in does
  5. 3.5 Flushing
  6. 3.6 Breeding methods and technologies
  7. 3.7 Provision of care to pregnant does
  8. 3.8 Steaming up
  9. 3.9 Farrowing management
  10. 3.10 Breeding records

4. Carry out piglet rearing

  1. 4.1 Assembling of tools, equipment and materials
  2. 4.2 Nutritional management applied on suckling sow and piglets
  3. 4.3 Environmental conditions maintained in piglet pens
  4. 4.4 Health monitoring and management
  5. 4.5 Piglets handling
  6. 4.6 Preparation of artificial colostrum
  7. 4.7 Weighing of piglets
  8. 4.8 Vaccination
  9. 4.9 Iron supplementation
  10. 4.10 Teeth clipping
  11. 4.11 Docking
  12. 4.12 Weaning management conduction
  13. 4.13 Record maintenance
  14. 4.14 Waste management

5. Perform pig routine management practices

  1. 5.1 Pig identification methods
  2. 5.2 Grooming performance
  3. 5.3 Hygiene and sanitation
  4. 5.4 Culling
  5. 5.5 Control of internal and external parasites
  6. 5.6 Isolation and quarantine
  7. 5.7 Provision of clean water ad-libitum
  8. 5.8 Records preparation
  9. 5.9 Pig farm bio-security practices

6. Perform pig slaughter

  1. 6.1 Slaughter tools, equipment and materials
  2. 6.2 Preparation of slaughter house/slab
  3. 6.3 Pre-slaughter handling of pigs
  4. 6.4 Perform humane slaughter of pigs
  5. 6.5 Carcass dressing
  6. 6.6 Offal cleaning
  7. 6.7 Preservation of dressed meat
  8. 6.8 Transportation of dressed meat
  9. 6.9 Food safety and hygiene measures
  10. 6.10 Handling of by-products
  11. 6.11 Disposal of condemned materials and wastes
  12. 6.12 Cleaning of slaughter house and equipment
  13. 6.13 Maintaining slaughter structures
  14. 6.14 Record keeping

7. Process pig products and by-products

  1. 7.1 Data collection tools
  2. 7.2 Conducting market survey
  3. 7.3 Preparation of market survey report
  4. 7.4 Pig products
  5. 7.5 Permits and certificates
  6. 7.6 Tools, equipment and materials for slaughter
  7. 7.7 Production schedules development
  8. 7.8 PPEs identification
  9. 7.9 Identification of carcass for processing
  10. 7.10 Processing of pig products
  11. 7.11 Food safety and hygiene
  12. 7.12 Packaging and storage of pig products
  13. 7.13 Report on pig product and by-products marketing
  14. 7.14 Waste management

8. Market pig products

  1. 8.1 Market survey
  2. 8.2 Identification of marketing channels
  3. 8.3 Development and implementation of marketing strategy
  4. 8.4 Identification of products competitive advantage
  5. 8.5 Product price
  6. 8.6 Product outlets
  7. 8.7 Contractual agreements undertaking
  8. 8.8 Marketing strategy
  9. 8.9 Report on pig products

Revise this unit

3 more for this unit

Beyond the syllabus

Other units in Module II