Pig Production

Animal Production Technology · Level 6  ·  8 Chapters

Compiled by: Joyce Waweru

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What Pig Production covers

In this unit, you will be able to confidently plan, build, and maintain pig housing and equipment that meet industry standards, ensuring a safe and productive environment for your pigs. You will also master feeding and breeding management tailored to different pig breeds and growth stages, helping you raise healthy, high-quality pigs. By the end, you’ll have the practical skills and knowledge to manage pig production efficiently, responsibly, and with care for both animals and the environment.

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Careers after Pig Production

In Kenya’s thriving pig sector, the abilities you develop in this unit open doors to many practical and rewarding opportunities - from building modern piggery facilities to managing breeding programs that boost farm incomes. Whether you join an established farm, start your own enterprise, or offer specialised services, your skills will be in demand across the country’s agricultural landscape.

  • Smallholder pig farms in the highlands of Kiambu and Murang’a - you assemble and install the tools, equipment, and materials needed for a safe, low-cost piggery, earning a daily wage or a share of the farm’s profits.
  • Commercial piggery operations in Nakuru County - you select and design pig structures that meet the Livestock Production Manual standards, ensuring optimal space and bio-security, and receive a salaried position as a site supervisor.
  • Peri-urban piggery contractors serving Nairobi’s outskirts (e.g., Embakasi, Ruai) - you construct and maintain pig structures for multiple clients, charging fees per project and building a reputation as a reliable piggery builder.
  • Integrated livestock enterprises in Eldoret and Kitale - you install and service feeding equipment, maintain records of feed rations and animal performance, and are paid a monthly salary as a feed-management officer.
  • Feed-mill cooperatives in Machakos and Mombasa - you formulate and provide age-appropriate basal rations, helping farmers improve growth rates, and earn commissions based on feed sales or a technical staff wage.
  • Breeding service providers operating in Kisumu and Busia - you assemble breeding tools, keep accurate breeding records, and perform heat detection, flushing, and artificial insemination, earning per service or a fixed contract with local pig producers.
  • Pig breed selection advisors for farmer groups in Kitui and Garissa - you identify and recommend breeds with desirable traits (e.g., fast growth, disease resistance), receiving fees for consultancy and gaining trust as a breed-selection specialist.
  • Pregnancy care technicians in county referral farms of Nyeri and Kericho - you monitor and care for pregnant sows, ensuring healthy litters, and are compensated with a stipend or performance-based bonuses.
  • Steaming-up specialists for large finishing units in Mombasa’s industrial zone - you safely manage the steaming-up process to improve litter health, earning a specialist wage or per-batch payment.
  • Environmental compliance officers for agribusiness estates in Thika and Nakuru - you manage piggery waste according to Kenyan environmental regulations, turning waste into biogas or organic fertilizer, and receive a salary or profit-share from the by-product sales.
  • Entrepreneurial piggery owners in any Kenyan county - you combine all the above skills to run a fully compliant, profitable pig farm, earning income from pork sales, breeding stock, and value-added products like smoked pork or pork jerky.

Your mastery of these practical skills means you can shape safe, productive pig operations wherever you choose to work, and even turn your expertise into a thriving business of your own. Keep building, keep caring, and watch your future grow alongside Kenya’s pork industry.

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