Monitor farm clinic to teach pig feeding

KAMPALA. Managing the health of pigs and dealing with diseases that affect them will be one of the topics covered at Daily Monitor’s Seeds of Gold Farm Clinic scheduled for Saturday.
According to Mr Christopher Mulindwa, a swine expert and production manager of Pig Production and Marketing Uganda Limited, feeds account for between 60 to 70 per cent of the total cost of production.
Correct feeding is, therefore, a determinant for healthy pigs that directly influences a farmer’s profit and income.
“Giving right feed for the right age, weight, breeding stage and health is a challenge faced by many farmers,” Mr Mulindwa says.
Striving to have a clean environment by having proper housing for pigs also contributes to prevention of diseases such as African swine fever and parasites.
Mr Brian Kawuma, a communication specialist at International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), says farmers can fence off the farm to restrict pigs from getting into contact with humans and stray animals, use disinfectants and footbaths at all entry points to the farm to ensure effective health management.
Mr Kawuma also advises farmers to boil food scraps before feeding them to pigs, bury carcasses of infected animals, carry out regular deworming, wash pigs and eat pork from only their farms.

Treatment
When pigs are infected, farmers are advised to get help from district local government veterinary departments as well as licensed private veterinary doctors and extension service providers.