How to feed pigs
Please advise on how to rear pigs and feed them at all levels. David Mudanya
Dear David
To establish a successful pig farming enterprise, ensure that you practice proper feeding, disease control and good sanitary habits.
Proper feeding at all stages of growth translates to healthy pigs and good weight gain at the time of marketing.
Leftover food and waste vegetables can be fed to the pigs after boiling them well (pig swill) but avoid using leftovers due to risk of contamination and nutritive deficiency.
It is advisable to feed them twice a day (morning and evening) on grain-based concentrate feeds and the amount of feed depends on the age and the reproductive state of the pig.
Introduce piglets to pellets with 20 per cent protein at around 14 days of age and continue until 12 weeks of age.
Shift to sow and weaner/pig starter feed with 17.5 per cent protein from 12 weeks until the pigs start feeding on pig finisher meal.
Replacement breeding stock (breeding sows and boars) remain on sow and weaner meal with 16 per cent protein or feed them on easily available potatoes, carrots and other fruits and vegetables as long as these are not waste from kitchen or any place that sells meat.
Gilts will need about 2.5 kilogrammes per day of sow and weaner meal until just before farrowing.
About three weeks before serving, the gilt should have her rations gradually increased to help maintain her in the best condition but after service and during gestation, the feed could be reduced to 2.4 kilogrammes per day.
After farrowing, the sow should be fed about 3 kilogrammes of the meal a day. If the sow is suckling more than six piglets, then she should be fed an extra 0.5kg per day per additional piglet and reduced to 1.5 to 2 kilogrammes after weaning.
Answered by Felix Akatch Opinya, Department of Animal Sciences, Egerton University.
My name is Ezekiel. I have a Friesian cow which was served a week ago. What sort of feeds should I feed her? I was thinking of dairy meal every morning and evening, is it recommended?
Dear Ezekiel
The nutrient requirements for early pregnant cows will vary, depending on whether the cow is a heifer and still growing or it is nursing a calf and its nutrition can have long-lasting effects on her calf.
Make sure you provide adequate and well-balanced diet with no vitamin or mineral deficiencies.
Offer the animal high quality forage to improve dry matter intake and increase energy sources of feeds gradually.
Proper levels of trace minerals are also crucial for her immune system and reproduction.
Feeding on dairy meal will help boost milk production if she is lactating, and in required amounts as per milk produced to take care of problems such as acidosis.
However, too much nutrition can be as detrimental as too little, for instance, being too fat means fertility problems or difficulty in calving because of too much fat in the pelvic area.
Answered by Felix Opinya a livestock agronomist
I am a young farmer who is deeply interested in planting passion fruits. Please advise me on how I can engage in the business. Stanley
Dear Stanley
If you want to have a farm on a flat ground, use posts spaced six metres apart. Connect the posts with wire so that you can support the plants along the wire using a sisal twine. This will allow the tertiary branches bearing fruits to hang on the wires.
This is necessary to expose the plants to sunlight for photosynthesis and pollination. Grafting is necessary to get a root stock resistant to soil borne pests and diseases.
Yellow passion fruit is the most-preferred root stock for its high resistance to soil-borne diseases. We help in training on passion fruit production. Short and long-term courses are available.
Answered by Peter Otieno. Otieno is a senior technologist in horticulture at Egerton University
I would wish to engage in poultry farming. Should I rear layers or broilers? Please advise on any other information, including capital and how one can keep the birds for commercial purposes. Esther Okech
Dear Esther
We appreciate your interest in poultry. When it comes to broilers or layers, you can rear either or both. All you need is good housing, knowledge of hygiene and source of feeds.
The day-old chicks are available from UgaChick and other certified agrovet dealers such as Biyinzika.
Most microfinance institutions will offer financial support. They will, however, need a business plan for you to qualify for support.
Answered by Prof Bockline Omedo an expert on livestock production
