PRODUCTION SYSTEM AND MANAGEMENT PRACTICES OF INDIGENOUS PIGS IN SOME SELECTED COMMUNITIES OF SOUTHERN KADUNA
The study was conducted to determine indigenous pig production characteristics and management practices in the Southern Kaduna State of Nigeria. One hundred (100) structured questionnaire were administered across the study area to obtain data on reproductive performance, the system of production, the housing system, sources of feed at the varying seasons, prevalent diseases, and major challenges/constraints in pig farming. Data collected were analyzed using simple statistics (percentages) of the SPSS software version 23. The results obtained indicated that the majority (46 %) of the respondents acquired their parents’ stock from the market. There was very low awareness of the use of commercial feeds as a result, household waste and brewers’ residue were the major sources of animal feed in the dry season while brewers’ residue and cut grasses were the major sources of feed in the wet season. Diarrhea and ecto-parasite infestation in the dry season, as well as pneumonia and endo-parasite in the wet season, were the major disease challenges. Semi-intensive (63 %) was the most practiced system of management. The pig producers were confronted with the major challenge of keeping records and monitoring feed quality. 62 % of the pig farmers were faced with the problem of insufficient capital. However, 97 % of the respondents gain economically from pig production. From the findings of this research, it was concluded that, with the higher animal productivity at the farmer’s level, if necessary government intervention is given to the pig farmers it could enhance farmer’s income and improve their living standards thereby increasing the availability of animal protein and possibly foreign exchange earnings for the country.
Keywords: Indigenous pig, System, Management, Practices, Communities, Southern Kaduna
