SS & M BBQ and Piggery

Our Piggery

humble beginnings

Having a backyard piggery in the Philippines is pretty common but in this blog we'll tell you how we started and how to avoid a lot of our rookie mistakes

We started our little Piggery in early October 2016, with just 2 stalls and 5 piglets

Wilbur, Charlotte, Claire, Charlemagne and Daphne  4 Guilds 1 Male.
Currently we have 6 grown healthy Sows  and one young Boar

So with our pigs, a place for them to sleep and food for them to eat we felt ready to start our business but not thinking a head would get us into some trouble 

The Early Problems 

Pigs need large amounts of water especially in humid climates 

Within a week or two our caretaker started to complain about the difficulty of getting water to the pigs, we were getting water from a well in buckets and bringing them to the stalls. Pigs need a lot of water so this became very tiring we needed to solve this situation as soon as possible

To solve our water issue we picked up a really nice water pump, it pumps water from the well into large storage containers which then allows us to run water directly to the pens using pig water drinker nipples. 

If you're even considering starting a piggery a water pump is a requirement unless you're going to use expensive city water

Septic Tank

Septic tanks and Piggery's go together like birds to feathers if you plan on having more than one pig then you're going to need a septic tank there is just no getting around it.

We've constructed 2 tanks under large farrowing pens, this has made waste management easier and our neighbors happy because there is no more smell

We hit a underground spring during  construction of the septic tank and had to pump the water out of the hole before we could continue 

First Tank Completed and ready for use

Pig Feeds 

There are a few ways to feed your fast growing pigs, you can go 100% commercial feeds which is very expensive but give fast healthy results provided you use a trusted brand

The 80/20 Method 

80% Commercial Feeds and 20% supplemental this is our preferred method of feeding our pigs for example mixing your store bought feeds with things like Rice Husks can greatly prolong the time between needing to buy more feeds

Rice Husks 

Kangkong

You can buy them or find them growing wild Kangkong or Water spinach is a great addition to you pigs diet as well as great for humans too

Cassava 

We've also used Cassava Root in addition to our feeds The pigs love it and so do we when making Cassava Cake :) just make sure you boil it first before giving it to the your pigs 

also note that some people suggest not giving it to pregnant sows however there is no evidence that it effects them in a negative way

Corn, Corn Cob and Corn Husks

Dry corn is very cheap to add to your pigs overall diet 

in the Philippines and you'll thank us later :)

Camote Tops

Not only are they good for your pigs to eat they're also great for getting rid of diarrhea 

Earning Money

How will you earn money from your Piggery?

There are a few clear options 

• Fattening: Raising piglets for 3-4 months getting them as plump as possible and selling them at market per-kilo or individually to local customers 
• Selling Piglets: Every litter you sell your piglets after 4 weeks of nursing typically for P2,500-2,800 each depending on size and quality of the piglets
• Selling the Meat: Same as Fattening but you do the butchering and selling of the meat yourself, Typically credit is given to well known customers and they pay at a later agreed upon time 
• Lechon Service: A customer buys a fat pig from you and you lechon the pig for them, this is a premium service you can charge more however people usually only order such an expensive treat for special occasions so it will be rarely needed

Budget budget budget

You should keep a detailed monthly invoice for all the money coming in and going out its really important because you'll need to know if you're actually making a profit, breaking even or in the black. 

• Feed Costs
• Vet Costs
• Electric Costs
• Piglet Sales
• Caretaker Fees
• Boar or AI breeding costs 

Breeding Pigs

If you decide to breed your Sows you have 3 options

1.Boar Stud Service - You'll have your local boar owner bring the male pig to your piggery

and breed with your sow, 

2. Artificial Insemination - You'll pay to have a local breeder or vet insert live boar sperm into your sow 

3. Raise a Boar Just for Breeding

Tools all Piggeries should have

Farrowing Cages

Farrowing Cages are important when your sows are giving birth they limit the mobility of the sow and reduce the chances of the Mother stepping, kicking, or laying on the piglets and killing them

Welder

A welder can be invaluable for repairing farrowing cages, and pig pen gates, pigs are very powerful animals and can cause a lot of wear and tear on their environment, you'll want to be able to make repairs quick and fast. 

Watering Nipples

We strongly recommend setting up a water system using pig watering nipples, these allow the pigs to get water whenever they need it, cuts down on waste and open water sources that can lead to disease 

Our own transportation 

Recently we were able to purchase a motor bike and sidecar , we bought them separately witch comes with its own pros and cons.

The Bike

The Motorcycle is a Rusi 175 we purchased this bike from a family member in like new condition for P17,000 good deal considering brand new these retail for P40,000 

Feeding Program

 Sunshine and myself had been wanting to do a local feeding program for over a year, we were inspired by Ned over at MyPhilippineDreams who did something very similar a few years back.

With just P1,900 invested in the program we were able to feed over 30 of the neediest people in Sunshine's community

 Deciding what food you're going to serve

We'd discussed Pancit, Spaghetti, Rice Porridge and a few other choices. Pancit and Rice Porridge were the least expensive  food choices to buy and cook in bulk but we decided for our first try we'd serve the always popular Spaghetti. Many of the children we fed have never tasted good quality Filipino Style Spaghetti so this would be a real treat for them.

Shopping!!!

 6 Filipino Style Spaghetti kits P129 each

1 Large pack of Big Shot Hot dogs
1 Large can of Corned Beef
2 packs of Eden Cheese
3 packs of Styrofoam Contains
and a few  unlisted expenses 

Cooking the Food

Cooking in bulk brings its own challenges but Sunshine and her mom worked hard to make sure everything turned out perfect.

Packing and Distribution

We made sure that all 30 containers were filled with large portions as some of them would be taken home to feed more than one person

Distribution 

Just a few people getting their food, some people got more containers based on the size of the family

She has a bag full of yummy spaghetti that will surely put many smiles on peoples faces :) Thanks for your help.

Helping people who really need help makes you feel good inside knowing that someone won't be going to bed hungry was worth all the challenges, we plan to do more in the future switching up the menu every once in awhile. Sunshine and I hope this inspires you to help as many people as you can every little bit helps 

Thanks for Reading