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Hog RaisingHog Raising TipsPhilippine Hog Raising

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Hog Raising is a very popular enterprise in Region 8, even in the other parts of the Philippines, such that there is a proliferation of backyard producers which dominates the swine industry and a healthy viable commercial sector. Despite the crises facing the swine industry, still many people are venturing in this enterprise.

The total swine inventory for Eastern Visayas, Philippines as of January 2007 is 984,000. About 56% of the total figure is produced in Leyte, followed by Northern Samar at 13%. Southern Leyte at 12% ranks third in the provinces’ contribution to the swine population in Region 8.

Selection Criteria. When selecting breeder sows on the basis of physical appearance, consider the following:

• The gilt should have well-developed udder with a minimum of six pairs of properly spaced functional teats. A sow with poor udder development is likely to have poor milking capacity.

• Choose those which do not have inverted teats for such teats are inherited and do not secrete milk.

• A long body is more desirable in sows because it provides more space for udder development. The body should have uniform width from front to rear.

Good development on the ham, loin and shoulder is required of breeding animal. It must have sound and well-spaced feet and legs. Animals with medium short feet and short upright pasterns are preferable. Make it a point to select the biggest animals within a litter.

Female breeders should come from a litter of eight or more good-sized piglets with high survivability. Do not keep gilts that come from sows in which agalactia (failure to secrete milk) have been observed.

Select vigorous and hardy pigs from a healthy litter in a herd raised under good swine sanitation. Do not keep gilts or boars nor breed from litters that have physical abnormalities. These may be inherited.

Masculinity, both in appearance and action, should predominate in the make-up of any boar. The primary sex organs should be clearly visible and be well-developed. Select only those boars whose testicles are equal size.

Generally, boars should be four to six months old at the time of selection. However, the best is to select a boar which has been proven and tested for fertility. Select boars with traits that can overcome the defects of the herd. Minor defects in the boar may be ignored provided that they are not present among the sows.