03/10/2025
*REPOST
Some years back, I started my pig farm with little or no real information about piggery. Honestly, it wasn’t about the money at first, I just loved the idea and wanted to give it a try. Friends, family, and curious neighbors were always visiting the farm. It felt good, like I was building something big and everyone wanted to be part of it.
But then, one good day, things turned upside down. Pigs that were looking so healthy suddenly started falling sick and dying. We quickly called a vet, and funny enough, it seemed like the more they got injected, the faster they died.
That was when I went to YouTube and, for the first time, I heard about African Swine Fever (ASF). Before we could even figure things out or sell them off, I had lost close to 30 big pigs. Imagine the pain, I had invested millions and had just finished building a brand-new farm. It was heartbreaking.
Till today, I strongly believe some butchers intentionally brought the sickness into my farm, but that’s a story for another day.
What I want to share here is the lesson I learned the hard way: biosecurity is the lifeline of pig farming. Without it, all your sweat and investment can disappear in weeks.
So, what did I learn?
Keep your farm neat, always.
A clean farm is a healthy farm. Regular sweeping, washing down the pens, and proper waste disposal keep germs away.
Disinfect like your money depends on it (because it does).
Using simple things like Hypo (bleach) mixed with water to spray walkways and disinfect boots before entering pens can save your farm. Some farmers even use condemn oil around their fence to keep ants and crawling pests away.
Cut down “visitation.”
I learned the hard way that a farm is not a tourist center. Limit who comes in. Many times, diseases are carried from one farm to another through visitors’ shoes, clothes, or even their hands.
Feed pigs the right way.
Forget that old myth that pigs eat anything. Yes, they can chew almost anything, but to grow fast and stay healthy, pigs need protein-rich feed, carbs, vitamins, fiber, and clean water, not waste and swill.
Quarantine is key.
New pigs should always be kept aside for at least 2–3 weeks before mixing them with your main herd. That simple step alone can save you from losing millions.
Have barriers and routine.
Things like footbaths at the entrance, separate tools for cleaning different pens, and visiting piglets first before older pigs go a long way in keeping diseases away.
If you’re in pig farming, don’t play with biosecurity. It’s not about being too strict, it’s about safeguarding your investment.
Because once a disease like ASF enters your farm, it doesn’t knock gently, it barges in and leaves devastation behind.
(C) Adonia Farms Enugu
