My parents started raising pigs at the onset of the pandemic. My father is a farmer. He's into planting and cultivating lands. Now, he's in his early fifties and we opted for him to slow down and just have to raise pigs as his hobby. He can't completely stay at home as his body would complain of too much resting.
He became serious about his hobby. Time after time, we had renovations to our pig pen and then, later on, he decided to raise a sow. We have two now. Just two weeks ago, one gave birth to ten healthy cute piglets. They're supposed to be eleven but the one wasn't fully developed. I haven't witnessed any of our sows give birth as I'm always away. However, when I come home I make sure to visit the piglets and see them with my bare eyes.
The first week of the piglets is critical. They're sensitive thus they're prone to diseases. They also have to endure the pain while their tails are trimmed. They're given extra care during that time. My father would be often found in the pigpen rather than in our house. He would sleep in the cottage near the farm when the sow is close to its due date until the piglets can eat feeds just like their mom.
Sometimes, we sell piglets. Sometimes we grow them and sell them in bulk when they're big already. There was also a time wherein one of the pigs was roasted for the birthday of my niece. It's a lifesaver. We don't have to buy a roasted pig from the market anymore.
Raising pigs comes with challenges too such as the rising price of feeds. When it rains hard, the road on our way home isn't passable by large trucks, and for this reason, it would be hard for my mother to find a supply of feed to be consumed by the pigs. My father also has to be hands-on in raising the pigs as we don't allow outsiders to be on the premises of our pig pen. The rising case of African Swine Fever had us careful in consuming meat. We don't consume meat unless we know where it is coming from.
Nevertheless, we know that raising pigs is like you're betting. Sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose. We just have to do our best. We're also grateful for the blessings. We thank God for the blessing it to become our resource.
In the future, my father plans to raise chickens too.
Thanks for reading. Until then.