Our recent addition to the livestock section has been the introduction of a free-range pig production system to complement the dry-land production system. The Pigs are given constant access to pasture and help to cycle nutrients back to the fields for next years’ crop. We bought a pregnant Berkshire sow from Kafue Fisheries, a neighboring farm. The litter is half Berkshire half Landrace. Feeding is kept simple and the pigs are feed with organic maize on the cob and organic roasted soya beans with some mineral supplements. They are given a choice feeding ration like all the other stock on the farm so we can take advantage of the natural ability of the pig to find some of its own food from range.
Mama pig 'Rosella' sharing her food with her piglets.
Our donkey 'Rosie' looks after the pigs as they range in the dry land feilds and feed of residues under the canopy of our agro-forestry trees. These are also grazed by the pigs as a high protein addition to their diet.
Piglets feeding off the floor under our feeding cage. The cage stops the mother pig from eating the high protein feed. notivce the maize cob are fed whole. The pigs soon learn to bite each kernel off and chew it before eating it.
Rosella on range - any mealies, insects or greens in here?
