As a teenage mango trader, Sibusiso \u201cSbu\u201d Zwane learnt lessons in agriculture young and put them to good use later as he rose through the ranks in the pig sector. Now a commercial pig farmer who runs his own business, Sbu shares his experiences with African Farming\u2019s Peter Mashala.<\/em><\/p>\n

By the time he turned 14, Sibusiso \u201cSbu\u201d Zwane was already running a small business, selling mangoes from his grandfather\u2019s fruit farm in Shiluvana village outside Tzaneen.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was born and raised on the farm, which produced mangoes, citrus and cattle. My uncle runs it now but I still visit there from time to time,\u201d says Sbu, adding that he is grateful for the upbringing that shaped his successful career.<\/p>\n

As a youngster, livestock was not his interest. \u201cI was more interested in fruit, probably because that\u2019s where I made my pocket money.\u201d<\/p>\n

From October to November, he supplied small local processors with green mangoes. \u201cI\u2019d find customers who came in their bakkies to collect green mangoes \u2013 that would be for my income. My grandfather\u2019s big client was Nkowankowa-based Monate Atchar, the largest buyer of green mangoes in our area,\u201d Sbu recalls.<\/p>\n

SOLID FOUNDATION<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sbu\u2019s interest in livestock was stimulated as a student at Khataza High School, where agriculture as a subject was part of the curriculum. \u201cMy interest and my active participation in class grew as I began to learn about stuff I was already familiar with,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

After matric, he enrolled to study animal production at Technikon Pretoria, now the Tshwane University of Technology. Here he excelled with distinctions in all his subjects at the end of his first year, an achievement that brought him to the attention of one of his lecturers \u2013 the late Professor Pieter Rossouw.<\/p>\n

\u201cI became close with Prof Rossouw, who started taking me to farms on weekends. We visited farms where he consulted and I\u2019d help him with the work,\u201d Sbu recalls.<\/p>\n

Prof Rossouw\u2019s primary focus was pigs and piggeries, and this helped to develop Sbu\u2019s love of pigs, which became his major subject. He learnt about artificial insemination (AI) during on-farm training and then did an advanced course in AI.<\/p>\n

In his third year Sbu needed in-service training and Prof Rossouw introduced him to legendary Bonsmara breeder David Baber of Nu-Alcade Bonsmaras, who had a 120-sow unit on his farm, Summer Place. David was looking for a piggery manager and gave Sbu the job.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo I did my internship as a manager at Summer Place and stayed on for another two years,\u201d he chuckles. But it was not all plain sailing. The transition from being a student doing part-time weekend work to managing a farm full time was a challenge.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had to manage people and change the management style completely. It was tough for the older guys, who had been there for years, to take orders from this young lad,\u201d explains Sbu. But with David\u2019s support the team adjusted quickly.<\/p>\n

The second major change was to move from natural mating to an AI system. \u201cWe didn\u2019t even have fridges for semen storage; I used cooler boxes and ice. I\u2019d take the cooler boxes to my room and wake up in the middle of the night to check that the temperatures inside the boxes were still okay.<\/p>\n

This went on for a few months until we upgraded the system,\u201d he laughs. The significant improvement in conception rates using AI made David a happy man.<\/p>\n

It is more profitable for Sbu to sell porkers rather than baconers to his clients,<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/li>\n
\n
$\"\"$
Pigs must have fresh, clean water freely available. An animal needs between 5 litres and 10 litres a day, and lactating sows need even more when they\u2019re feeding piglets. This drinking device is activated by pressure from the pig, allowing free-choice access to water<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/figure>\n
**CAREER MOVES<\/strong><\/p>\n**
Now recognised as a competent young black pig farmer, Sbu\u2019s name started popping up in discussions between some of the country\u2019s major pig farmers. One such farmer, impressed by his performance, was John Wright of Ibis Piggeries in Polokwane.<\/p>\n
In 2003 he approached Sbu, offering him a supervisor position in his boar house. \u201cAt the time, Ibis Piggeries was running a 2 500-sow unit and this offer was a great opportunity for a youngster like me,\u201d recalls Sbu.<\/p>\n
After talking it over with David and getting his blessing, Sbu joined Ibis Piggeries. A few months later he was promoted to assistant manager. \u201cWhen I was at Ibis, in terms of conception rates, we were the best performing piggery in the country at 98%.<\/p>\n
No one else came close,\u201d says Sbu. He had been with Ibis for four years when Charles Street Veterinary Services (CSVet) in Pretoria offered him a job as an animal technician. \u201cJohn wasn\u2019t chuffed with the news at first but after a long talk between him and CSVet, he gave his approval,\u201d says Sbu.<\/p>\n
At CSVet he worked on various farms across the country, doing pregnancy diagnosis, blood and feed sampling, and medication supply. \u201cWe did back-fat management with several piggeries and helped them with AI. We also collected data and analysed farm performance,\u201d Sbu explains.<\/p>\n
At Ibis, back-fat measurement was used as a tool to help improve conception rates, he says. \u201cIt\u2019s a balancing act; you have to manage the feed to make sure sows don\u2019t gain too much fat or lose too much weight.<\/p>\n
The fat layer should not exceed 15mm. The more fat in the pig, the less productive the sow is and the fewer piglets she will have.\u201d This, along with good insemination timing, helps improve production, he says.<\/p>\n
Sbu left CSVet in 2007 to join a leading piggery nearby. \u201cThe travelling was getting to me and I wanted to settle down,\u201d he says. He started as the weaner and grower house manager of a 1 500-sow unit at his new place of work.<\/p>\n
**WIthin five years he was promoted to assistant production manager and then to acting production manager, until he left the company under unhappy circumstances.<\/p>\n**
**\u201cThe job of production manager came up and when it was advertised, I applied and went through the screening process and the interviews in the normal way.<\/p>\n**
I came out as the second choice, an outcome I had no problem accepting. I had no resentment, as I knew that in an interview anything can happen. But then the guy who got the job changed his mind and didn\u2019t join the company after all.<\/p>\n
Despite this I was not offered the job, even though I had been the runner-up,\u201d explains Sbu. During this period, the company was named best-performing piggery two years in a row, with 28 weaners per sow per year and
the highest number of piglets born alive.<\/p>\n
**When Sbu decided to confront the owner, they had a fallout that almost ruined his career. \u201cI heard afterwards from a reliable source that the owner wanted a white manager,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n**
**Angry at how Sbu had been treated, the owner\u2019s son resigned, and in 2014 Sbu also resigned. For months he unsuccessfully looked for a job, but kept coming up against brick walls.<\/p>\n**
**\u201cIt\u2019s a small world,\u201d he says. \u201cAfter the confrontation, no one wanted to work with me, because the word was out that I was difficult and that I had a bad attitude.\u201d<\/p>\n**
$\"\"$
Sbu rotates his three PIC boars to work for one week and rest for two, which gives them time to recover. The sows are artificially inseminated with semen tapped from the boars in a facility on the farm. Doing it this way means a big saving in boar costs because for natural servicing you need 20 to 25 boars for 150 sows. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
**GOING SOLO<\/strong><\/p>\n**
After months of unsuccessful job hunting, Sbu decided to go on his own and opened his company, SQL Animal Diagnosis. The company started small, helping emerging farmers. Then he was contracted by the Gauteng Department of Agriculture to train and mentor emerging farmers in Gauteng.<\/p>\n
**He also supplied medication to small privately owned piggeries and government-owned projects such as those run by the correctional services, for extra income.<\/p>\n**
**His big break came when his application for the farm where he is currently based was approved in 2019. \u201cI knew this farm because I consulted here when I was with CSVet,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n**
\u201cI arrived in March 2019 and found the farm in awfully bad shape. Because the owner was selling, he had neglected the maintenance.\u201d The farm was set up for a 250-sow unit, but there were only 150 old sows when Sbu took over.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe keys were handed to me and the next day I woke up with 150 pigs and nothing else. I had to cash in all my savings just to keep the pigs alive,\u201d he recalls. Had it not been for those savings, or had the farm been given to someone with no experience, the operation wouldn\u2019t have lasted another two months.<\/p>\n
**\u201cThis is how our government sets up smallholder farmers for failure. This is the type of thing that happens, and then all black farmers are labelled incompetent,\u201d says Sbu.<\/p>\n**
He had to buy replacement sows, fix and replace broken equipment and infrastructure, and upgrade the farm\u2019s security. \u201cWe are right next to an informal settlement outside Atteridgeville and security is an issue,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n
**The first step was to replace older, less productive sows.<\/p>\n**
According to Sbu, pigs have about 10 productive years and produce an average of eight to 12 piglets per litter. Commercial producers generally cull sows when they start dropping to fewer than eight piglets per year.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have two cycles per year per sow and I inseminate between six and eight sows every week. Our pigs farrow year-round,\u201d he says. He uses three PIC line boars on the farm: PIC 337, PIC 380 and PIC 410. \u201cOne boar is good for a week because I can mix about 30 doses of semen per boar,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n
This gives the boars at least two weeks of rest. Sbu uses only AI because it is cheaper and more effective. \u201cIf I were using boars for natural service, I\u2019d need 20 to 25 boars for 150 sows. The whole process would take longer and I cannot afford that. A boar can serve one sow a day and work for a maximum of two days,\u201d explains Sbu.<\/p>\n
**\u201cEven so, by the second day, the sperm quality would drop.\u201d<\/p>\n**
**According to Sbu, the 30 doses he mixes from one boar can fertilise eight sows a week. A sow needs about two doses to be fertilised properly.<\/p>\n**
\u201cI get about 350ml of semen per draw from one boar and after processing this, I will mix about 1 litre, which can make up to 30 doses. I mix the semen with a prepared diluent solution and it stays viable for at least 10 days, stored in a refrigerator at 17\u00b0C,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n
**Sperm count and quality are checked microscopically. In a drop of semen from a healthy productive boar, there should be lots of active, well-shaped sperm cells.<\/p>\n**
\u201cWhen the sperm cell count is low, or the cells are deformed or they are not very active and don\u2019t swim properly, I know something is not right with the boar,\u201d says Sbu. \u201cIf it\u2019s not an old boar, I\u2019d probably medicate the animal and leave it for two to three weeks. Semen can deteriorate when a boar is sick or stressed. But if I tap it again and get the same results, I\u2019d look at replacing the boar.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
$\"\"$
In his lab, Sbu checks semen under a microscope to see if it is are viable and able to fertilise oocytes (eggs) successfully. Semen must show good morphology (a lack of deformity such as double heads or tails) and the ability to swim strongly.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/li>\n
\n
$\"\"$
During his time as a student, Sbu learnt how to do AI in pigs \u2013 a delicate and often tricky operation. His experience in pig reproduction and handling semen is coming in very handy now that he has his own business running 150 sows<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/figure>\n
**FEED STRATEGY<\/strong><\/p>\n**
Sbu says there is no special diet for the boars. They are fed dry sow and boar feed made from maize, soya oil cake, bran and pre-mixes containing essential amino acids. Amino acids are vital for maintenance, growth, reproduction and lactation in pigs. The sows are not on any special diet either.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany farmers feed ad lib when they are breeding, but in my experience \u2013 and according to research \u2013 it makes no difference. I don\u2019t flush feed because it doesn\u2019t really work,\u201d Sbu says. There are farmers who feed 1kg of ration twice a day, but he feeds his animals only once a day. \u201cI feed 2kg every morning and that\u2019s it, except for lactating sows with suckling piglets \u2013 they are fed three times a day.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sows switch from lactating feed to dry sow feed just before breeding. \u201cAt this time, they are stressed because they have been taken away from their piglets and are in a new environment. Stress stimulates heat,\u201d explains Sbu. \u201cWhat matters most is the timing of the insemination.\u201d<\/p>\n
The best time to inseminate, according him, is when the sow is at her cycle peak with the greatest number of ovulated eggs. \u201cThe more eggs ovulated, the greater the chances of getting more piglets. But if we artificially inseminate too early or too late, we could miss that opportunity,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
The ovulation peak period can last between 18 and 24 hours, depending on the sow. \u201cI heat-detect early in the mornings by walking through the pens alone, without a boar. If the sow stands next to me immediately, I know she\u2019s ready,\u201d explains Sbu.<\/p>\n
Responsive sows are marked, and round number two is done with the boar. \u201cIf the sow stands next to the boar, I know she is on heat, but not at her peak. I mark those animals and leave them for later in the afternoon,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
Sows that stand without the boar are inseminated immediately. \u201cI check for heats every day after the morning feed.\u201d After insemination, a record is made indicating the day and time of the service and the predicted farrowing date. Pigs cycle every 21 days.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I also record the predicted dates of the first (21 days from AI) and second (42 days from AI) cycles. On Day 21 after insemination, I will walk the boar in the pen; if the sow shows signs of heat, then I know she is not pregnant.<\/p>\n
**If there are no signs of heat then she is pregnant,\u201d explains Sbu. He repeats this procedure on Day 42. By this stage pregnancy can usually be confirmed by eyeballing the animal.<\/p>\n**
\u201cYou\u2019ll start seeing swollen teats and in some pigs you can feel the piglets. A week before they farrow, I move them to the farrowing house and switch them from dry sow feed to lactating feed,\u201d says Sbu.<\/p>\n
Piglets get a Dexiron 200 or Uniferon 200 iron injection on Day 7. \u201cI dock tails and tattoo them with the identification mark on Day 10,\u201d says Sbu. Piglets have easy access to creep feed to prepare them for weaning. \u201cI wean the piglets between 28 and 34 days and vaccinate with M+Pac to help prevent mycoplasma hyperpneumonia [pneumonia].\u201d<\/p>\n
**MARKETING AND THE FUTURE<\/strong><\/p>\n**
Sbu markets a minimum of 60 porkers a month to various clients. \u201cI prefer to sell porkers rather than baconers, as I get paid more per kilogram because the meat is leaner and more tender,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy porkers are always graded P, which is the highest quality. If you get graded O or R, it means the carcass has more fat content. So once you start growing them heavier, you will be graded lower.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sbu\u2019s background and inherent capacity have stood him in good stead this far, helping him go from strength to strength while rising to face difficult challenges. Now that he is in the prime of his life, Sbu has the ability, the experience and the resilience he requires to make his mark on South Africa\u2019s pork sector.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n
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It is more profitable for Sbu to sell porkers rather than baconers to his clients,<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/li>\n
\n
$\"\"$
Pigs must have fresh, clean water freely available. An animal needs between 5 litres and 10 litres a day, and lactating sows need even more when they\u2019re feeding piglets. This drinking device is activated by pressure from the pig, allowing free-choice access to water<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/figure>\n
**CAREER MOVES<\/strong><\/p>\n**
Now recognised as a competent young black pig farmer, Sbu\u2019s name started popping up in discussions between some of the country\u2019s major pig farmers. One such farmer, impressed by his performance, was John Wright of Ibis Piggeries in Polokwane.<\/p>\n
In 2003 he approached Sbu, offering him a supervisor position in his boar house. \u201cAt the time, Ibis Piggeries was running a 2 500-sow unit and this offer was a great opportunity for a youngster like me,\u201d recalls Sbu.<\/p>\n
After talking it over with David and getting his blessing, Sbu joined Ibis Piggeries. A few months later he was promoted to assistant manager. \u201cWhen I was at Ibis, in terms of conception rates, we were the best performing piggery in the country at 98%.<\/p>\n
No one else came close,\u201d says Sbu. He had been with Ibis for four years when Charles Street Veterinary Services (CSVet) in Pretoria offered him a job as an animal technician. \u201cJohn wasn\u2019t chuffed with the news at first but after a long talk between him and CSVet, he gave his approval,\u201d says Sbu.<\/p>\n
At CSVet he worked on various farms across the country, doing pregnancy diagnosis, blood and feed sampling, and medication supply. \u201cWe did back-fat management with several piggeries and helped them with AI. We also collected data and analysed farm performance,\u201d Sbu explains.<\/p>\n
At Ibis, back-fat measurement was used as a tool to help improve conception rates, he says. \u201cIt\u2019s a balancing act; you have to manage the feed to make sure sows don\u2019t gain too much fat or lose too much weight.<\/p>\n
The fat layer should not exceed 15mm. The more fat in the pig, the less productive the sow is and the fewer piglets she will have.\u201d This, along with good insemination timing, helps improve production, he says.<\/p>\n
Sbu left CSVet in 2007 to join a leading piggery nearby. \u201cThe travelling was getting to me and I wanted to settle down,\u201d he says. He started as the weaner and grower house manager of a 1 500-sow unit at his new place of work.<\/p>\n
**WIthin five years he was promoted to assistant production manager and then to acting production manager, until he left the company under unhappy circumstances.<\/p>\n**
**\u201cThe job of production manager came up and when it was advertised, I applied and went through the screening process and the interviews in the normal way.<\/p>\n**
I came out as the second choice, an outcome I had no problem accepting. I had no resentment, as I knew that in an interview anything can happen. But then the guy who got the job changed his mind and didn\u2019t join the company after all.<\/p>\n
Despite this I was not offered the job, even though I had been the runner-up,\u201d explains Sbu. During this period, the company was named best-performing piggery two years in a row, with 28 weaners per sow per year and
the highest number of piglets born alive.<\/p>\n
**When Sbu decided to confront the owner, they had a fallout that almost ruined his career. \u201cI heard afterwards from a reliable source that the owner wanted a white manager,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n**
**Angry at how Sbu had been treated, the owner\u2019s son resigned, and in 2014 Sbu also resigned. For months he unsuccessfully looked for a job, but kept coming up against brick walls.<\/p>\n**
**\u201cIt\u2019s a small world,\u201d he says. \u201cAfter the confrontation, no one wanted to work with me, because the word was out that I was difficult and that I had a bad attitude.\u201d<\/p>\n**
$\"\"$
Sbu rotates his three PIC boars to work for one week and rest for two, which gives them time to recover. The sows are artificially inseminated with semen tapped from the boars in a facility on the farm. Doing it this way means a big saving in boar costs because for natural servicing you need 20 to 25 boars for 150 sows. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
**GOING SOLO<\/strong><\/p>\n**
After months of unsuccessful job hunting, Sbu decided to go on his own and opened his company, SQL Animal Diagnosis. The company started small, helping emerging farmers. Then he was contracted by the Gauteng Department of Agriculture to train and mentor emerging farmers in Gauteng.<\/p>\n
**He also supplied medication to small privately owned piggeries and government-owned projects such as those run by the correctional services, for extra income.<\/p>\n**
**His big break came when his application for the farm where he is currently based was approved in 2019. \u201cI knew this farm because I consulted here when I was with CSVet,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n**
\u201cI arrived in March 2019 and found the farm in awfully bad shape. Because the owner was selling, he had neglected the maintenance.\u201d The farm was set up for a 250-sow unit, but there were only 150 old sows when Sbu took over.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe keys were handed to me and the next day I woke up with 150 pigs and nothing else. I had to cash in all my savings just to keep the pigs alive,\u201d he recalls. Had it not been for those savings, or had the farm been given to someone with no experience, the operation wouldn\u2019t have lasted another two months.<\/p>\n
**\u201cThis is how our government sets up smallholder farmers for failure. This is the type of thing that happens, and then all black farmers are labelled incompetent,\u201d says Sbu.<\/p>\n**
He had to buy replacement sows, fix and replace broken equipment and infrastructure, and upgrade the farm\u2019s security. \u201cWe are right next to an informal settlement outside Atteridgeville and security is an issue,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n
**The first step was to replace older, less productive sows.<\/p>\n**
According to Sbu, pigs have about 10 productive years and produce an average of eight to 12 piglets per litter. Commercial producers generally cull sows when they start dropping to fewer than eight piglets per year.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have two cycles per year per sow and I inseminate between six and eight sows every week. Our pigs farrow year-round,\u201d he says. He uses three PIC line boars on the farm: PIC 337, PIC 380 and PIC 410. \u201cOne boar is good for a week because I can mix about 30 doses of semen per boar,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n
This gives the boars at least two weeks of rest. Sbu uses only AI because it is cheaper and more effective. \u201cIf I were using boars for natural service, I\u2019d need 20 to 25 boars for 150 sows. The whole process would take longer and I cannot afford that. A boar can serve one sow a day and work for a maximum of two days,\u201d explains Sbu.<\/p>\n
**\u201cEven so, by the second day, the sperm quality would drop.\u201d<\/p>\n**
**According to Sbu, the 30 doses he mixes from one boar can fertilise eight sows a week. A sow needs about two doses to be fertilised properly.<\/p>\n**
\u201cI get about 350ml of semen per draw from one boar and after processing this, I will mix about 1 litre, which can make up to 30 doses. I mix the semen with a prepared diluent solution and it stays viable for at least 10 days, stored in a refrigerator at 17\u00b0C,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n
**Sperm count and quality are checked microscopically. In a drop of semen from a healthy productive boar, there should be lots of active, well-shaped sperm cells.<\/p>\n**
\u201cWhen the sperm cell count is low, or the cells are deformed or they are not very active and don\u2019t swim properly, I know something is not right with the boar,\u201d says Sbu. \u201cIf it\u2019s not an old boar, I\u2019d probably medicate the animal and leave it for two to three weeks. Semen can deteriorate when a boar is sick or stressed. But if I tap it again and get the same results, I\u2019d look at replacing the boar.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
$\"\"$
In his lab, Sbu checks semen under a microscope to see if it is are viable and able to fertilise oocytes (eggs) successfully. Semen must show good morphology (a lack of deformity such as double heads or tails) and the ability to swim strongly.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/li>\n
\n
$\"\"$
During his time as a student, Sbu learnt how to do AI in pigs \u2013 a delicate and often tricky operation. His experience in pig reproduction and handling semen is coming in very handy now that he has his own business running 150 sows<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/figure>\n
**FEED STRATEGY<\/strong><\/p>\n**
Sbu says there is no special diet for the boars. They are fed dry sow and boar feed made from maize, soya oil cake, bran and pre-mixes containing essential amino acids. Amino acids are vital for maintenance, growth, reproduction and lactation in pigs. The sows are not on any special diet either.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany farmers feed ad lib when they are breeding, but in my experience \u2013 and according to research \u2013 it makes no difference. I don\u2019t flush feed because it doesn\u2019t really work,\u201d Sbu says. There are farmers who feed 1kg of ration twice a day, but he feeds his animals only once a day. \u201cI feed 2kg every morning and that\u2019s it, except for lactating sows with suckling piglets \u2013 they are fed three times a day.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sows switch from lactating feed to dry sow feed just before breeding. \u201cAt this time, they are stressed because they have been taken away from their piglets and are in a new environment. Stress stimulates heat,\u201d explains Sbu. \u201cWhat matters most is the timing of the insemination.\u201d<\/p>\n
The best time to inseminate, according him, is when the sow is at her cycle peak with the greatest number of ovulated eggs. \u201cThe more eggs ovulated, the greater the chances of getting more piglets. But if we artificially inseminate too early or too late, we could miss that opportunity,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
The ovulation peak period can last between 18 and 24 hours, depending on the sow. \u201cI heat-detect early in the mornings by walking through the pens alone, without a boar. If the sow stands next to me immediately, I know she\u2019s ready,\u201d explains Sbu.<\/p>\n
Responsive sows are marked, and round number two is done with the boar. \u201cIf the sow stands next to the boar, I know she is on heat, but not at her peak. I mark those animals and leave them for later in the afternoon,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
Sows that stand without the boar are inseminated immediately. \u201cI check for heats every day after the morning feed.\u201d After insemination, a record is made indicating the day and time of the service and the predicted farrowing date. Pigs cycle every 21 days.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I also record the predicted dates of the first (21 days from AI) and second (42 days from AI) cycles. On Day 21 after insemination, I will walk the boar in the pen; if the sow shows signs of heat, then I know she is not pregnant.<\/p>\n
**If there are no signs of heat then she is pregnant,\u201d explains Sbu. He repeats this procedure on Day 42. By this stage pregnancy can usually be confirmed by eyeballing the animal.<\/p>\n**
\u201cYou\u2019ll start seeing swollen teats and in some pigs you can feel the piglets. A week before they farrow, I move them to the farrowing house and switch them from dry sow feed to lactating feed,\u201d says Sbu.<\/p>\n
Piglets get a Dexiron 200 or Uniferon 200 iron injection on Day 7. \u201cI dock tails and tattoo them with the identification mark on Day 10,\u201d says Sbu. Piglets have easy access to creep feed to prepare them for weaning. \u201cI wean the piglets between 28 and 34 days and vaccinate with M+Pac to help prevent mycoplasma hyperpneumonia [pneumonia].\u201d<\/p>\n
**MARKETING AND THE FUTURE<\/strong><\/p>\n**
Sbu markets a minimum of 60 porkers a month to various clients. \u201cI prefer to sell porkers rather than baconers, as I get paid more per kilogram because the meat is leaner and more tender,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy porkers are always graded P, which is the highest quality. If you get graded O or R, it means the carcass has more fat content. So once you start growing them heavier, you will be graded lower.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sbu\u2019s background and inherent capacity have stood him in good stead this far, helping him go from strength to strength while rising to face difficult challenges. Now that he is in the prime of his life, Sbu has the ability, the experience and the resilience he requires to make his mark on South Africa\u2019s pork sector.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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As a teenage mango trader, Sibusiso \u201cSbu\u201d Zwane learnt lessons in agriculture young and put them to good use later as he rose through the ranks in the pig sector. Now a commercial pig farmer who runs his own business, Sbu shares his experiences with African Farming\u2019s Peter Mashala. By the time he turned 14, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3116,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3115","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-feed"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nileharvest.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3115","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nileharvest.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nileharvest.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nileharvest.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nileharvest.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3115"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nileharvest.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3115\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nileharvest.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3116"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nileharvest.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3115"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nileharvest.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3115"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nileharvest.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3115"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}