Problems with pig production
 
Traditionally the pig has been associated with a domesticated farm animal that is capable of very high weight gains in potentially very short periods of time. The term used for  gaining weight is live weight gain (L W G) with the particular weight being the weight increase in one day. Even as far back as 100 years ago certain large white pigs in Great Britain were said to be capable of two pounds LW G in a single day. Although not disputing these figures, with modern intensive systems around the world having for a long time being able to match such growth rates, certain factors have to be in place for any substantial growth to take place. The main factor is a diet containing sufficient energy for the pig and very importantly sufficient amounts of protein. The protein also has to be containing sufficient quantities of specific building blocks of protein, referred to as amino acids. These specific amino acids and their importance we will be looking into bit later in this article.
Even with a suitable diet the pig has associated with it a particular internal parasite, the tapeworm, which can lead to a very fatal disease in humans called cysticercosis affecting the brain. The immature tape worm which can be found in the meat of the pig which if not destroyed when the pork is cooked, completes part of its life cycle in the human. The immature worm is found within human faeces and it is when the pig comes in contact with human faeces the life cycle is progressed. As there are very few, if any, sewage systems in rural areas  in many developing countries, with individuals possibly going to the toilet sometimes in areas where foraging pigs can have access ,real problems exist. Some possible ways of dealing with this will be looked at now:
 
-Proper cooking of the meat. Basically any tradition or habit of eating any parts of a carcass when raw needs to be completely avoided. If all the meat is cooked properly so there are no juices coming from the meat when cut then any tapeworm present in the meat will be killed by the heat of cooking. With the infectious worm destroyed then it is not possible for cysticercosis to develop in the brain leading to the death of individuals in the community.
-Further ensuring that foraging pigs have no contact with human faeces which would in its self prevent the pig from becoming infected.
Because the above problems are hard to overcome in some countries the practice of keeping pigs in confinement has been seen as the way forward in the rearing of pigs. For me there are two main problems with this approach of confinement. Firstly there is the cost of the building of the accommodation for keeping pigs in doors. In developing countries this cost is often too high and so prohibits this approach. Secondly I would say that there are animal welfare considerations to take on board. Even though certain animals are kept for their meat or milk or skins, as Christians, or caring human beings, we have a responsibility to care for these animals. God has indeed given the pig a large strong snout capable of rooting around. In fact when given the choice the pig has been found to root around for up to 14 hours a day. Considering also the intelligence of the pig which enables it to understand things going on around it and things being done to it a lot more than even cattle and sheep, we should be mindful of how we house and look after such an animal. Even in an ideal situation where a pig is able to be kept outside and able to experience the sun on its back and maybe the wind and rain, and able to root around, complete freedom cannot be allowed as problematic. The pig's powerful nose can do a great deal of damage so even in a outdoor rearing system a certain amount of confinement is needed. Outside confinement remember also so as to prevent the pig coming into contact with human muck (faeces) and the problem of tapeworm infection.
In recent years some countries have experimented with the vaccination of pigs so as to prevent the infection from spreading to humans but this vaccination does not seem to be widely available.
 
A proper diet for the pig
 
Earlier in the article the problem of low growth rates was referred to. Generally in the developed world the pigs high LW G is possible because the majority of the pigs diet is cereal-based with added protein in the form of fish or soya and those important amino acids. The high price of grain in the developing world would certainly not allow such an expensive food item to be fed directly to pigs. Traditionally sorghum and maize has been fed to pigs(in Africa) with various waste foodstuffs. For the pig to properly grow it not only needs sufficient quantities of protein so as to build muscle which is meat, but it also needs the particular building blocks of protein the amino acids. Some amino acids can have a specific negative effect on and animals grow if they are not present in sufficient quantities in a diet. Because the amino acids are not present in sufficient quantities, they are referred to as limiting amino acids. For the pig the two limiting amino acids are lysine and methionine. A diet of sorghum and maize gives only approximately 30% of the lysine and methionine needed for proper growth in the pig so even giving a growing pig more and more sorghum and maize will not solve the problem. As the added amino acids put in pig feeds in many developed countries are expensive then an alternative needs to be found. Some recent research has found that with a 20% supplement in the pigs diet given then the two are essential amino acids can have their levels boosted from 30% up to 80%. This 20% supplement of the diet consists of: 5% legumes seeds, 5% other seeds, 5% animal protein and 5% green leaves, the sorghum and maize making up the other 80% of the diet. This diet has enabled pigs to be able to be grown more efficiently so producing higher carcass weights and healthier pigs with the potential for larger litters with lower death rates.
It would be good to hear your experiences of pig rearing in whatever continent you are in. Although my preference is for pigs that are kept outdoors able to display natural behaviours in some form or other please do not think that I judge those who keep pigs in confinement for I  am aware that this is perhaps the only option that some people have. It is important that even in confinement a pig is given a proper diet and space to move and rest and is kept as clean and healthy as possible.