LOOKING out the flood-prone front yard with its residual garbage – no thanks to the frequent pouring rain last week up to Sunday night, I was trying to evoke a story from my head for my column this week. The trick didn’t work, haha! Then a flash of inspiration hit me. I recalled Tata’s backyard piggery that has intrigued me for months now. So, I started my interview.
Tata owns a small-scale pig farm in an ideal rural barangay in Antequera, Bohol, an adjacent barangay from where she resides. I would say it’s “micro” because she only raises one sow. The area is ideal for raising a pig since the nearest community is a safe distance away. It doesn’t cause any inconvenience to the residents, meaning, foul odor.
She began raising a pig, whom she calls “Dikdik,” in September 2019 which lasts up to the present. Hmm, I call that sustainable. Dikdik has farrowed six times since 2019; the most recent of which was in September 2025 with thirteen piglets! Tata loves taking care of the sow and the litter. She said that looking after them is something that she is enthusiastic about, not to mention the economic benefits it provides the family when the piglets are sold.
When asked if her pig has contracted any disease all these years, Tata said, “God is good, Dikdik hasn’t been infected with any disease, even by the dreaded ASF over the past six years.” I was pleased to know that and asked how she kept it that way. “I observe cleanliness daily. I wash the pigpen/pigsty three times a day: in the morning, at noon, and at around 4:30 p.m. I include the surrounding area in the cleaning process. No room for complacency,” she stressed. “After flushing the area, I feed Dikdik, then bathe her,” she added. “I feed the sow first to assess if she has an appetite before washing. If she doesn’t eat, I will not do the routine wash because the loss of appetite would indicate the pig is not feeling well,” she explained. I also learned that only family members tend to Dikdik and the piglets. I believe that’s a good practice.
Following farrowing, Tata ensures that the piglets are injected with iron supplement on the third day after birth; vitamins on the fifteenth day, and another round of vitamins on the thirtieth day. Deworming is done after thirty days. She bathes the piglets after sixty days, then routinely after that, sticking to her tested practice. Tata spends P4,000 monthly for feeds and injections.
The iron supplementation piqued my interest; thus, I did some research. This is what I gathered: “Piglets are born with very limited iron stores, typically around 40-50 mg, which are sufficient for only a few days of life.” In part, this is because “of the physiological inability of the pregnant sow to transfer sufficient iron across the placenta to the increasing number of fetuses in modern large litters.” So, true. Imagine thirteen piglets! “Piglets are among the fastest-growing mammals, increasing their birth weight significantly within weeks. This rapid growth demands a high amount of iron to produce sufficient hemoglobin (the protein that carries oxygen in red blood cells) and myoglobin (which carries oxygen in muscles).” Moreover, “without adequate iron, piglets quickly develop iron deficiency anemia, leading to a variety of health issues, including, weakness and lethargy, pale skin and mucous membranes, poor growth and reduced weight gain, and increased susceptibility to diseases and infections. In severe cases, a high mortality rate.”
As of this writing, Tata has sold eleven piglets: nine at P4,000.00 each, plus two, lechon-ready, weighing 19 kg each, selling at P5,000.00 per piglet. From the litter, only two remain with Dikdik. Aside from her passion for raising Dikdik, Tata stressed, “The income helps to meet the challenging college expenses of my son.”
It is noteworthy to say that Tata does her micro-scale pig farm sans government support. Isn’t that incredible? It is! However, micro backyard farmers deserve to receive government support, especially in the form of iron/vitamin supplementations and the needed vaccinations, which would minimize their farm expenses, and ensure a sustainable livelihood, ultimately improving their lives.
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Woman Talk with Belinda Sales is taking a wellness break. You may send your email to belindabelsales@gmail.com. Follow us on X at @ShilohRuthie./PN
