Pig Setup Planner
Three raisers, three different recommended models. See how capital, skill, time, and market access steer the planner toward a fattener, a native niche, or a farrow-to-finish operation.
Example 1 of 3 — Recommended: Fattener Small (10 head)
A Nueva Ecija raiser starting his first pig batch. He has ₱100,000 from savings, a cousin who works as a viajero, owns the lot behind his house, and can give the pigs 2–4 hours of attention per day around his day job. He wants to know which model actually fits him.
Planner answers
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Region | Luzon (Nueva Ecija) |
| Capital band | ₱50,000–₱150,000 |
| Experience | None — first time |
| Time commitment | Part-time (2–4 hrs/day) |
| Market access | Viajero (cousin) |
| Goal horizon | Experiment / first cycle |
| ASF zone | Light Green |
| Existing assets | Owned land, family agri experience |
Planner output
| Result | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Primary model | Fattener Small (~10 head) | Match confidence high |
| Cycle length | ~120 days | 4 months start to sale |
| Difficulty | Beginner | No sow handling, no AI, no farrowing |
| Capex (low) | ~₱50,000 | Modest pen, used materials, do-it-yourself labour |
| Capex (realistic) | ~₱75,000 | Concrete pen, proper drainage, footbath |
| Capex (contingency) | ~₱115,000 | Realistic + 15% — what to budget for |
| Working capital / cycle | ~₱75,000 | Weanlings + feed + meds for 10 heads |
| Alternative 1 | Fattener Trial (~4 head) | If you want to test before scaling |
| Alternative 2 | Native Niche (~4 head) | If you find a lechon buyer first |
Why Fattener Small fits him
Why not F2F or breeder
A 3-sow farrow-to-finish operation needs sow handling, AI access, and farrowing infrastructure he has never built — and a year before steady output. With zero cycles under his belt, the planner penalises advanced-difficulty models by 45 points, pushing them well out of contention.
Bisaya / Cebuano
Kining first-time nga mag-uuma sa Nueva Ecija, ang giila sa planner mao ang Fattener Small (~10 ulo). Husto kini sa iyang ₱100,000, sa iyang viajero nga ig-agaw, ug sa iyang part-time nga panahon.
Ang capex realistic ₱75,000, contingency ₱115,000. Mao ng kinahanglan niya nga naa sa account dili lang ang ₱75k. Ang working capital ₱75,000 matag cycle — weanling, feed, ug medicines para sa 10 ka ulo.
Ang F2F (3 sow) dili pa angay kaniya. Wala pa siyay kasinatian sa pag-atiman og sow, walay AI access, ug usa ka tuig ang paabuton nga steady na ang output. Mao nga ang planner naghatag og dakong penalty sa advanced models para sa beginner.
How to use this on your farm
Example 2 of 3 — Recommended: Native Niche (4 head)
A Cebu raiser with ₱40,000 to commit. She lives near a lechon operation that buys dressed native pigs at premium prices, has helped at her uncle's farm, and can dedicate part-time hours. Capital is the constraint — the planner has to find a model that actually fits.
Planner answers
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Region | Visayas (Cebu) |
| Capital band | Under ₱50,000 |
| Experience | Helped on uncle's farm |
| Time commitment | Part-time |
| Market access | Lechon operator (premium) |
| Goal horizon | Steady side income |
| ASF zone | Light Green |
| Existing assets | Small lot owned |
Planner output
| Result | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Primary model | Native Niche (~4 head) | Lechon + Visayas bonus dominates score |
| Cycle length | ~6–8 months | Native pigs finish slower than commercial |
| Difficulty | Beginner | Native pigs are forgiving on feed and housing |
| Capex (low) | ~₱25,000 | Native pens are simpler; no climate control needed |
| Capex (realistic) | ~₱32,000 | Includes feeders, basic shelter, fencing |
| Capex (contingency) | ~₱46,000 | 15% buffer on the high end |
| Working capital / cycle | ~₱22,000 | 4 weanlings + supplemental feed + meds |
| Revenue (dressed) | 60–75 kg × ₱320–₱480/kg | Lechon premium pricing |
| Alternative 1 | Fattener Trial (~4 head) | Workable but lower revenue |
| Alternative 2 | Fattener Small (~10 head) | Needs more capital than band allows |
Why Native Niche fits her
Three signals stack: a lechon buyer (+12 points), Visayas location (+6 points), and a tight capital band that rules out anything bigger than 4 head. The planner's native-niche math uses a 60–75 kg dressed-weight model at ₱320–₱480/kg — a different economic engine from commercial liveweight pricing.
The slow finishing window (6–8 months vs 4 months for commercial) means fewer cycles per year but with much higher per-kg revenue. At 4 head, dressing 65 kg each at ₱400/kg yields roughly ₱104,000 gross revenue per cycle against ₱25,000–₱35,000 in working capital — the strongest gross-margin profile available at this capital band.
Why not the fattener-trial alternative
A commercial fattener-trial in the under-₱50k band raises 4 hybrid weanlings on commercial feed to 95 kg liveweight at ₱185–₱200/kg. Revenue lands around ₱74,000–₱80,000 — about 25% lower than the native model, and without the lechon premium that her market actually pays. The fattener trial is workable, but it leaves money on the table.
Bisaya / Cebuano
Kining mag-uuma sa Cebu, kay aduna siyay lechon operator nga buyer, ang Native Niche ang giila sa planner. Tulo ang nagtulisok sa score: ang lechon buyer (+12), Visayas nga lugar (+6), ug ang ubos nga capital nga dili makahimo og mas dako pa nga batch.
Ang native pigs mas hinay mosaka — 6 hangtod 8 ka buwan, dili 4. Apan ang presyo sa dressed weight ₱320–₱480 matag kilo, halos doble sa commercial liveweight. Sa 4 ka baboy nga 65 kg dressed sa ₱400/kg, ang gross revenue mosulod og halos ₱104,000.
Ang Fattener Trial pwede usab, apan ang revenue niini ₱74,000–₱80,000 lang. Mubo og 25% kompara sa native niche, ug walay premium gikan sa lechon buyer. Mao nga kining lechon market gyud ang nagtulak sa decision.
How to use this on your farm
Example 3 of 3 — Recommended: F2F 3-Sow
A Tarlac raiser who finished one successful 15-pig fattener cycle and wants to scale into farrow-to-finish. He has ₱400,000 to invest, can commit full-time, has a wet market relationship from his previous batch, and his goal is long-term build rather than a quick income test.
Planner answers
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Region | Luzon (Tarlac) |
| Capital band | ₱150,000–₱500,000 |
| Experience | Finished 1–2 cycles |
| Time commitment | Full-time |
| Market access | Wet market relationship |
| Goal horizon | Long-term build |
| ASF zone | Light Green |
| Existing assets | Owned land, family agri |
Planner output
| Result | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Primary model | F2F 3-Sow (~60 head/year) | High score from skill+time+long-term match |
| Cycle length | ~365 days to steady state | Year 1 is the build phase |
| Difficulty | Advanced | Sow handling, AI, farrowing crate operation |
| Capex (low) | ~₱200,000 | Sow pens, farrowing crate, weanling area, biosec |
| Capex (realistic) | ~₱275,000 | Proper concrete farrowing + nursery + fattening pens |
| Capex (contingency) | ~₱400,000 | Realistic × 1.15, plus AI starter kit |
| Working capital / cycle | ~₱120,000 | Gilt purchase + feed + meds for year 1 |
| Alternative 1 | Fattener Medium (~20 head) | Safer income, lower ceiling |
| Alternative 2 | Fattener Large (~40 head) | High capex, no breeding upside |
Why F2F 3-Sow fits him
Four signals point in the same direction: capital band matches the realistic capex with contingency room, his finished cycle clears the advanced-difficulty bar, full-time commitment matches the daily attention F2F demands, and the long-term goal aligns with a build that takes a full year to pay out properly.
Owning the supply chain is the structural advantage. After year 1, his weanlings are produced at internal cost (roughly ₱1,200–₱1,600 per head) instead of bought at ₱3,000–₱3,500 from a multiplier — a ~₱1,500/head structural margin advantage that compounds across 60+ pigs per year.
Why not the fattener-large alternative
Fattener Large needs roughly the same capex but has no breeding upside and stays exposed to weanling price spikes. It is the safer income path in year 1 but the weaker long-term position. The planner penalises it slightly given his explicit long-term goal selection.
Bisaya / Cebuano
Kining nakatapos na og usa ka cycle nga full-time builder sa Tarlac, ang F2F 3-Sow ang giila sa planner. Upat ang nagtulisok: husto ang capital, naka-cycle na siya kausa, full-time, ug long-term ang iyang goal.
Ang dako nga benepisyo sa F2F mao ang pagbaton sa supply chain. Pagkahuman sa unang tuig, ang weanlings produkto na sa iyang kaugalingong sow — ₱1,200–₱1,600 matag ulo, dili ₱3,000–₱3,500 nga mapalit sa multiplier. Mao nga halos ₱1,500 matag baboy ang structural margin niya kompara sa pure fattener.
Ang Fattener Large pareha og capex, apan walay breeding upside ug mahimong madeskwento kon mosaka ang presyo sa weanling. Mao nga sa long-term build, dili kini husto. Sa unang tuig, mas safer kini, apan ang ceiling sa kita mas ubos.
How to use this on your farm
Run the planner yourself
8 questions. You get a primary model, two alternatives, capex and working-capital estimates, a 6-step setup checklist, and a reading list — all tailored to your answers.
Open the Setup Planner →