HOUSING FOR PIGS

Good, efficient housing makes management easier and helps the farmer to successfully rear 85 % or more of all the live born piglets to market weight in the shortest possible time

Pigs at different stages of growth need different

environments (temperatures).

The Boar penThis pen is for boars only. But in

the time of breeding you will bring the sows inside the pen. This pen should be 9 to 10 ㎡

with short side at least 2m wide , for the boar to be easily move

with it.

The floor of the pen should be cemented. It should also be

slope so you can easily clean the pen. The walls of the pen must be in solid concrete while the gates are made of solid iron

pipes with 20mm diameter and space vertically 7.5 mm. The

height of it should be 1 400 mm.

For the sleeping area of the boar, it should be one-third of the pen that must be covered by a grass straw

or saw dust. For the feed through, it must be placed on the sleeping area but not filled with the grass

straws. It should be 450 mm long, 150 mm high and 500 mm wide.

.

Cool, clean water must be available at all times on the sides of the gates. The pig will dung in this area , so you'll need a small

water through with a ball valve to control the level of the water or

you can use a pig-drinking nipple.

Make sure that the boar pen is well ventilated and draught free. It is important that the temperature does not rise higher than 22 °C for long periods. If the temperature

rises above 32 °C the boar may become infertile for up to six

weeks. On very hot days boars can be kept cool by sprinkling

them with water.

Gilts/dry sows pen

This pen should be near the pen of the boar. Do not keep 5 gilts or sows in one pen. Gilts and Sows should be kept in a pen that's seperate.

An area of 5 ㎡ is required for each

pig. so if you have 5 pigs you'll need to have an area of 25

㎡ .

The construction and specifications (apart from the size) of the sow/gilt

pen are the same as that of the boar pen.

Individual feeding is important so that each pig

will recieve the correct quantity of feed. Enough

through space with divisions is therfore necessary.

For the breeding of the dry sows: Nineteen

days the sows will be brought to the boar so

that they can serve them. After that they

were again brought for 5-7 consecutive days

to know of they are pregnant. If the sows are

confirmed to be pregnant, they will now be

brought to the Farrowing pen.

FUN FACT

farrowing penMost important pen on a farm. It has to be designed in such a way that the right temperature is provided for the sow and her piglets during the first seven to 10 days after birth, while trampling and

overlying is prevented as far as possible.

It is advisable to build a farrowing house with 5 farrowing crate. A five-pen house should be 13.25 m long, and a six-pen house 15.5 m. The width in

both cases should be 4 m. Each pen will be 2 x 2.25 m with a 1 m wide feed passage on the

northern side of the pens and a 1 m wide dung passage on the southern side. The entrance must

be on the short side of the building with a 1 m space between the outside wall and the first pen.

A creep area must be provided for the

piglets. A stool or wooden box 600mm

x 600mm can be placed next to the

feed trough and the feed passage wall.

The creep is important because it

helps to reduce deaths as a result of

crushing. It also provides a draught-

free area where the piglets heat one

another. In this way the creep area

provides the required temperature of

27 to 32 °C for piglets during the first

10 days of life.

The farrowing house must have windows on both sides (on the

long wall sides) to ventilate and cool the house. The temperature

where the sow is kept (in the farrowing crate) should preferably not be higher than about 21 °C.

WEANER/FINISHING HOUSEA weaner house with 20 pens

must be built. Each pen must be

large that in can hold 10-12 pigs.

The building must be 40 m long ang 9 m wide.

Each pen in the house must be 12 m2 or 4 x 3 m

with 1 m high concrete walls, and two 1 m wide dung passages along the north and south walls of

the building with a feeding passage, 1 m wide in the middle between the two

rows of pens

Outdoor Housing

Pigs can also

be kept

outside in

camps w

here

shade st

ructures p

rovide

the necessa

ry protection

against wind, ra

in and

excessi

ve heat or c

old.

The capital required to start outdoor pig

farming is therefore 20 to 30 % less than the

amount of money required for an indoor

unit.

REQUIREMENTS:

•Temperature•Rainfall•Soil Type

•Level of the ground•Services

If you want to keep piglets healthy and

alive, keep them warm, and if you want the sows to have enough milk

for the piglets, keep them cool.

:D