1.1. Housing:
Before venture into pig production both semi intensive and intensive systems require pigs to be housed. Housing has much importance in pig production for the reasons as it helps in disease and parasite control also reduces the labour in husbandry and management tasks like feeding and handling. It helps in protecting the pigs from harsh environmental and climatic conditions and keeps out unnecessary intruders. The pigs are easily observed when housed Pig houses. Materials used for construction of pig house a) Local materials: wooden poles, bamboo poles, grass thatch etc. These are cheap but do not last long. b) Manufactured/purchased materials: Blocks/bricks, cement, galvanized iron. Shade on dry and properly raised ground should be constructed. Water – logging, marshy, and heavy rainfall areas must avoid. The side wall of the sheds should be 4-5 ft. high and remaining height should be fitted with GI pipes or wooden poles. The wall should be plastered to make them damp proof. The roof should be at least 8-10 ft. high. The pig sty should be well ventilated. The floor should hard, even, non-slippery, and impervious, well sloped (3 cm. per meter) and properly drained to remain dry and clean. A feed trough space 6-12 inches per pig should be providing. The corners of feed troughs, drains and walls should be rounded for easy cleaning. There should be adequate open space for each animal i.e. double to cover area. Proper shade and cool drinking water should be provided. Disposal of dung and urine be properly maintained .Individual pens for boars/lactating sows should be constructed. The dry sows/fatteners can be housed in group pens.
1.11 The boar pen:
Boars are kept separately in their own pen. One boar is kept for every 15 to 20 sows. On a pig farm with only 20 sows it is better to keep at least two boars, namely a young not too heavy boar for young sows and gilts, and an older boar for older, heavier sows. It needs two pens. Sows are brought to the boar to be served in the boar pen. This pen should be 9 to 10 m2, with the short side at least 2 m wide so that the boar can easily turn around in it.
1.12 Gilts and dry sows:
Gilts should be brought to the boar for the first time when they are 7 to 8 months old. Dry sows come onto heat three to seven days after weaning when they have to be served by a boar again. Gilts and dry sows to be served in pens next to or near the boar so that they can be checked for heat daily until they are served. More than five gilts or sows in one pen should not be kept. Gilts and sows should not be kept in the same pen. An area of about 5 m2 per pig is required. House five pigs a pen with an area of approximately 25 m2 is required. Enough trough space with partitions that allow the pigs to eat individually is therefore necessary. Nineteen days after the pigs have been served by a boar they are again brought into contact with a boar for five to seven consecutive days to make sure that they are pregnant. If the boar does not serve them again, it can be concluded that they are pregnant and they can then be placed in the pregnant sow house.
1.13 Pregnant sows:
Pregnancy period lasts 114 to 116 days. Sows are put in the pregnant sow pen about 24 days after service and are only moved to the farrowing pen seven days before they give birth. They usually stay in these pens for about 85 days. The pens can be similar to dry sow pens. If the sows are about the same size, up to five pregnant sows can be kept in one pen. At least two and preferably three pens (to house a maximum of five pregnant sows each) are needed.
1.14 Farrowing pens:
The farrowing pen is considered as the most important pen on the farm. It is 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 better to build a farrowing house (large room) containing five or six farrowing pens. 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. The space is linked to the feed and dung passages.
Each pen must have a farrowing crate where the sow is kept from one week before the piglets are born until they are weaned when they are 28 or 35 days old. The crate is placed in the pen allowing a space of about 1 m on the one side and 0,5 m on the other side. The feed trough (500 mm long and 200 mm high) for feed and water is on the feed passage side of the pen.
A creep area must be provided for the piglets. A steel or wooden box, 600 x 600 mm which is large enough for the litter to creep into, 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.
1.15 Weaner and finishing house (growing pigs)
Piglets are weaned when they are only 28 days old. They must therefore be looked after with care for at least another four to six weeks until they are 10 weeks old.
It is advisable to keep the growing and finishing pigs in pens similar to those used for weaners.
A weaner/finisher house with 20 pens must therefore be built. Each pen
must be large enough to house a litter of 10 to 12 pigs, kept in the pen from the age of four weeks until they are sold at a live weight of 90 to 110 kg. Two rows of 10 pens are built in the house. The building will be 40 m long and 9 m wide. The individual pens, should 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. The entrance to the building is again to the short side of the building with a 1 m space between the outside wall and the first pen linked to the feed and dung passages. The entrance gates to the pens are on the side of the feed passage.
1.11 The boar pen:
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| Boar Pen |
Boars are kept separately in their own pen. One boar is kept for every 15 to 20 sows. On a pig farm with only 20 sows it is better to keep at least two boars, namely a young not too heavy boar for young sows and gilts, and an older boar for older, heavier sows. It needs two pens. Sows are brought to the boar to be served in the boar pen. This pen should be 9 to 10 m2, with the short side at least 2 m wide so that the boar can easily turn around in it.
1.12 Gilts and dry sows:
Gilts should be brought to the boar for the first time when they are 7 to 8 months old. Dry sows come onto heat three to seven days after weaning when they have to be served by a boar again. Gilts and dry sows to be served in pens next to or near the boar so that they can be checked for heat daily until they are served. More than five gilts or sows in one pen should not be kept. Gilts and sows should not be kept in the same pen. An area of about 5 m2 per pig is required. House five pigs a pen with an area of approximately 25 m2 is required. Enough trough space with partitions that allow the pigs to eat individually is therefore necessary. Nineteen days after the pigs have been served by a boar they are again brought into contact with a boar for five to seven consecutive days to make sure that they are pregnant. If the boar does not serve them again, it can be concluded that they are pregnant and they can then be placed in the pregnant sow house.
1.13 Pregnant sows:
Pregnancy period lasts 114 to 116 days. Sows are put in the pregnant sow pen about 24 days after service and are only moved to the farrowing pen seven days before they give birth. They usually stay in these pens for about 85 days. The pens can be similar to dry sow pens. If the sows are about the same size, up to five pregnant sows can be kept in one pen. At least two and preferably three pens (to house a maximum of five pregnant sows each) are needed.
1.14 Farrowing pens:
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| A Sow in a Farrowing Crate |
The farrowing pen is considered as the most important pen on the farm. It is 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 better to build a farrowing house (large room) containing five or six farrowing pens. 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. The space is linked to the feed and dung passages.
Each pen must have a farrowing crate where the sow is kept from one week before the piglets are born until they are weaned when they are 28 or 35 days old. The crate is placed in the pen allowing a space of about 1 m on the one side and 0,5 m on the other side. The feed trough (500 mm long and 200 mm high) for feed and water is on the feed passage side of the pen.
A creep area must be provided for the piglets. A steel or wooden box, 600 x 600 mm which is large enough for the litter to creep into, 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.
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| Side View of Crate |
1.15 Weaner and finishing house (growing pigs)
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| Weaner Pen |
Piglets are weaned when they are only 28 days old. They must therefore be looked after with care for at least another four to six weeks until they are 10 weeks old.
It is advisable to keep the growing and finishing pigs in pens similar to those used for weaners.
A weaner/finisher house with 20 pens must therefore be built. Each pen
must be large enough to house a litter of 10 to 12 pigs, kept in the pen from the age of four weeks until they are sold at a live weight of 90 to 110 kg. Two rows of 10 pens are built in the house. The building will be 40 m long and 9 m wide. The individual pens, should 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. The entrance to the building is again to the short side of the building with a 1 m space between the outside wall and the first pen linked to the feed and dung passages. The entrance gates to the pens are on the side of the feed passage.
1.16 Outdoor Housing of pig:
For protection against wind, rain and excessive heat or cold. Pigs can also be kept outside in camps shade structures.
The capital required to start outdoor pig farming is therefore 20 to 30 % less than the amount of money required for an indoor unit.
There are both advantages and disadvantages which must be taken into consideration before deciding to build an outdoor piggery instead of an indoor unit.
Advantages:
Strong and healthy weaner pigs can be produced on a properly run outdoor pig unit..Labour costs is less.There will be less problems with the disposal of manure.Capital costs will be less.
Disadvantages:
Lower productivity because pigs grow slower and most probably less pig will be produced. Profit margins could therefore be smaller. Handling of individual pigs will be more difficult. Sows that are not pregnant or that are infertile will be difficult to identify. Pigs can only be kept out of doors on light soils that are well drained. Strong fencing is required to ensure that pigs are kept inside. Mud during the rainy season can be a problem, hindering access to the camp. Feed is wasted as a result of birds and predators eating the pig feed. Loss of piglets killed by predators.
For protection against wind, rain and excessive heat or cold. Pigs can also be kept outside in camps shade structures.
The capital required to start outdoor pig farming is therefore 20 to 30 % less than the amount of money required for an indoor unit.
There are both advantages and disadvantages which must be taken into consideration before deciding to build an outdoor piggery instead of an indoor unit.
Advantages:
Strong and healthy weaner pigs can be produced on a properly run outdoor pig unit..Labour costs is less.There will be less problems with the disposal of manure.Capital costs will be less.
Disadvantages:
Lower productivity because pigs grow slower and most probably less pig will be produced. Profit margins could therefore be smaller. Handling of individual pigs will be more difficult. Sows that are not pregnant or that are infertile will be difficult to identify. Pigs can only be kept out of doors on light soils that are well drained. Strong fencing is required to ensure that pigs are kept inside. Mud during the rainy season can be a problem, hindering access to the camp. Feed is wasted as a result of birds and predators eating the pig feed. Loss of piglets killed by predators.
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| Space required for pigs in Outdoor Housing |
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