SAPPO Training Course
Housing for small Piggeries 2
Why house pigs at all? Because:•
•
•
•
•
It makes for better biosecurity
It reduces parasites – mange, worms, ticks
It allows controlled feeding
It makes treatment easier
It reduces theft
Housing for small Piggeries
Welfare aspects:
Keeping dry sows outside is often successful,
provided there is plenty of space and good shelter
for all.
Free range systems sound fine , but:•
•
•
•
•
There is little disease control
Free access to toxic plants, human excreta
Bullying is not eliminated
Rough stony ground, dirty wallows, Ascaris eggs
Feeding is not controlled
Housing for small piggeries
Intensive housing is not all bad:–Individuals can be observed, treated, fed,
protected individually;
–Record-keeping is much easier, so production
is easily measured;
–Space is more economically used;
–All-in all-out systems become possible
Housing for small piggeries
Is there a practical, affordable compromise?
Consider the pig’s housing needs, such as:• Protection from bad weather
• Protection from direct sun, and extreme
temperatures
• Protection from each other
• Protection from thirst, hunger, pain, fear, injury
• Protection from mishandling by cruel or careless
people
Housing for small piggeries
Whatever housing system is used, it can be
made to work, provided that good farming
practice is understood and applied.
• Be receptive to the messages that pigs are sending
out all the time;
• Be aware of the pigs’ needs;
• Be informed about what remedy to apply;
• Have the resources to carry out the necessary
correction
Housing for small piggeries
Specifications for the construction of pig pens:
• It must be pig-proof;
• It should have a hard drained cleanable floor;
• It must have clear areas for sleeping, eating,
dunging;
• Water must be provided in secure, clean containers
in every pen: drinking nipples are best;
• Different age groups need separate pens;
• Face the pens away from the worst weather and cold
winds;
• Ensure good light and ventilation
Housing for small piggeries
• Some dimensions: (see sketches on p19)
• An all- purpose pen can be—
• 4m by 3m i.e. 12 square metres,
• Roof will be 3m x 3m or 3m x 4m in area, sloping
from back to front; height 2.5m at back, 1.65 in front;
• Where sows and piglets share the same pen, a creep
area across the rear of 1m x 3m keeps sow from
creep feed and piglet sleeping area;
• Floor slopes 1% to gate and drain – outside and to a
pond or soak-away.
This all-purpose pen will accommodate any of
the following:• 1 or 2 sows with litters (this pen will have a creep
area);
• 2 or 3 litters of weaned pigs up to 10 weeks old;
• 4 dry sows or gilts;
• 1 boar with a couple of sows;
• 15 grower pigs up to 70kg live mass; or
• 12 baconers up to 90 - 95 kg live mass
Note: a general rule for space per pig is to allow at
least 1sq m per 100 kg of live pig in closed pens;
boars and sows need double or more .
Housing for small piggeries
There are cheaper alternatives that are quite
acceptable; using locally available materials and
ingenuity can go a long way, provided that the
basic specs are met.
The following pictures show some examples of
inexpensive housing that has been built with an
understanding of the needs of pigs of all ages; there
are also some that do not meet requirements.
An inexpensive all-purpose pen as sketched here has been used successfully for small commercial piggeries
One version with walls – poles or pipes or even old pallets will be