It always bothers me when mass comment on bull being nasty , stinky animals .
On my farm , pigs are scarce the stinkiest creature – if you ’ve ever smelled my dog before he ’s had a bath , you ’ll quick consort .
I ’m joke , of course , but the reality is that pigs , when given plenty of way to roam around and express their “ pigness , ” as Joel Salatin would say , are not smelly animals .
They do a great Book of Job of managing theirown manureand are not marked-up as long as they are make out and housed properly .
call forth a herd of healthy , happy pigscomes down to living accommodations and feeding them properly . When you ’re housing pigs , there are a few key tips you should follow .
Minimum Space Requirements Per Pig
If you do a nimble Google search on how much space is require for pigs , you ’ll see 8 x 10 - feet as the most commonly cite phone number .
However , is that enough ?
In my experience , not really , 8 - square feet is how much space is allotted to hog in a confinement farm circumstance . About 80 - solid feet is recommend for a bass bedding flair barn . If you ’re go away toraise your copper on pasture , a quarter of an Akko is recommended for up to 3 pigs .
Generally , and at the most elementary horizontal surface , sloven require very little space . Whether you choose to house slovenly person inside or out of doors will play a huge function in how much blank space you need per pig . If your animals have admittance to out-of-door space , no matter how lilliputian , they will be able-bodied to get by with less space in the barn .
When it come to outdoor space , the amount of space you need will vary . you may raise a few Sus scrofa on a quarter of an acre or up to 10 pigs on a full Akko with proper direction .
regrettably , it is hard to give a cut back - and - dry number on how many pigs you could set up per acre .
There are multiple considerateness that come into playing period , such as how old and large the pigs are , how naturally inclined they are to root , based on the breed , and other determination .
More Space is Better
Less is not more when it comes to pigs . The more space you’re able to give them , the more abbreviate your daily chores will be . The healthier your pigs will be , too . From personal experience , I conceive that porc from pigs that had entree to pasture and were capable to swan savour better .
Here are some tip on housing your grunter to keep them levelheaded and reduce likely cephalalgia for you , too .
1. Manure Management
The more room you give your pigs , the less poop you ’ll have to deal with . When you raise slovenly person in confinement , which is coarse for most large shell pig producers , you ’re going to have to shovel out the barn on a hebdomadary ( or more often ! ) groundwork . What are you proceed to do with all that manure ? Sure , you could compost it – but it ’s just another chore to tack on to your list .
Even if you are raise your pigs on concrete floor that can be hosed off , you ’re still travel to have to lot with the poop somehow . That mixture of pee and manure can be hazardous to the environment , so it needs peculiar precautions – i.e. even more chores and expense .
Why not produce your slob alfresco ? Yes , you ’ll have to build fencing . Yes , there will still be poop . However , the more blank space you give your pigs , the more spread out that the skinny will be .
We do still have to trade with manure during the winter months when our pigs are mostly inside a b throughout the daylight . However , in the summer , our manure direction task are nonexistent .
We elevate a XII or so Sus scrofa on pasture and just add fresh hay to the barn once a month or so . That ’s it !
2. Diseases
Less manure not only means less stink . It also entail few flies , parasites , and disease for you to lot with , too .
disease can be spread in several ways when it comes to pig . Some diseases , like swine grippe or other respiratory problems , are spread via lineal contact from copper to pig . You ca n’t inevitably keep your pigs away from each other . They are social creature that like to be around other pigs .
However , keeping a bunch of Sus scrofa push in a barn is a surefire way to increase the spread of diseases .
Other diseasesthat are spread via manure ( and the flies that incline to hang out in manure ) include parasites , porcine epidemic looseness , and senecavirus . Remember , pig are root animals , and they will merrily take root up areas where other pigs have defecated . The spread of internal parasite in crowded spaces is very common .
3. Less Fighting
Another benefit of reach pigs more infinite is less combat . Pigs fight with each other when they are world-weary . Spreading them out is a with child way to help them cool off ! Do you know why most commercial Sus scrofa farms dock the shadower and trot the tooth of their piglets ? So they do n’t wound each other in the barn .
We crop teeth on our farm too but it ’s to protect our sow when the shoat are nursing , not because they ’ll go after each other .
Giving your pigs adequate place can help reduce fighting on your farm . It can also foreclose injuries , which can seriously harm your pig and increase the facing pages of diseases , too .
4. Reduced Need for Intensive Management Practices
As I mentioned to begin with , generate your pigs more space can ensue in a reduced pauperism for more intensive management practices . just put , when bull are given room to be outside and aside from others , you wo n’t have to be as actively postulate in preventing injury and diseases .
Some practices , in my opinion , are still necessary ( like dentition dress and castrating male ) .
However , there are some you may cover off your list when you ply your pig with more space . Two that come to mind include the demand for applying chemical dewormers and docking tail .
Other Pig Housing Essentials
That ’s not to say that you may just give your pigs acres upon Accho and expect them to boom ! More space is always recommend when raising pigs . That state , you do postulate to check that your pig housing also has the abide by feature .
1. Water and Feed Within Easy Reach
Water and provender are substantive , and they should be within sluttish reach for both you and for the copper . machinelike feeder and waterers are best if you want your grunter to gain weight unit at a rapid , hefty rate . verify these two thing are always offer to your pigs . Keep the provision of both unclouded at all time .
Make indisputable the provender is keep in a covered container that ca n’t be flip or maneuvered by the pigs . We apply an automatic feeding public treasury that is heavy enough to have to be moved by a tractor . We ca n’t move it by script . The squealer also can not leaf it , no matter how large they get . I do not recommend storing spare provender in the pig area , they ’ll find a way to get inside of it .
2. A Nesting Area
You will also require to provide your grunter with a “ nesting area . ” Not to lay testis , like chickens , of class – but to sleep .
Keep the nesting sphere as far aside from the urine supply as you could . As you know , pig are mussy animals , and it can be frustrating to constantly have to replace the bedding material in the nest because your pig keep get it wet !
confuse some hay or other bedding into your barn and see what the copper do with it . you’re able to put a lot of time and effort into setting up a nesting region for them , but often , they ’ll rearrange the bedding to their liking , anyway . Again , just check that it ’s not near the waterers .
3. A Pig-Selected Manure Area
Here ’s a fun fact – pigs will often prefer their own “ bathroom space ” in the barn when present the chance to do so .
Pigs do n’t wish to poop where they log Z’s , and will often set up a designated “ poop spot ” that ’s on the opposite nook of where they are drop dead to lie in down at night . Give your barn wad of elbow room so that your pigs can pick this spot out for themselves .
It will also make it well-heeled for you to clean , when the time number for that , too . In fact , we have note that our pigs will often sound off their dirty bedding out of the barn when they ’re sick of having it at heart !
4. Don’t Forget the Fences
Of course , you do n’t want to neglect the playpen itself when you ’re visualize out how to house your grunter . Pigs are tough and curious , and they ’ll unceasingly check andtest a fenceto see if it ’s tight . Electric fencing incline to work best at keep pigs confined , but whatever method you take , verify there are no gaps or spotswhere your pigs can get out .
Housing Pigs Indoors or Out
For some pig husbandman , retain pigs outdoors might just not be potential , due to management business organization , the atmospheric condition , or other factors . That ’s okay ! While I always urge raise sloven at least partly alfresco , you’re able to raise goodly pigs inside a barn , too .
Just keep in mind that pig do postulate unfermented air , even in the winter . It should not be altogether conclude off but rather well - ventilated to help keep the air hang – and your pigs levelheaded .
Was this article helpful?
What went wrong?
This clause contains incorrect entropy
This article does not have the information I am looking for
How can we improve it?
We appreciate your helpful feedback!
Your answer will be used to ameliorate our content . The more feedback you give us , the better our pages can be .
