How to get the ideal house for your pig farming
Mkulima today we are going to share insights on how to build the ideal pig house for your animals.How to get the ideal house for your pig farming. Many farmers have been writing to us asking how they can avoid losses and boost their farm productivity.
And that is why we are here supporting farmers.
Requirements
Farmers your pig house should meet some of these basic requirements.
To ensure increased productivity and profitability of the big farm you have to make sure you run the farm as a business.
The pigsty should be comfortable for the animals and should come with the following
- good ventilation
- ample shade
- no overheating
- no smells
- free from draughts
- no dampness
Rember pigs are some of the cleanest animals in the world so keep it like that.
There should be a possibility for mud baths if the pig is exposed to direct sunshine.
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Ensure the floor is kept dry must be rough to avoid pigs from falling and therefore being unable to move in the pen freely.
The floor should be made of concrete or wood since pigs have the tendency of digging into the ground.
This habit if not taken care of will give you a headache during cleaning and it will also increase the rate of parasitic infection for the animals.
Create a dunging area at the rear and feeding trough and water trough placed at the front of the house.
Separating the troughs will help in keeping the houses clean and avoid infection from dirt.
It should have a sloping floor.
This floor should be safe enough for the animals to walk with ease.
The slopes will help in allowing the free flow and drainage of urine and slurry during cleaning.
Housing management
Ensure the pen is not close to dwelling places or below the wind because of unpleasant smells and flies.
Have all the animals of the same age are kept as close as possible to each other.
And the wind flow direction should be from the youngest to the oldest this will be great as it will help in preventing the spread of diseases.
The construction costs of the pigsty should fit the production system.
Use cheap, readily available materials for house construction to reduce costs.
All essential parts of the pigsty should be included
Location
How about the ideal house location?
Their house should be sited away from the walls of other buildings to allow for the best air circulation.
The location should be well-drained for ease of cleaning to avoid infestation and flooding.
To avoid direct sunlight the building should be built with the east-west orientation or have shade from trees or some cover.
Also, make sure the wind flow into the pig house is from the residential premises and not towards.
It is convenient to place it near the family house this will help in security and prevent theft of the animals.
In hot climatic areas, the buildings should be built with an open plan set up or with half walls.
This type of design will help with ease of
- surveillance of the animals
- promote excellent ventilation
- cheap to build
It is difficult to control heat stress in fully enclosed buildings with the pigs in the tropics.
There are a number of designs according to their use for either
- weaner
- pig production
- fattening pigs
- a combination of fattening and breeding
- breeding
How to get the ideal house for your pig farming. Story by Paul Kangethe read more here
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