How to Build a Pig

Today, many residents in rural areas, guided by a variety of reasons, often decide to engage in livestock. This is especially important if the area of ​​the available site allows and there is the opportunity to create favorable conditions for the cultivation of animals.

Many people are attracted to breeding pigs - because of the rapid growth of piglets and a fairly rapid return. However, before acquiring the young, it is necessary to prepare a house for him in which he will feel comfortable. From the created conditions, development, growth of pigs will directly depend, and as a result - the quality of the products.

How to build a pigsty in compliance with existing rules, providing animals with everything necessary, and will be discussed further in this publication.

Where to start planning?

It is generally believed that pigs are undemanding to cleanliness, but this is a very profound error, as they are quite accurate, and even the "toilet" is usually arranged in one of the corners of its pen. These animals should be kept in warm and dry rooms - they get less sick in them, and are in a positive emotional state, on which the quality of the final product also depends.

The arrangement and dimensions of the pigsty depends largely on the purpose for which the piglets will be raised - for fattening or for breeding breeding pigs for sale. Therefore, it is necessary to determine this question in advance.

Criteria for determining the size of the building

If you plan to breed piglets for sale, then for example you can build a fairly large pigsty, calculated for a boar producer and five sows.

When creating comfortable conditions, one sow can produce 8 ÷ 10 piglets per litter, and within a year the pig can be carried out twice. Considering that with timely vaccinations and observance of proper sanitary standards in the pigsty room, the survival rate of the young will be approximately 90%, it can be concluded that in a year the population will be replenished by 90 ÷ 100 piglets.

Calculations should be made, based on the normative data, with which you can determine the area of ​​the pigsty, which will contain any number of animals from 1 to 10 or more.

It is also necessary to provide that the pigsty is divided into different zones - machines, and each of them is intended for one pig or boar, a sow with piglets or for young.

machines. This table shows the main parameters to be observed when building any pigsty:

Name of livestock	Number of individuals in the machine	Machine area per animal, m²
With breeding	When breeding for fattening
Boars	1	8	8
Sows:
-biguous and pregnant up to 2 months;	4	3	2
- pregnant from 2 to 3 months;	2	6	3.5
- pregnant from 3 to 4 months;	1	6	5
- sucked with piglets.	1	10	7.5
Piglets:
- up to five months	10 ÷ 12	0.6	0.5
- breeding pigs from 5 to 8 months;	5 ÷ 6	1.15
- breeding pigs from 5 to 8 months;	2 ÷ 3	1.6
- fattening piglets in 5 ÷ 6 months;	20	0.7
- fattening piglets in 6 ÷ 10 months.	15	1

Knowing which area should be allocated for each category of animals, it is important to consider the length and width of the machine.

For example, the length of each of the compartments is determined from 2500 to 3000 mm, the width of the main and transverse passages in the pigsty should be at least 1500 mm, the height of the walls of the room is usually within 1700 ÷ 1800 mm.

The calculation of the size of the pigsty for 5 sows with an offspring per year and the boar producer and also the three breeding gilts is done taking into account the table and some other nuances as follows:

• 5 sows + 90 ÷ 100 litters + 1 boars + 3 pedigree pigs = 99÷ 100 goals.
• 90 ÷ 100 piglets per year from two different litters, kept in different machines.
• For sows with piglets, it is necessary to provide 5 × 7.5 ÷ 10 m² = 37.5 ÷ 50 m².
• For boar manufacturer - 8 m².
• Senior piglets from the first year of litter will need 1 m², for later litter - 0.5 m² per individual. Therefore it turns out:

- for senior litter - 45 ÷ 50 × 1 m² = 45 ÷ 50 m²;

- for younger piglets - 45 ÷ 50 × 0.5 m² = 22.5 ÷ 25 m²;

- 45 ÷ 50 m² + 22.5 ÷ 25 m² = 67.5 ÷ 75 m².

• For the three breeding pigs, 1.15 m² are assigned for each - 3 × 1.15 m² = 3.45 m².
• Total it turns out that the total area for animals will be 37.5 ÷ 50 + 8 + 67.5 ÷ 75 + 3.45 = 116.45 ÷ 136.45 m²
• The length of the machine is 2,5 ÷ 3 m. They are betterarrange in two rows, along the walls, providing two longitudinal and one transverse. To find the length of the room, the calculated area should be divided into a double length of the machine and add the width of the transverse passage:

116.45 ÷ 136.45 m²:( 2.5 ÷ 3 × 2) +1.5 = 17.9 ÷ 18.2m;

2,5 ÷ 3 × 2 + 2 + 2 = 9 ÷ 10 m - width of the pigsty.

• The height of the machine walls should be 900 ÷ 1000 mm.

If pigs are purchased only for fattening, and until a certain age will be in the same machine, then for each of them you must immediately calculate a large area, which will be 1 m² per one individual. If you do not think about this in advance, then later you will have to expand or arrange the piglets on two different machines, which will require a large cost for their heating.

The basic requirements for the construction and equipment of the

pigsty For the comfortable growth and development of piglets, besides observing the necessary room dimensions, it is necessary to take into account other factors affecting the overall condition of the animals.

1 - concrete floor;

2 - wooden flooring;

3 - beams for carding;

4 - lamp for lighting and( or) heating;

5 - feeder;

6 - Drinking bowl or water tank.

• Ventilation should be arranged in such a way that sufficient airing of the room occurs, but no strong drafts are produced at the bottom of the pigsty, otherwise the piglets can get sick. It is equally important to make the ventilation so that the unpleasant smell of the pigsty does not spread to the whole district - for this, it is necessary to attach the pipe to the ventilation hole and raise it to a certain height, which varies between 3 and 5 meters.
• To facilitate the task of cleaning a pigsty, it is recommended to equip sewage for animal wastes. The challenge can be organized in different ways, depending on the possibilities, the severity of the livestock, the number of individuals that will be kept indoors and other factors.

• For a high-quality cleaning of machines, as well as to provide animals with water, water is necessary, therefore it is necessary to organize its unimpeded supply to the pigsty. This can also be done in various ways, depending on the remoteness of the source and the level of winter temperatures in the region.
• Not to be dispensed with in this room without lighting, as well as its heating in the winter. In small, well-insulated pigsties, sometimes without heating or using infrared lighting systems, a cable system "warm floor" or specialized systems for heating livestock buildings.

• It is necessary to think carefully about the location and number of windows. It's better if they are small and located under the ceiling, at the top of the wall, since strong direct illumination of the pigsty negatively affects animals - they become restless, which has a bad effect on weight gain.

• To ensure that the heating system built in a pigsty is efficient and not costly, it is recommended to insulate its walls from the outside, or, much better,between the outer and inner walls at the stage of their erection.
• For the summer period, it is recommended for animals to organize an open pen in which they can go out of the pigsty at once - it is usually placed from the rear of the building. Nevertheless, this is a desirable, but not necessary, condition for keeping pigs.

Choosing a location for the construction of the

is of utmost importance. Having calculated all the parameters of the structure, taking into account all that is necessary to create favorable conditions for growing animals, it is possible to proceed to the selection of a suitable place for the construction of a pigsty.

The importance of this moment should in no case be underestimated, otherwise the good endings will end unpleasantly.

• If there is always a high humidity in the pigsty, it will be very bad for the health of the piglets, which will constantly ache, poorly gain weight and have low activity. In such conditions, the survival rate of young animals is reduced by 45-50% compared to broods in a favorable environment. Therefore, there is no way to install a pigsty in the low part of the site, because under it will collect moisture, and when evaporated - get inside the room, condensing on building structures. In the lowlands, the morning mist is usually denser and longer. All this will lead to the fact that mold or colonies of other pathogenic microflora will appear in the pigsty, which will necessarily have a negative impact on the health of the livestock.

The building should be on a hill, only then the premises in it will be dry and the walls clean from the fungus.

• The second condition, important already for site owners and their neighbors, is the distance of the pig house from residential buildings. It is usually installed at a distance of at least 12-15 meters from the housing, at the end of the site. Well, if there is agreement between neighbors, then it is possible to agree on the location of farm buildings for the cultivation of animals in about one area of ​​the territories and thereby avoid mutual reproaches and quarrels.

Remove from the house a pigsty, as well as other buildings for animals and birds, it is necessary for several reasons:

- To make the unpleasant smell do not enter the living quarters.

-To protect your home from a large number of flies and other insects that are always near animals.

- In addition, the appearance of rats can not be ruled out, since in pig pens there is always something to profit from.

Pig building

Pile foundation

After determining the installation site, you can proceed to the preparatory works in the construction area.

If you plan to make a small pigsty, then the ribbon or columnar foundation will suit it, since there will not be a heavy load on it, and it is not necessary to make it too deep. When building a large pig-breeding complex, the foundation must be completed, deepening the tape into the ground no less than 700 ÷ 800 mm.

The work on the arrangement of the foundation for the walls is carried out as follows:

• The first step in the terrain is marking the location of the foundation and its width.

• Further, along the planned lines, on the width of the foundation, a layer of fertile soil is removed to a depth of 150 ÷ ​​170 mm.
• If a pipe to drain the waste is pumped to the pigsty, then the direction of its installation from the future structure to the sewage pit is immediately indicated. Before digging ditches under the laying of pipes from the surface, you also need to remove the top layer of the soil. The trench itself is excavated simultaneously with the foundation pit under the foundation.
• If it is planned to conduct water in a pigsty, then for a water pipe the trench is also digging at the stage of the excavation. But that the water was in the structure all year round, then the room should be well insulated. The pipe itself in the ground must pass through the level of freezing of the ground, usually not less than 500 ÷ 600 mm.

• After the pit and trenches are ready, you must immediately perform the laying of pipes. The sewage pipe is brought to the drainage point inside the future room, and the water pipe to that area inside the pigsty where the edge will be installed. The ends of pipes must be temporarily closed, tying them with polyethylene, so that they do not hit the ground.

How to erect the strip foundation

Next, you can proceed to pouring the foundation. How to do it correctly, and what this process will be necessary for, it is possible to find out by reading the article of our portal devoted to to the independent erection of the strip foundation .

Peculiarities of floors in a pigsty

The floor in a pigsty machine can be arranged differently. To choose one of the options, you need to consider the most common.

The first version of

This method can be called the most difficult, as it will take a lot of effort to make it work.

In the interior of the ready-made strip foundation, it is necessary to install brick posts, which will become a reliable support for the flooring of the grating floor. Between the walls of the belt foundation an inclined surface is formed towards the opening of the sewage pipe. The slope can be directed to the center of the space, where the sewage pipe must be connected, or a place for the gutter is arranged along the central part of the sub-floor. In the latter variant, the slope is made only from two opposite walls to the trough, which is sent to the drain pipe. When using a chute, the sewer hole should be placed near the wall, which is located closer to the sink pit.

• To form the desired slope, first remove the soil at an angle of about 30 degrees.
• Then, on the ground of the formed slopes, rubble is laid and carefully compacted. Above the gravel is reinforced mesh with cells measuring about 60 ÷ 70 mm. It is fixed by means of a rigid steel wire bent in the form of a loop, gently hammered into the ground.
• Next, a coarse layer of cement slurry is poured onto the net. After hardening, it will become the basis for the upper covering of the slopes with concrete, which is leveled and smoothed out with a special trowel.
• If the drain is conceived in the form of a gutter passing in the middle of the whole underground space, it is also located under the slope towards the sewage pipe and is formed simultaneously with the lateral slopes.
• After hardening of the cement leveling layer, the waterproofing material is placed on the surface of the columns, which will protect them from the ingress of animal waste.

• . On top of the posts are fixed wooden blocks - logs, pre-treated with water-repellent compounds. Above them are fixed boards, with a thickness of 35 ÷ 40 mm, also impregnated in advance with special solutions and well dried.

In addition to wooden floors for the arrangement of flooring, it is possible to use plastic lattice panels. They are more durable and hygienic than wood, easily installed on special plastic lags or metal corners fixed to the foundation and brick posts.

You can also use concrete grating plates or metal, welded from a rod or fittings.

Concrete slabs are quite heavy, and they are not easy to assemble. They fit on prepared for them concrete or steel bridges, which connect the retaining posts.

Metal grilles are made by welding and are laid on a skeleton made of corners.

The most important advantage of gratings is that cleaning the floor in pigsties will be easy enough. For this process, only a hose with water is required, which is supplied under high pressure, for example, from a mini-sink. A powerful stream of water removes even dried mud from the coverings and sends it through the grilles to the sewer.

The second floor option

The simplest flooring for a pigsty is a surface leveled and reinforced with a reinforced concrete screed, partially covered with wooden boards fixed to the logs.

Rules for pouring concrete screed

How to properly arrange a reliable concrete screed with waterproofing and thermal insulation? All this can be learned from a special publication of our portal.

Board boards mounted on a secure concrete surface and insulated with straw or hay will be an excellent place for sleeping piglets, and one of the corners of the concrete floor animals will be bowed to the toilet.

Some farmers cover with wooden removable shields, in which the boards are fixed at a distance of 12-15 mm from each other, the entire concrete floor.

Planking boards are mounted on sufficiently high logs or support posts so that under "clean" floor a sufficiently large space is formed, in which animal wastes will accumulate. The rough floor is made under a slight slope, so the liquid does not stay on it, but flows into a trough installed outside and also tilted towards the sewage pipe.

1 - drainage channel for liquid waste;

2 - a visor mounted on the wall and preventing the spraying of waste;

3 - elements of drainage system, filtering liquid waste;

4 - grating floor;

5 - manure;

6 - ventilation pipe.

To conduct thorough cleaning of such a floor, wooden boards rise and take to the street, where they are well washed and dried. Well, the accumulated waste on the rough floor is removed to the humus for humus, and then the concrete floor is washed with water and dried.

The third version of the floor

For this version of the floor arrangement, too, a concrete base is used, on which a wooden floor is installed. This flooring is mounted under a slope to one of the walls along which a trough tilted towards the sewer pipe is embedded. On the wooden floor waste will flow into the trough, and already from it already enter the sewage pipe.

Floors in a pigsty are recommended to be done on the same principle as in bathhouse cleaning areas. At the same time, it should be taken into account that only water leaves the bath from the bath, and when cleaning pigsty machines, solid wastes go to the sewage system, so the sewage pipe must have a corresponding diameter.

Whichever version of the floor is chosen, it should be warm, therefore, even when choosing a concrete coating, it is recommended to separate it from the soil with a heat-insulating layer of expanded clay.

Walls for the pigsty

For the construction of the walls of the pigsty, it is necessary to choose a material that is capable of keeping heat in the room as much as possible. These include wood, gas silicate blocks, rubble stone and bricks. Walls erected from any of the listed materials require external insulation and interior decoration.

From inside the surface of the walls, depending on the material from which they are erected, they can be paneled or plastered. Finishing materials recommended to cover the top with freshly lime, which is considered an excellent disinfectant.

Since the temperature inside the pigsty must be positive, the walls are outside insulated. For this, mineral wool, polyurethane foam and other thermal insulation materials are used. The technology of using them is different for everyone.

Than to insulate the walls from the outside?

The assortment of heaters for outdoor installation of thermal insulation is very wide. About what materials for insulation of external walls of are used, is described in detail in the corresponding article of our portal.

Ceiling of a pigsty house

The arrangement of the ceiling directly determines the humidity and temperature in the building. In the pigsty, the ceilings are arranged so that they can protect the animals during the summer from overheating, and in winter - from the rapid cooling of the room, since the temperature in them is usually maintained at a level of not less than 18-20 degrees.

The material for ceiling installation must have such qualities as low thermal conductivity, minimal hygroscopicity, fire safety and strength.

Therefore, quite often the ceiling is a system consisting of several layers. The main of them can be:

• Concrete-expanded clay reinforced slab, in the event that the walls are built of bricks;
• Wood - joists of beams from a timber or slab and a wooden paneling.

In the event that a ceiling is made of boards, they must be taken from the attic side, smeared with clay mortar and insulated with a twenty-centimeter layer of sawdust - these materials are "breathable" and have low thermal conductivity.

On the ceiling side, the ceiling should be whitewashed with lime, which not only protects the wood from harmful insects, but if there are roof leaks, it will help to immediately determine their location.

If the attic is durable, the attic can be used to store hay or straw for litter, feed, and various animal care equipment for winter. Entry to the attic is recommended to be done from inside the pigsty, and not outside, as in the winter when you open the door of the attic room will quickly become damp.

pigsty roof The most optimal, proven roof covering material is slate. It has the lowest thermal conductivity of all existing modern coatings. Of course, you can use ceramic tiles, but its cost will scare away any owner.

The roof rafter system must have sufficient overhangs to protect the walls from excessive moisture from rain or melting snow. The overhangs of the roof must extend beyond the plane of the walls by at least 200 mm.

In regions with warm winters, many farmers prefer to install a shed roof over a pigsty, without a used attic. In areas with severe winters, such a roof construction will not work, since a too small air gap will be created between the attic ceiling and the roofing system, and all the heat from the room will quickly escape through the ceiling.

Interior equipment of the pigsty

Pig ventilation system

Any size pigsty can not do without normal ventilation. Even the smallest room is ventilated with the help of windows and a door opening in the summer, and for winter two ventilation openings are built in the walls or ceiling. The ceiling opening is connected to the ventilation pipe, which rises to 1500 ÷ 2000 mm above the roof surface.

When drawing up a plan for the ventilation system, it needs to be remembered that the larger the pigsty area, the more intensive the ventilation should be, since for the normal development of the animals they need not only warmth but fresh air. It helps to prevent overheating of pigs in the summer and to remove from the premises harmful substances released during the decomposition of manure.

In order for the ventilation system to be effective, a ventilation pipe with a diameter of 120 ÷ 150 mm must be installed for every 25 ÷ 30 m² of the room.

There is natural and forced ventilation. The natural system works at the expense of correctly placed holes on opposite walls and does not require connection to mechanical drives. Forced ventilation also involves the installation of fans, which provide intensive inflow and discharge of air.

For different size areas, there are several types of ventilation: shaft, transverse, longitudinal and corridor. Corridor is called all types of ventilation, where air enters the pigsty not directly, but from a heated or cold corridor located in the neighborhood, through gaps arranged in the wall or between the wall and the roof.

Mine ventilation system

This type of ventilation is usually installed by specialists and can be operated both manually and automatically. If automatic control is installed, it becomes possible to easily and quickly control the intensity of the air flow entering the room.

The influx of air into the pigsty is through narrow windows located at the top of the opposite walls. Windows can be closed with blinds or have a window leaf that opens and locks in different positions.

The extraction of exhaust air from the pigsty occurs through the ventilation duct of the pipe, mounted in the ceiling and rising above the roof. In the exhaust duct, a roof or axial fan is installed, which has several operating modes( speed of rotation).Therefore, the ventilation can be adjusted by setting the desired mode, depending on the temperature of the air in the street.

Ceiling-distributing ventilation system

This type of ventilation system is more efficient for installation in rooms with a maximum area of ​​12 m. Fresh air enters the pigsty through a window located at the top of the wall and equipped with adjustable shutters.

The exhaust pipe with the fan mounted in it is installed near the opposite wall of the wall, and its lower opening rises above the floor by 350 ÷ 400 mm.

Most often this system is arranged in such a way that it covers not only a pigsty, but an attic space. For this, the wall on which the window is located is separated from the pigsty by a partition, but is connected by a lumen with an attic. To allow fresh air through the attic to enter the animal room, a perforated ceiling is fixed. Due to this design, air in the room will not fall into one intense flow, but scatter through the holes in the ceiling throughout its area.

A heating device is installed under the suction window in a separate room. Hot air coming from it upwards will contribute to the intensity of the movement of air masses to the attic, and through it to the pigsty. In addition, the work of the heater is another plus to the heating system.

Ceiling-and-underfloor ventilation system

is used. Ceiling-and-underfloor ventilation has the same principle of operation as a ceiling-distributing system, but there are some differences. This system is installed in the case if the lattice floor is arranged in a pigsty, and the space below it serves as a collector of animal waste. In order to reduce the smell from the discharge under the floor, the exhaust ventilation pipe is lowered there, so that it is located 150 to 200 mm above the roughing floor. In the ventilation exhaust duct, at a height of 300 mm from the lattice cover, a fan is mounted, which helps draw all the unpleasant odors, not only from the pigsty room, but also from the underground space.

Transverse ventilation system

The principle of this ventilation is the passage of fresh air across the room, and it is suitable for a small pigsty, since it covers a small area.

Air enters the pigsty from an adjacent, heated room, through the gap between the partition and the roof. The heating device is located under the window, which is closed by a special screen guiding the cold air from the open opening down. In the lower part of this room, the streams heat up and rise up to the gap under the roof, enter the pigsty, cross it across and rise into the ventilation shaft, which has a fan inside it that draws the exhaust air and takes it out to the street.

Partitions for machine tools

Partitions between machines are made of different materials - this can be wood, metal pipes or round bars, as well as panels or pipes made of PVC.

Wooden partitions are short-lived, as pigs and even adult pigs often chew boards. In addition, wood absorbs moisture well, and from this point of view it is not hygienic enough, since it can accommodate various insects and pathogenic microorganisms.

Metal partitions are durable, durable and easy to clean, but they are much more expensive than wood and require periodic painting.

PVC panels and tubes are a fairly new type of partitions, but have already shown their operational efficiency. PVC is inert to the aggressive environment, which is especially important for compliance with sanitary norms. The material is mechanically strong and easily mounted and dismantled, in addition, it is easy to clean and not hygroscopic.

Lighting of the pigsty

The impact of sunlight on the animal organism, as well as of all living things, occurs through the neuro-humoral system. With a sufficient amount of ultraviolet light, the normal process of hematopoiesis occurs, the intensity of metabolic processes increases, and the piglets are rarely ill with rickets and their development is much better.

Lack of light adversely affects the growth of pigs, reduces their sexual activity and slows the process of fertilization. Therefore, if a farmer is engaged in breeding pedigree pigs, then it is necessary to provide a pigsty with 18-hour lighting per day.

However, scientists have proven that when growing animals for meat, they give higher weight gain, if kept in poorly lit or dark rooms.15% more internal and subcutaneous fat is deposited in them than in pigs grown under the conditions of a daylight simulation, which occurs by means of electrical appliances, with the same feeding. Therefore, for animals kept for fattening, the lighting of the pigsty is carried out only for 12 hours a day.

In order to get the necessary amount of sunlight in the pigsty, the windows are made small and the total area of ​​the glazing is calculated in proportions relative to the floor 1:10.The degree of illumination of the room is also affected by factors such as a smooth whitewashed wall, reflecting light at 85%, while the gray - only 35%, and dark or moldy surfaces, and at all by 20%.Therefore, in order to save on electricity, it is recommended to carefully monitor the cleanliness of the walls and their light coating.

Lighting devices are mounted above the machines where the animals are located. It is desirable to equip luminaires with luminous intensity adjustment systems, as well as the ability to approximate or remove light sources from animals.

The most commonly used in infra-red lighting and heating of a pigsty, the lamps are IRZ-220 and 500, DRVE-200 and IRKK-220 and 250. The optimal height of their location from the floor when heating the piglets is one meter. Such lamps are switched on for an hour and a half with interruptions of 30 ÷ 40 minutes - the heating mode depends on the overall temperature in the room and the conditions for growing animals.

When there is a lack of sunlight, ultraviolet radiation lamps, such as PRK-G, PRK-2, ESV-15 and 30, LER, are switched on. Excessively long exposure of these lamps to animals harms their health, therefore ultraviolet is always given in doses.

Heating of the

pigsty If the structure of the pigsty is well insulated and the ventilation is correctly arranged, in a small room even in winter the temperature is kept within 20-22 degrees of heat even in the absence of heating. This is because adult animals produce a sufficiently large amount of heat. To heat the same pigs use infrared lamps and heated mats.

pigsty If pig production is carried out in regions with very cold winters, heating in a pigsty is necessary, and it is realized with the help of various electrical appliances or by the construction of a small oven.

From electrical appliances, the most optimal option is the use of convectors, which promote the circulation of heated air through the room. It is especially important to provide additional heating in the event that the farm is expected to replenish or already have small pigs.

Feeders and drinkers for pigs

Feeding of pigs can be called the main factor of their life, therefore the design of feeders for them should be carefully thought out, with mandatory consideration of the location of installation of this device.

• The size of the feeder directly depends on the number of individuals in the pigsty, their age and the size of the room. If there are one to three pigs, then one trough of medium length in 600-700 mm is sufficient for them. If there are more heads, the feeder is lengthened at a rate of approximately 200 mm per individual. Usually the depth of the trough for feeding is 220 ÷ 250 mm, and the width is from 350 to 400 mm.
• For the convenience of cleaning feeders from food residues, it is best to choose containers with a rounded bottom, and having a small slope to one side.
• The feeder should be stable, so if it has a small weight, it should be fixed to the floor, otherwise the animals will constantly turn it over.
• The feeder can be made of wood, metal or plastic. The wooden container will not last long, as the pigs chew it, or it can quickly swell from the liquid food. If a metallic version of the container is chosen, it must be made of stainless or enameled metal. Plastic capacity can be called the optimal option, but the material must be of high quality.

• Often in the upper part of the trough are made jumpers. They are necessary to ensure that animals do not climb into the feeder completely and do not pollute the food.

• Tanks should be periodically cleaned and rinsed - this must be done at least once a week. Usually this procedure is carried out with the help of a strong pressure of water from the hose.

No less important for the normal growth of pigs is water, so it is necessary to organize well its uninterrupted feeding, as well as the availability of piglets to it. If water is not enough for animals, serious problems will appear that can lead to their death due to disturbances in digestion, constipation, respiratory diseases and overheating in the summer.

Devices for providing pigs with drinking water may differ in design.

• Cup drinkers can be called the most common option, as they are easy to use and clean. The design of this system is designed for rational and economical water consumption, its constant freshness and purity, as well as uninterrupted supply to animals.

• Nipple or nipple drinkers have a more complex structure, which includes a water supply unit, a filter, a pressure regulator, and directly the pipes for water supply. Such drinkers can be purchased in specialized stores or assembled according to a scheme that is easy to find on the Internet.

Pads for walking

animal paddock to the pigsty. If it is decided to make a paddock field, then, as mentioned above, it is usually located at the back of the pigsty. To do this, it is necessary to plan it even at the stage of determining the location of the shed, in order to determine the required area in advance.

The site must have a guard rail and be equipped with a container for food and water. Animals walk daily, except for days with rainy and too cold weather. Such walks increase immunity in animals, promote rapid growth and development.

Usually, paddock platforms are arranged only in a private farm with a small number of animals. On larger livestock farms, pigs are more often grown in the premises, creating conditions for them that maximally imitate the street - this is proper conditioning and lighting.

In conclusion, it must be said that this sphere of animal husbandry is quite difficult for ignorant newcomers, and starting to grow pigs, it will be nice to have a number of experienced farmers who will share their experience, check the construction of the pigsty and the initial care of animals. Otherwise, the effort, and a lot of money spent on the purchase of young animals and building materials, can simply be "thrown into the wind."

And as a bonus - two video scenes in which the owners of small pigstories share some secrets of their construction:

Video: two examples of the creation and equipment of small pigsties