Pig housing and maternity area

lakill Farm

OH has applied for pig licence, the backyard version.

I have bought 30ft x 8ft of pig slats as i plan to build a tank under the few pigs and also build a small shed with straw bedding for a sow (if in time we get one)

What size area does 2 or 3 fatteners need?
how much slurry does a fattener produce per week/month or year in litres or gallons

What size area does a sow need when pregnant (with no piglets at foot)

What size area (on straw) does a sow need when going to give birth and to rear the pigglets to weaning

How much slurry does a sow produce per week or month.

Plan is to have 2 pens of 2 fatteners and 1 slatted area for the sow and one straw bedded area for the sow near birth and while sucking.

I can also use the tank to get 5000G of pig slurry delivered for €50 instead of going to piggery and costing €45 for 2050G (if they have it) so its double use if you get me.

lakill Farm

i asked Reilig to move this to main forum as the small holders were been real shy :rolleyes:

gazahayes

Meant to post up last night. Space for fatteners would be around 9 square feet each roughly i'd say aim for at least enough space for 5 maybe 6 if you do start breeding you'll have around 11 or 12 average per litter and they'll have to be separated male from female.
As for the loose sow you might have to google that and the loose farrowing unit, but you will need a refuge for the piglets so the sow doesn't lie on them with a heat lamp.
For slurry you'd need an awful lot to fill a 5000 gallon tank.

lakill Farm

gazahayes wrote: »

Space for fatteners would be around 9 square feet each roughly i'd say aim for at least enough space for 5 maybe 6 if you do start breeding you'll have around 11 or 12 average per litter and they'll have to be separated male from female.
.

Cheers for that. Once i know the space i can work it out. I plan on trying to sell half the piglets out of a litter.

On the tank. Ill probably put in a 6ft tank. I dont think ill need to agitate pig slurry or am i wrong?

gazahayes

They tend to sh1t in the one corner but we generally use a jet on a lance for the power washer to break them up or lift one or 2 of the slats if their easy enough move and pump in water or the watery slurry. I work on a big pig farm so we pump slurry in and stir it up every month during the summer dirty job!

lakill Farm

i will try to get away without putting in an agitation point.

Any other tips? No experience at all except butchering about 8 years ago when in secondary school.

gazahayes

What size are the slats? If their suspended in the middle make sure the concrete is fairly sound.
Pig slurry eats concrete blocks and you'll end up with something like this!


There was around 55 weaners in this pen its around 12' x 16' only suitable for pigs upto 40 kgs

lakill Farm

the slats are 12" x 96" (1ft x 8ft) . They seem in great condition and no pigs on them in 10 years. i got the first 18 home on saturday. 12 more to collect this week.

grumpyfarmer

Just a quick question a small bit off topic. how come there is not much out door small scale pig rearing/finishing in this country? myself and the other half took a weeks driving holiday around Scotland last autumn and seen alot of it along the east coast from inverness down..

PatQfarmer

grumpyfarmer wrote: »

Just a quick question a small bit off topic. how come there is not much out door small scale pig rearing/finishing in this country? myself and the other half took a weeks driving holiday around Scotland last autumn and seen alot of it along the east coast from inverness down..

We did 3 pigs for meat last summer. Loads of great meat, not too much hassle. Nice animals.
Lakill, why not go the outdoor route? When selling, you won't be competing with the big pig outfits, just the smaller outdoor breeder.
And you don't need any more punctures carrying slats on that trailer:D:D

bbam

grumpyfarmer wrote: »

Just a quick question a small bit off topic. how come there is not much out door small scale pig rearing/finishing in this country? myself and the other half took a weeks driving holiday around Scotland last autumn and seen alot of it along the east coast from inverness down..

We did two last year and will be doing three this year.
It is common enough on a scale for houses but little outdoor commercial rearing that I'm aware of.