If you ever think of building a pig stable, here are some tips to do it with a little bit of sense and not by chance. It seems trivial, but it is not, as happens with many jobs related to agriculture and breeding, when you start doing them you understand that they are not at all operations without a certain complexity. We are not building a cathedral or even a palace but the pig stable is important that it is comfortable and practical , for us and for the animals it houses.
Pig shed
Stable (from the Latin stabulum ) is a building used as a shelter for animals, in our case these animals are pigs, not all stables are the same but have characteristics linked to their guests as well as to the terrain in which they are located and the climate that reigns in the area. We often talk about “stable” to indicate the place used for the maintenance, feeding and rest of cattle, we can calmly talk about pig stables and goat stables but there are also specific names.
For pigs (and similar) the term pigsty is used to refer to the stable, for sheep it is called a sheepfold, for goats it is called a goat pen , for poultry in general it is called a chicken coop , for rabbits a rabbit hutch. For cattle, however, the term stable remains the most appropriate.
Pig barn: how to build it
First of all, the pig barn that we want to build must be a dry and safe place for our animals to live, it must protect them from the elements without making them feel too much like they are in prison, stuck together, with no room to move. In fact, let’s take into account that an adult pig needs at least 6 square meters of space, even if during the design phase it would be better to count 10, which are the ideal ones for a pig of modest size.
Our pigsty should be twice as long as it is wide and should be located near water sources, or better yet, it is better if we plan for the presence of water inside the fenced area, in the form of a pond . Something aquatic should be placed in the pig sty but it should be far from the feeder and the actual shelter for these animals so that no confusion is created.
It is a good idea to install a very strong wire fence around the pigsty. Just take the wire mesh for pigs , outline the area and then build a solid wooden fence around which you can later attach the 20 cm wire mesh inside. There are many who opt for the electric fence, it is actually an interesting option, to be considered without fear of harming these animals.
Pig farm stable
When raising pigs, whether professionally or amateur, it is important to take into account all their needs and not stop at simply feeding them. For example, we must be careful because they get sunburned if they are not protected from direct light, in winter they suffer from the cold . This makes us understand that it is necessary to provide for the presence of a covered structure that acts as a shelter, in the stable, and that is able to withstand wind and rain, but also the beating sun. What many breeders recommend is to calculate at least 6 square meters of shade with a roof that must not be higher than 80 cm.
The structure must be semi-closed , pay attention to the “semi” because if in winter a well-closed structure can be useful, in summer if it does not have a partial opening under the walls, it risks becoming a real hell of heat.
With small openings, air passes through, a draft is created and you can stay in the shade with a little breeze, a relief for the pigs too. As for the furniture, it is good to remember that in winter it might be useful to equip the pig stable with straw inside, to help the piglets stay warm.
In a good pig farm, the classic mud puddle, the one you see in children’s drawings, cannot be missing, because everyone knows that pigs like mud . So, in a part of the fenced area, we create a small enclosure around the mud pool to isolate it, then it must be kept “moist” by adding water once or twice a day and occasionally placing a layer of fresh sand at the bottom of the hole.
Pig barn: tips
There are some precautions that are good to know and apply, especially if this is our first pig stable. Do not throw food into the ditch where there is water to maintain a high level of hygiene and avoid possible diseases, as well as to reduce the presence of flies. We check that there is always mud which also reduces the risk of contracting fleas and we make sure that the pig is protected from the sun because too much heat can cause heart attacks.
We haven’t talked about manure management yet , a sore point that can’t be overlooked because a 450 kg pig produces about 75 kg of manure per day. What to do with it? We can use it to fertilize the garden or fields if we have it, if we don’t we can think about selling it to those who might need it, among farmers and gardeners.