In Canada, the trend in swine production is toward totally enclosed, well-insulated buildings with controlled ventilation. Pigs have specific temperature and space requirements depending on the age and stage of growth. For this reason, buildings are usually partitioned into rooms where each age group can be housed in the best possible environment.
Canada Plan Service swine plans show the various components
that satisfy the needs of each age group or each part of the
production cycle.
Dry sows are confined either in group pens or in individual
pen stalls for much of the gestation period (16 weeks). Pen
stalls prevent fighting and competition for feed during the
breeding-gestation period. To improve breeding, intermix boar
pens with sow pens to promote sexual stimulation by sight,
hearing, smell and touch.
Standard-size farrowing pens (with a crate to confine the sow and a creep area for the piglets) can be fitted into one-room systems for small herds, or into multiple-room systems for large operations.
Farrowing barns must have good pen drainage and a separate
warm creep to ensure the piglets' comfort without overheating the
sow.
In small operations the weanling area may be a part of the farrowing barn. In larger operations, one or several specialized weanling rooms let the producer maintain the warmer environment preferred by the weanling pig.
Weanling pigs must be kept especially clean to maintain good
health. The traditional way to do this was to use ample bedding
and clean the pens frequently. Now, pens with slotted, perforated
or mesh floors (without bedding) are used to keep pigs clean
enough at this stage.
Growing and finishing pigs develop better housekeeping habits
in long narrow pens. Pens can be as small as 1.5 x 4.8 m (5 x 16
ft) for 20 growers or 10 finishers. Larger pens and
correspondingly larger groups may be used but the pen length must
remain at least 2.5 times the width. Pigs stay cleaner on totally
slotted floors, but if only part of the pen is slotted, they
suffer fewer foot injuries and make better gains on less feed.
The pigs' dunging habits also improve if solid pen partitions
surround three sides of the sleeping areas and open partitions or
gates divide the dunging-watering areas.
Included with this plan are data tables summarizing:
Swine Housing Leaflet (Metric
and Imperial)
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