Making a pen for a sow
Anyone who is going to breed pigs will need a sow pen. A simple structure will help preserve and raise offspring without loss and disease. As a result, the business will flourish and delight in profit margins.
You can make a pen for a sow with your own hands or use ready-made structures from the store. The main thing is to know some of the subtleties when choosing or building. So how do you build a do-it-yourself sow pen?
What is the machine for?
Boars, like any animals, require special care and attention. Especially when it comes to young, recently born individuals. Little pigs are a lot of hassle. In the first days of life, they need to quickly accustom them to a specific nipple due to short-term milk flow: only 30 seconds. A piglet that does not grab its nipple remains hungry. It is also necessary to monitor the umbilical wounds, the general condition of the piglets and the newly born pig.
It is very important to make sure that the huge uterus does not crush its offspring. Only after a week will the piglets get stronger and independently be able to run away from the mother, who lies down. Based on the above facts of caring for pigs, we will answer the main question: "Why do we need a machine?"
- Security. The pigs are in different compartments and do not interfere with each other.
- Convenience. Ease of care and cleaning of sewage.
- Prevention of infection with diseases from adults.
Organization of the premises, stages of construction
A future mother needs space, the more soon she will farrow and 15 to 20 piglets will be born. For convenience, it is better to allocate a separate room for the farrowed sow and offspring, or at least protect it from adult boars by making a separate enclosure.
Making wooden fences with your own hands will not be difficult. There are stages of construction:
- creation of a drawing, a photo, video or diagram is taken as a sample;
- laying floors;
- construction of a pedestal;
- making and fixing the cage;
- fence;
- preparation of conditions for animals.
Appearance
Experienced farmers from all over the world use cages for newly farrowed pigs. Such cages should include keeping babies and adults, separating them before feeding in order to avoid crowding among young animals.
What the structure consists of:
- limiting cage, which fixes the animal during the feeding period of the cubs;
- a fence that restricts the movement of piglets throughout the house.
Manufacturing and materials
Making a pen for a sow should be made of durable materials; steel galvanized pipes are suitable. They can be purchased at a building store at an affordable price. The width of the finished product comes out about 70 cm, the height is 1.5 m, and the length is up to 2 m. It is important to think carefully about the place where the cage will be located: near the wall or in the middle. It is imperative to place the cage about 30 cm above the floor.After that, you can start work:
- pipes are connected by welding, suspensions and loops are taken for moving parts;
- mount the resulting structure to the wall using awnings and be sure to lift the cage above the floor;
- the pen for the sow is fenced, one of the walls is made movable for the entry of living creatures.
Particular attention must be paid to the floor. When building a new room, the screed should initially be poured slightly at an angle. In the future, this will help when cleaning the barn. The entire bottom of the sow pen should be slotted and the small podium should be planked. This will make it easier to clean up the sewage and keep the barn clean. The pig, immobilized by the structure, will relieve the need for a removable tray in the pedestal on which its cage is located.
Conditions of detention
For the comfortable keeping of livestock indoors, a number of conditions must be met. One of the main is the temperature regime; to comply with it, you will need an infrared lamp or an ordinary 150 W lamp. The equipment of the room also includes a luminaire. Temperature changes are measured with a room thermometer, the indicators should be kept within the range of 32-37 ° C.
You should also take care of a dry, soft bed for the uterus, because she needs good rest. A drinking bowl with water and a trough with food should be placed in the pen. It is required to monitor the amount of water in the sippy cup, constantly add the missing one. After farrowing, the sow, due to lack of fluid, may try to eat the piglet.
It is imperative to think about ventilation of the room, small pigs so need fresh air. Smells from animals need to be regularly eroded so that the stay in the shed is as comfortable as possible. Ventilation will also help prevent dampness and mold.
Generalization
After getting acquainted with the personal arrangement of the sow pen, everyone will undoubtedly be convinced of its necessity when growing and breeding pigs. To build a machine by hand, you need to try to try to use the most durable and environmentally friendly materials, accurate dimensions. The safety and health of the offspring depends on this factor.
The made cage must be checked for strength, it is also worth making sure that the welded metal structure does not have chips or pointed ends so that the animal does not get hurt. To prevent the pig from moving in the cage, the structure must be made as narrow as possible.
It is important to pay due attention to the floor in order to facilitate the cleaning work, make slots, equip a kind of sewage drain into a removable pallet. Having done this work, you can be sure that the pig will be clean and that it does not have to be washed of feces every time.
When building with your own hands, you should be patient and have a good drawing of the product, if you cannot draw on your own, you should look at the photo and video of the diagram. There are no problems at all with the choice of material for construction: in a modern building store, you can find any material that suits your budget.
The fence should be positioned so that the small piglets have a place to play, the width should be up to 2 m. It is also important to remember about the removable side or exit door. We must try to use every centimeter for the good of the cause.