How to build a pigsty with your own hands
Building a pigsty on a small farm is not difficult. Even a beginner can make an estimate and make a project, the main thing is not to spare time and effort on a pigsty with his own hands.
DIY pigsty
Aviaries and cages for pigs must protect animals from bad weather and not pose a threat to their lives. Pigs only get sick from farmers who have not bothered about ventilation or heating of the pen. The right pig shed is a place where animals are warm, cozy and safe.
Important points when building
The pigsty is the place where the animal spends most of its life, so the health of the pigs depends on how warm and clean it is in the barn. In the pigsty, individuals spend the most difficult stages of life: they hibernate and care for their offspring. That is why a number of factors must be taken into account when building a home.
So, everyone interested in how to build a pigsty with their own hands should consider the following:
- A pigsty drawing is a conditional building diagram. It includes the systems and add-ons that pigs really need.
- The room must have proper ventilation systems and an area in which animal feed will be placed.
- Do not keep too many pigs in the shed or combine different breeds. It is necessary to calculate in advance the separate compartments for different types.
- It is also important to take care of the future cleaning process. In open-air cages with unsanitary conditions, pigs are very often sick.
A pigsty for a farmer is an indicator of the work of the entire farm. If a person cannot equip a barn with pigs, then it is not worth taking on the breeding of pigs. What does the design of a new barn depend on? The number of animals, weather conditions and the size of the entire farm yard. If the room is dirty, damp or cramped, it will not be suitable for such animals. Pigs cannot be kept in such a shed, otherwise one will have to doubt the quality of the meat products obtained. It is in the farmer's best interest to provide the animals with adequate living conditions in the pen.
The farmer must provide the animals with good living conditions
Build errors
As the number of livestock grows, so does the pigsty. Even the novice farmer knows that animals grow less well in cramped conditions. If you build a pigsty like a barn for any other animals, you will not be able to avoid diseases of the livestock. Improper ventilation leads to the formation of fungus, which affects the health of both adults and young animals.
A barn with pigs for the winter is also equipped according to a certain scheme. Insulating walls and floors is a farmer's primary concern. If the flooring of the pigsty is well insulated, then it is difficult to clean it in the summer. The litter in the warm season should be changed 2-3 times more often than in winter: The stagnant liquid creates an ideal environment for the reproduction of pathogenic microorganisms and bacteria.
The common barn is not suitable for keeping sows and young animals. Discreet breeders should separate the main barn from designated sections. You need to find out about how the right pigsty looks like, how to build it and how to insulate it before construction.
In advance, the farmer draws up a diagram or drawing that provides all the necessary systems for cleaning the pigsty's pens, ventilating the main room and removing heat. They build a pen for pigs according to ready-made schemes or according to their own plan. It is important that the drawing of the pigsty takes into account all the needs of the pigs.
Barn specifications and construction projects
It makes no sense to start building a pigsty without preparation. The pigsty plan includes a detailed diagram of the future design and a plan for the location of communications.
How to plan out the design of a barn? The pigsty project is drawn up at the first stage of preparation. Before proceeding with the planning of the structure, it is worth deciding on the loads on the entire structure. If the number of pigs living in a barn does not exceed 10 heads, then building a large pen is a waste of time and effort. Farmers planning to breed pigs should expand the pigsty in advance so that they do not urgently finish building the barn.
In order to calculate the size of the barn, you need to consider the following parameters:
- The purpose for which pigs are bred. If the farmer raises only individuals for slaughter to obtain meat and lard (a delicious sandwich or a meat dish made from bad meat harms the human body), then animals can be settled in small aviaries, several pieces each. Sows need a separate space, fenced off from the rest of the pigs.
- In one section, the maximum number of animals should not exceed 25 heads. The constrained circumstances will harm the animals. In such pigs, weight gain decreases and weak immunity is noted.
- Conditional calculation. On average, one healthy individual is allocated up to 1 sq. m. It is impossible to reduce this indicator, otherwise neither an experienced farmer nor a beginner will be able to breed healthy offspring.
- The size of each section is calculated with an area of at least 4 sq. m.
If it is not difficult to decide on the area of the future pig pen, then the interior and exterior decoration of the premises needs special attention of the farmer. Construction begins with the preparation of materials and basic details. The layout and layout of future industrial or mini-sheds will reduce the amount of time allotted for construction. To equip a pen, you should take care of what kind of lighting, heating and ventilation will be inside the building. Factors such as temperature or humidity determine the well-being of an animal of any age. A pig can live in bad conditions, but not to bring the desired profit to a person.
Pig Barn Requirements
How to insulate a barn? This is facilitated by the overall construction of boards, cement blocks and foam. At the same time, lighting needs additional installations, which are provided by the construction scheme. The temperature must create a special internal microclimate, otherwise the pigs will constantly hurt.
Building pigsties is not difficult if you plan out all the construction in advance. What should be considered at the stage when the structure is just being built?
For pigs living in a barn all year round, you should equip a pen for walking. Such an area must be fenced and properly planned. A corral is made of boards or durable materials. The structure is being erected as a one-piece shed with a corral, therefore, the walking area should be equipped immediately, and not after the arrangement of the shed. It is best to equip the walking area along the wall (the longest part of the structure). The common roof of the pigsty should cover all areas, protecting the premises from external negative factors. When laying the foundation for the pigsty, the sow pen is 10 sq.m, and for individuals of the herd (by the number of heads) - 1.5 sq. m for each pig.
It is not worth making a pen that is too large for walking, because the heating in the pigsty, thanks to the installed devices, ensures proper heating. A large corral (incorrectly sized) violates the microclimate. When organizing heating of the pigsty, the farmer should consider the dimensions for the walk.
Place for walking
The lighting of the pigsty is provided by lamps in the cold season, but in the summer you can get by with natural light. Installed windows allow for natural ventilation. Projects of the future construction will help to plan money spending and the average time allotted for construction. Experienced farmers and beginners who plan to breed a large number of pigs are also building a pigsty with their own hands.
When making a pigsty at home, you need to equip several zones in which feeders and drinkers will be placed. It is much easier to clean the floor in pigsties if the construction plan (correctly calculated pigsty size) includes replaceable blocks on the floor. You can also use a ready-made construction plan. The beginner will only have to substitute the dimensions he needs and start building the structure.
Selection of materials for construction
The layout of the pigsty includes the selection of building materials. The construction of a pigsty cannot consist only of boards, and in some cases the dimensions of a pigsty, in which many pigs will live, are calculated taking into account sudden changes in temperature. To build a pigsty with your own hands, you will need to acquire building materials in advance. The structure is erected using:
- cement;
- sand and gravel;
- cuts of boards or natural wooden beams;
- roofing materials;
- foam blocks.
You will need tools to build a barn. A drill, screws, drills will help you complete a typical project on time. The dimensions of the room, the automation of internal systems and communications will allow you to create a reliable, not temporary structure. First of all, the foundation is laid, then the walls are equipped, and then the ceiling.
Simple structures have their own heating (autonomous heating) and lighting system. Piggies should not depend on other farm animals.
A do-it-yourself shed for Vietnamese pigs takes up a much smaller area. Burning and heating such a room is cheaper. The ceiling for small rocks can be made lower and the pen can be made smaller.
Construction
At the time of laying the foundation, the construction plan must be finally approved. The future design provides for easy cleaning and replacement of individual parts of the barn. First of all, the farmer equips the paddock so as to spend less time cleaning it in the future (cleaning is carried out at least 2 times a week). It is more difficult to build a frame project with your own hands. Hoods are provided in such designs, and farmers are obliged to make automated air extraction.
Features of building a pigsty
It is better to equip a barn in the country without high costs away from home. In winter, the construction of the barn is not started, because the materials are more expensive and the construction process itself is not complete without delays. The use of polycarbonate in construction prevents many problems (bacteria grow less).
A farmstead for a large livestock must be made separately from the rest of the farm. The farmer needs to allocate space for walking the pigs. Piglets need fresh air even in winter, so it's not worth making an insulated barn.
An air exhaust system for large corrals is best done without purchased units. Such a device is more expensive and will require hired workers to install it. A homemade system is better and more economical, but only an experienced farmer can make it.It is better not to keep a large livestock in a private house if the size of the suburban area is small. Piglets need a spacious pen and a whole system for removing polluted air and excess moisture (so that dangerous biobacteria do not multiply). The device of a shed for piglets from the photo will make it possible to understand which types of structures are the simplest and most affordable. Photos and diagrams of pens for piglets are easy to find on various Internet resources.
Manual
The answer to the question of how to build a pig shed with your own hands involves following several stages. To build a shed for pigs, you need to understand what the structure consists of and in what sequence you need to install it. You can equip a cheap panel shed within a few days. Subsequent disinfection will allow you to equip a barn for settling pigs. The standard construction includes a foundation, a solid ceiling (top is a roof) and walls. Wall equipment is the last stage of construction.
The arrangement of the barn takes place step by step, and the farmer allocates several days for the construction and equipment of the pigsty.
How to build a comfortable pigsty? The first step is to organize the correct operation of the entire construction.
DIY pig shed
Where does the construction of a structure begin? A warm pen is built in several stages:
- Foundation. If the farmer has decided on the land (size and allotted area), the foundation should be poured. Hollow or solid, it will form the backbone of the entire structure. Cement is used for filling. The depth of the base is about 70 cm, and the height is about 30 cm. You cannot use the cuts of the boards for the foundation.
- Walls. Walls can be made from boards or by filling in separate blocks of cement. The preferences depend on the needs of the farmer and his capabilities. Wooden structures need additional heating, and concrete blocks are much easier to process. For the stability of the structure, sleepers or fittings are used. A modern piglet shed is built only from high-quality building materials. Materials determine the durability of the room.
- Roof (roof). A pitched roof is the best option for a durable structure. Ceiling materials are selected for strength and stability. A leaking roof is the biggest threat to a room. It is not recommended to make separate attic structures under the ceiling. Moisture-resistant materials will provide a warm microclimate in the barn throughout the year.
- Filling the floor. At home, the floor is filled with cement. Gone are the days when pig sheds were strewn with earth or decking. The best option for cleaning quickly and not stinking is to make a self-leveling cement floor. Under these conditions, a home barn will not take a long time from the farmer. Cleaning the pen is easy, but only when the materials selected for the floor are moisture resistant. Every meter of the protected floor is safe for the animal to chew on the wood flooring. Concrete is poured in 2 layers for greater strength.
- Finishing. External finishing - the final stage of construction. Finishing materials are selected by price. It should be spent on external processing only in cases where it is necessary to provide additional protection from moisture or negative environmental factors. Thermal insulation allows you to avoid diseases in pigs and maintain the correct microclimate in the room.
The animal body is very susceptible to changes in temperature, therefore heating and lighting in the pigsty is most important for the piglets.
Heating and ventilation
It will be possible to build a pigsty and provide heating to pigs if lighting and heating are provided. The temperature in the pigsty must be controlled in two ways: natural and artificial.Additional lighting heating is needed only in the cold season, and if a pigsty for 2 heads with your own hands can be built without taking into account these requirements, then the device of a pigsty for industrial purposes presupposes compliance with all requirements.
It is possible to build a pigsty without autonomous systems, but any failures in the heating system are fraught with the loss of the entire livestock of pigs. The pig barn is heated with lamps or heaters. Concrete is harder to build, but safer for animals. It does not need an additional protective flooring in case any system fails.