How pig lovers will keep them will depend on the financial capabilities of the farmers. More common is the non-grooming system of keeping pigs, in which the latter spend their entire lives in a confined space (barn, barn, pigsty). The advantage of this option is the saving of production space, and it is used both in industrial production and sometimes at home, when the territory of a private courtyard is limited.
No-range system for keeping pigs
But a huge minus of this option is the limited movement of animals, the absence of any connection with nature, and therefore the not entirely organic development of piglets. In contrast to such a strict system, a more humane and gentle system was created – a walking system for keeping pigs.
The history of the pen system and its features
Back in the days of the Soviet Union, animal breeders experimentally proved the profitability and convenience of the widespread use of the practice of keeping pigs in summer camps, equipped in accordance with sanitary standards and requirements of that time. Today, corrals are built for this purpose without any problems.
The corral system is when animals are kept, fed, watered indoors, but they can freely enter pens or enclosures organized specially in the open air.
Peculiarity! The corral form of keeping pigs is the most acceptable in the summer. This is especially true for some breeds of pigs (for example, the Vietnamese bellied breed). Other breeds can be kept indoors, but it is still more convenient and practical to keep them in a spacious and comfortable pen.
Walking system
If free space permits in the vicinity of a barn or a pigsty, you can use a walking system for keeping pigs. In the conditions of a small domestic pig farm, it is easy to organize it: it is enough to put up a fence, an aviary or a corral.
Walking system for pigs
In pig breeding, the walking system is:
- regime, when each pig walks in a corral at a strictly defined time allotted to it according to the schedule;
- free, in which the pig has access to the paddock, which she can use unlimitedly at any time;
- unregulated – in this case, a semi-open pigsty is combined with a corral, and pigs can breathe fresh air all year round (but this is possible in the southern regions);
The animal is sent for walking individually or in groups formed according to one attribute. Usually in industrial pig breeding, where pork production is put on stream, free-range keeping is not practiced. This method is effective for breeders and at home, when pigs are trying to provide maximum comfort.
Preparatory stage of construction
To build a corral for pigs, you need to prepare in some way and draw up a plan of action. The most important thing to consider is that you need to build a corral away from residential buildings and various household lands. Otherwise, the smells from pigs and rotting waste of their life will constantly haunt you in the house. Like the pigsty itself, the paddock should be on firm ground mixed with gravel.
In advance, you need to take care of underground communications, wastewater, etc. Without fail, the corral must be planned away from sources of clean drinking water. Otherwise, after powerful downpours, washed away soil with mud masses and waste products can reach wells, lakes or other bodies of water.
The corral is being built away from sources of drinking water
The cleaning system deserves special attention. Excrement is usually removed manually, therefore, when planning the area of ββuXNUMXbuXNUMXbthe corral, one must take into account not only the number of heads, but also the number of workers. The area of ββββthe territory should allow one person to clean it in one go. Otherwise, it must be reduced to an acceptable level.
Important! A corral is a necessary attribute of any pigsty, its importance for pets is not overestimated at all. You canβt do without it if you are doing repairs in the barn. In summer, animals need fresh air and sunlight, their lack contributes to frequent colds and infectious diseases.
The erection of a paddock
You can create paddocks from various materials. Each has its own features and benefits.
Of wood
Theoretically, the corral for the owners of patches can be built from any material. But wood and boards for these purposes are undesirable. Pigs are restless creatures with an active lifestyle. They easily gnaw through such surfaces to continuous ugly holes.
The wall weakens over time, and the animals have a great chance to make a group escape, which will result in a massive destruction of agricultural land, as well as the death of the entire livestock. True, not all breeds are distinguished by such energy and expression, there are subspecies that are characterized by phlegm and sedateness.
So the Vietnamese representatives are known as exclusively cultural individuals: they are not inclined to gnaw or dig something. For their maintenance of strong pens is not required. The wooden option for these peaceful pigs is the right solution.
To build a wooden “room” for several heads of pigs, hardwood boards of a certain length, nails and wooden poles are needed. The latter need to be deepened into the soil by 20-40 cm. After the pillars are buried, boards are nailed to them.
wooden paddock
The gaps between the boards and stakes depend directly on the age category of the animals and their dimensions. It is clear that for kids they should be minimal, this will exclude the possibility of escape in the future. For adults, the most important thing is the power and durability of the boards, since large boars still like to rub their sides against any suitable objects. The owner of the livestock should at least occasionally check the pen for integrity.
From other materials
Other materials are allowed for the construction of pig pens. Often, a chain-link mesh is used for this purpose. The essence of the design is the same as in the previous version, only instead of boards – a grid, it is attached to wooden or metal poles using steel wire. The gate in the corral is made from the same chain-link, stretched over a wooden frame.
Brick is a quality building material. A high-quality brick partition is great for any breed of pig, it will not only protect pets from escaping, but also prevent wild animals from entering the corral. For this type of corral, it is necessary to build a small foundation on which brickwork is laid.
For laying bricks, cement mortar is kneaded. The masonry is made diamond-shaped so that air can walk between the bricks. Brick has too high thermal conductivity (like metal), which is why there is a need to build a pool on the paddock. In which pets could take a dip in hot weather to avoid overheating of the body and not get a heat stroke. This is of particular importance if the breed of pigs has a black skin, such individuals suffer from the sun’s rays more than others in the summer heat.
The place for cooling is figuratively called a swimming pool. There are no significant requirements for it. In fact, this is a small shallow hole that the owner of the pig farm is able to dig on his own. The depth of the pool is usually no more than a meter, this is enough for the pigs.
The area of ββββan artificial reservoir depends directly on the number of inhabitants of the corral, if the population is large enough, several pools are required. The quality of the water does not really matter: it does not have to be clean and transparent, it is only necessary to maintain the level of moisture in the bathing area. Pigs are big fans of mud baths, during bathing procedures the water in the pools will in any case become muddy and full of dirt – this is the perfect atmosphere for owners of patches.
Pigs need a “pool”
In any pens, a place must be provided for sheltering animals from direct sunlight. In order for the pets to have their own cozy shade, several trees should grow on the territory of the corral. Pig fruit trees like to undermine and gnaw the bark from them, it is better not to use them for this purpose. Ideally, these should be non-flowering plants, such as poplars or maples.
An obligatory attribute of the corral is a canopy, which provides the pigs with an artificial shadow. In the event that there are no trees on the territory, such an βinterior itemβ of the paddock is especially important. And the weather conditions in many regions of our country are quite changeable, there are heavy rains and sudden hail.
Pigs in such situations need places to retreat, their health and life directly depend on this, because large hailstones can cripple or even kill babies. Especially for these purposes, they make a canopy of durable tarpaulin, fasten it in such a way that no hurricane wind can blow it away.
Driving pigs into a paddock
You can distill pets in the paddock in the following ways:
- if the weather conditions allow, and the pigs live in the corral on an ongoing basis, then you can transfer the animals to the corral along a living corridor of friends, comrades and neighbors, who, holding hands, will become tightly in two lines opposite each other;
- you can build the same corridor from improvised means: perches, pegs, etc.;
- those who do not like to mess around with a temporary corridor can make a permanent transition corridor from the same materials as the corral itself; and then this corridor will become a continuation of the paddock.
Driving piglets into pens
Arrangement of a paddock
The pig pen is something close to nature, freedom, naturalism, so the floor in it should be natural, earthen. From the point of view of the workers who will have to clean up the excrement of the wards, this is not very easy and pleasant to do, but the pigs will be delighted – such a floor will help create the best conditions for them to keep on the street.
Important! In no case should you use concrete or wooden floors in the pen, lay tiles, taking care of the simplicity and speed of cleaning.
Concrete is very hot and on hot days animals can get burned from it, and modern cement also has an unpleasant feature – melting in the heat, it releases fumes that cause poisoning.
Wooden boards will quickly become unusable, as they will be affected by decay processes under the influence of dampness and constant excavation of pigs.
Tiles are fragile, and metal plates have much more cons than pros.
In arranging a corral for pigs, the following points should be considered:
- Since pigs are omnivorous animals and their appetite, as they say, is not a joke, anything can become food for them. Based on this, care must be taken to ensure that no small living creatures drop by to visit the pigs and become dinner for the latter. And of course, the corral must be well and firmly fenced so that the pigs themselves do not escape from it.
- Sows and boars are especially dangerous in this sense: during estrus, females show nervousness and anger, while males show aggressiveness.
- It is better to have reliable means of protection: bolts, constipation and even locks, since pigs are pets, but their behavior is always unpredictable. You should especially watch out for children, who are always curious and climb everywhere.
What is the corral for?
- Penned life increases immunity in pigs, animals are more energetic and resilient, and therefore it is logical that they grow and gain weight faster.
- The stay of the pigs in the corral protects them from the threat of catching an infection, and future pig mothers accumulate all the necessary substances for the birth of healthy offspring.
- The work and life of a pig farmer is simplified for a rather long period (from three to five months), since there is no need to think and take care of lighting, ventilation, the operation of the ventilation system, or worry about colds of pigs in drafts.
- For pig breeders-owners, these months of stay of the wards in the pen can, if desired, be very productive: you can carry out cosmetic or major repairs of the barn, barn, pigsty, clean the stalls, whitewash the walls, disinfect, deal with “parasitic tenants” – rodents and insects.
- Feeding and drinking are much easier in the fresh air.
In the fresh air, feeding and drinking are easier
Interesting facts about the life of pigs
Despite being domesticated by humans, pigs have the instincts of wild counterparts. There is evidence that confirms their ability to navigate in space over long distances, as if by a compass. In Yugoslavia, there was a funny case when one of the farmers bought a pig in the market. At night, the newly minted pet smashed his pen and went to the old place of residence. The owner found runaway animals more than 70 km from his land, in the previous owner’s pigsty. A similar situation occurred in Latvia. There, a small pig acted as a fugitive, who even had to swim across the river during the escape.
That is why you should not underestimate the role of premises for keeping these smart animals. The owner, who worries about his pets, will definitely think about the standard of living of pigs and come to the conclusion that the latter, like air, need an open corral – a kind of “veranda” for summer holidays.
The corral, in essence, is an extension to the main home of the pigs, which has reliable fences, a roof-canopy from the rain, a feeder and a drinker. By giving piglets the opportunity to be outdoors in the heat, a conscientious farmer demonstrates his concern for our smaller brothers and his desire to receive good dividends from his financial investments and the application of mental and physical strength.
