Pig Housing: Pens, Space and Comfort

Good housing is the difference between pigs that grow fast and pigs that fight, fall sick and lose weight. A dry, comfortable pen with enough space, shade and clean water keeps pigs healthy and growing. Here's what to get right.

Floor and drainage

A good pig pen starts with a dry, easy-to-clean floor with a slight slope so urine and water drain away. Concrete is durable and easy to wash, but it can get hot and hard, so a little bedding (dry straw or wood shavings) keeps pigs comfortable. Wet, muddy floors stress pigs, slow growth and invite disease.

Space per pig

Pigs need room to move, feed and rest without fighting. A common guide is roughly 1–2 square metres per growing pig, and more for a large sow. Overcrowded pigs grow slowly, fight and fall sick. Give each pig enough space and a clean, dry resting area.

The farrowing pen and creep area

A farrowing pen is where a sow (adult female pig) gives birth and nurses her piglets. It should be quiet, dry and sheltered. Add a creep area — a small space the piglets can reach but the sow cannot — with a heat lamp or extra bedding to keep piglets warm and safe from being laid on by the sow.

Ventilation, shade and a wallow

Pigs cannot sweat, so they overheat easily. Give them shade and a wallow (a shallow, wet, muddy area to roll in and cool off) in hot weather. Keep the pen airy but free of cold draughts, especially for young piglets.

Feeding and watering points

Put feeders and waterers where pigs can reach them without crowding, and keep them clean. Pigs are messy, so a sturdy trough fixed so it can't be tipped over saves feed and keeps the pen cleaner. Fresh, clean water should always be available.