Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
an expensive proposition, but it may be worth the expense if you intend to devote a great deal
of your business to raising hogs. You can obtain more specific building plans from your
county extension services agent. The University of Tennessee has some excellent building
plans online for many types of swine housing:
http://bioengr.ag.utk.edu/extension/extpubs/
The mobile pig house
Mobile pig houses cover many different kinds of housing units. Quonset-type huts can be
used successfully for raising pigs, as can hoop structures. Quonset huts are prefabricated,
lightweight structures made of corrugated galvanized steel. They are all-purpose buildings
that are easy to assemble, easy to move, and easy to clean. They are popular with livestock
producers who often use them to house livestock, to store farm equipment, and to store hay.
Hoop shelters have the added advantage that they provide good ventilation and plenty of nat-
ural light. You can keep sows or weanling pigs in these units or even use them to finish pigs
before butchering.
Farmers who pasture raise their pigs typically provide mobile pig houses that can be moved as
the pigs are rotated to different pastures or paddocks. For sows that farrow in the pasture, you
can provide farrowing huts. Some of these huts are built of wood on an A-frame construction
and slightly resemble a large doghouse. The sow can take possession of her farrow hut and
deliver in a natural way. These huts are easily moved and can be cleaned and used again as
needed.
Pasturing
There have been times in our history and in many parts of the world when pasture-raising pigs
was common. With this approach, pigs typically are turned out in the pasture and left to grow.
They grow more slowly than their confined counterparts, and they are exposed to the weather.
Pigs cannot thrive on pasture grasses or forage alone, so their diet must be supplemented with
feed.
There are a number of pros and cons to pasture raising pigs.
Benefits of pasture-raising pigs
• Pigs grow more slowly (meat has more flavor, distinct from commercial pork).
• Less early investment in buildings
