Pig housing and Facilities Flashcards
Housing of pigs must fulfil various functions namely ?
• Protection against the elements
• Supply feed, water
• Protection against other pigs (prevention of bullying)
• Protection of suckling pigs
• Facilitation of mating
• Caring of the pregnant sow
• Handling and removal of excreta
• Protection against diseases, parasites
• Prevent pollution of surrounding environment
• Provide good working environment for stockmen
Pigs lose heat to their environment through:
• Radiation
• Conduction (mostly through the contact with the floor)
• Convection (from body surface)
• Latent heat (evaporative water loss from the lungs)
Name the Five Freedoms:
• Freedom from hunger and thirst
• Freedom from discomfort
• Freedom from pain injury or disease
• Freedom to express most normal behaviour
• Freedom from fear and distress
Considerations when building a new piggery
• Environmental impact studies
• Animal welfare
• Impact on vehicle traffic
• Distance from closest rural residences etc.
Factors to consider when selecting a site for a pig
farm:
• Proximity to other farms and dwellings
• Distance from abattoir, feed/raw material suppliers
• Site topography, soil type and drainage
• Local climate
• Water availability
• Farms should be separated by at least 2 km and
preferably 5 km to minimise the risk of disease spread
by wild birds, vermin or airborne (?) transmission
On the site, the location and orientation of each building will
be affected by the following:
• Orientation. East–west alignment, especially in hot climates
• Prevailing wind direction
• Avoid valley bottoms in cold areas because of frost pockets
• Shelters around pig building interfering with ventilation. The minimum
separation is at least five times shelter height
• Building layout: Layout depends on pig traffic and feeding and manure
systems, with bulk bins sited close to the boundary fence for remote
filling
• Distance between buildings is governed by ventilation requirements
rather than disease transmission and five times building height is the
minimum
What is the ambient temperature at which pigs are comfortable ?
For pigs >10kg: Tc = 27-0.6H
Tc = Comfort temperature of the animal
H = Heat output
Effective temperature (Te) affected by:
• Rate of air movement
• Degree of insulation in roof and walls
• Floor type in lying areas
Cooling of pigs when it is too hot:
• Cooling pads are the most effective way of cooling a
piggery
• Can decrease house temperature with as much as 11°C
using evapo-transpiration cooling
• Decrease number of pigs per pen – all pigs must be able to
lie on side with extra space open
• Provide floor surface with low thermal resistance (solid
concrete floors)
• Increase rate of air movement (ventilation rate)
• Protect from radiant heat (provide insulated roof and walls)
• Paint roofs white
• Use reflective shade cloth, trees
• Wet floors
• Provide water sprays and drips
• Feed food in wet form
Feed nutrient dense feed high in fat
Heating of pigs:
• Decrease ventilation rate
• Increase stocking density
• Provide suspended/slatted floors
• Keep floors and bedding dry
• Insulate roof and walls
• Provide extra feed
• Provide lower density feeds (higher heat increment)
• Provide supplementary heat
What is the comfort temperature (Tc) of a piglet ?
30°C
What is the comfort temperature (Tc) of a sow?
15°C
What is the metabolic response to cold (Te
• Direct more feed energy from production (growth) to heat
production (cold thermogenesis)
• Body temperature is maintained at the cost of production
and feed efficiency
What is the Metabolic response to heat (Te>Tc)?
• Feed intake will decrease when pig cannot dissipate heat
into the environment
• Appetite decreases with 1g of feed / kg LW / °C above Tc
What is the aerial pollutants found in a piggery?
• Dust
• Gases
• Microorganisms
• Inhalable endotoxins produced by microorganisms
What are the main sources of pig dust ?
• Feed
• Faeces
• Bedding
• Skin
What is the effect of ammonia concentrations?
• Ammonia is an irritant
• Detectable by humans at 5-50ppm
• Causes irritation of mucous surfaces at 100–500 ppm
after 1 hour
• Lethal at exposure to 10000ppm
How does endotoxins arise ?
From the breakdown of the outer cell wall
of Gram-negative bacteria
Are pigs seasonal breeders?
No, Photoperiod has no effect on reproduction
What is the recommended light intensity and duration?
40 lux
At least 8 hours per day light
What are the desirable levels of gases in a piggery?
• 3000ppm carbon dioxide
• 0.1ppm hydrogen sulphide
• 10ppm ammonia
• 5mg dust/m3
What are the main principles of ventilation?
• Negative pressure mostly used to create ventilation
• Positive pressure can be used, but since humid and acid
containing air is forced through all the cavities, the
lifespan of the sheeting and fasteners are severely
reduced
• Smooth ceiling and wall surface important for effective
ventilation
The ventilation system must be able to Control building air temperature by varying the ventilation rate in a well insulated building
• Must create an appropriate airflow pattern
• Ensure that ventilation does not allow dead spots in the house
• Provide acceptable temperature distribution within the piggery