The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: Gregoz on January 10, 2017, 08:45:55 pm
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Anybody know of a portable heat lamp for piglets to warm under?
Shed is too far away for mains and wanted a heat source away from mother
Any ideas?
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How about a propane heater like this http://www.qcsupply.com/20242-gasolec-infrared-heaters-m-5-lp-10000-btu.html (http://www.qcsupply.com/20242-gasolec-infrared-heaters-m-5-lp-10000-btu.html) first one I Goggled , had some in the piggery years ago, they did work well .
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My dad always used calor gas heaters.
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batteries and heaters are not good bedfellows, you#d need a serious battery bank.
What breed? we farrow all outside, including our micropigs which fit in the palm of your hand when born
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Our GOS farrow down on a trodden down mattress of good straw and usually lie down with their backs to the door and the piglets protected in front of them. Assuming you have standard design pig arks if you can hang something like strips of conveyor belting down across the entrance it will provide air circulation but stop draughts unless the entrance is facing the prevailing wind. Otherwise put up a wind baffle (straw bales will do in the short term) a couple of metres from the entrance to deflect the wind. The sow will probably be too distracted by her new piglets to destroy them for a while.
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Where are you Gregory, and when is she due?
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I think the propane heater looks like the very thing and it can look after the turkey chicks too in the summer.
I'm up in the Highlands and would like a back up in case the temp drops.
Thanks for the replies
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Sows and piglets will be fine in an ark with straw bedding whatever the weather. Just get in there with them to see how warm it is.
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Sows and piglets will be fine in an ark with straw bedding whatever the weather. Just get in there with them to see how warm it is.
I think Gregory lives a lot further north than some of you, :),
We used to farrow in a building away from home, they definitely needed heat for at least a few days.
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We've had sows farrow in arks outside when the ground has been frozen hard. And when there was snow on the ground a few years ago. Pigs are hardy creatures.
The idea behind heat lamps is to encourage the piglets into an area where the sow can't get in order to reduce squashing piglets. We've never used one and don't get any more squashed piglets than people we know that do use a lamp.
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Greg says shed rather than arc? Depends on shed? Maybe arcs can be cosier than sheds,