[pharnorth]

I am in final stages of designing my farrowing unit which is going to double up as the all weather area for my two sows over January/February. When it is used for farrowing my plan is to leave the weaners in it and walk the sows back to their larger outdoor paddock. Will the sows leave the weaners (assuming I pen them off) or do I need to plan to take the weaners away from the sows or put them out of sight?

[greenbeast]

about 2 weeks ago we weaned two litters from their Berkshire mums, we filtered the mums across two lines of electric fencing and all has been well, no attempts by either of the groups to cross

[harmony]

Always take sow from weaners. It is less stressful, also the weaners stay where they are established.  By the time you wean I find the sows are quite happy to leave their litter. Make sure they go back into a very secure pen because they will try to get back once they feel the need to feed.


My piglets can get through the pen gates for the first few weeks when I take down the boards and I find it is beneficial for them to come out and root and also the sows seem quite happy with that. When they are bigger I let the whole litter out and sometimes only the sow will come out. When I get to weaning I find it really straightforward.

[Marches Farmer]

Always take sows from weaners, to avoid a check in growth from both losing Mama and being moved somewhere unfamiliar in one go.  I give the sowno hard feed but just a couple of handfuls of straw for the first day - that way she feels full but will dry up quickly.  She may try to return to the weaners once she gets uncomfortably full of milk.

[greenbeast]

Always take sows from weaners, to avoid a check in growth from both losing Mama and being moved somewhere unfamiliar in one go.  I give the sowno hard feed but just a couple of handfuls of straw for the first day - that way she feels full but will dry up quickly.  She may try to return to the weaners once she gets uncomfortably full of milk.

good tip, thanks

[pharnorth]

Great advice as usual. Thank you.

[PK]

Hello Pharnorth, I've been planning the very same and will hopefully commenced work very soon. Would you mind giving an indication of the dimensions and floor plan you have in mind?

[pharnorth]

I am going to lay a concrete base 5m by 6.2m. At one end build a pair of breeze block Arks, each 2.5m wide and 1.7m deep, each will have light and a heat lamp behind a bar where piglets can lay, and will be high enough to allow easy access for cleaning. I haven't fully yet worked out how to fix a partition to reduce draft across the door but maintain ease of access...
The run will comprise 3 pairs of panels, I.e to form the two sides and a middle divider.  These will be Bateman mesh panels or similar and hung so they can be opened out and closed at 90deg, this would enable the pen to be used as two units when the pigs are farrowing but be reduced in size to contain a pig if needed, or allow both pigs to be together in the larger area when they are not farrowing and it is just being used for bad weather reasons.
The remaining end will have two panels. Any of the outer panels could be used for access.

Any better ideas welcome.

[PK]

Thank you. Mine will be similar but smaller (at the risk of regretting this in the future). I plan four courses of concrete blocks then, to get the head height for ease of access and cleaning, I am going to use 100mm fence posts bolted to the top course and then clad with heavy duty feather edge.

[harmony]

It is always a good idea to plan things so one pen can become two.  Access to any farrowing area in times of emergency is vital in terms of safety for yourself.  With any type of arc arrangement I would suggest a door at the back too.

[pharnorth]

Yes I reckon I will use a similar breeze block and post arrangement to you PK.

Thank you for the tip regarding a back door [member=24672]harmony[/member] I can see the vale in that, so will see if I can incorporate one.