The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: princesspiggy on December 10, 2010, 02:19:06 pm
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has anyone used the heavy duty plastic pigs arks, as i was thinking bout buying some. are they worth the money (not cheap) do they blow over in wind (very windy here) and are they easy to move? (with 1 or 2 people). dont want to waste money if theyre not good. also can you use arks-with-no-floor in winter or does everything get damp?
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When pigs are in them they shouldn't blow over but would peg down if can with some wood chocs at corners, make sure they have ventilation other than the door as they can get damp from breth causing pneumonia, never used them myself but friends have and i understand they are relatively easy to move about by tipping onto their back. In winter would definetly have arks with floors as for example all the snow on the ground now will thaw and seep in under ark. Pigs hate wet beds. Also another tip this time for summer is to try to place them somewhere shady as they can get oven like in high temps(we can but dream!!)
HTH
Mandy
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is it poss to keep bedding from getting damp in a no-floor sty? ie rubber matting or concrete slabs? not nice being wet and damp. does anyone make plastic arks with a floor? (no 4wd or tractor to shift heavy arcs)
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We have two Carbery arks, have had them for over 10 years, and they are as good as the day we bought. Can't speak for other makes, but would expect good quality to do the same.
The carberys come with chains and ground achors (at least ours did), and yes you need to use these to hold them down - not from the wind, they are heavy enough - but to stop pigs moving them. They have no base (see later).
They are easily moved by flipping them upside down, and then they can be dragged - two people can do this on flat ground quite easily - we tow ours behind a quad bike.
I would have a base in winter - but you don't have to spend money buying one. Simply go to any industrial estate and ask for pallets, they will throw them at you! Use the boards from the top of one from one to fill in the gaps on another, dont worry that this gives an uneven surface, with some added straw this will be no problem.
Place you carbery ark in position, peg down, and just put a couple or three pallets in, don't worry that they don't completely fill the inside, your pigs will lie on the boards, and the spaces will be filled in by mud and straw over a few weeks.
This then lets you move the ark, and the pallets to a new location without needing heavy gear.
We have the back vent open all year round, they need to vent moisture in winter, and heat in summer.
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thats great, thanks, really want moveable ones and my plastic troughs have lasted really well. just expensive to buy without viewing, many thanks.