[Tamsaddle]

I am getting a bit worried that our standard 120 cm high arks, with curved corrugated iron tops, are not going to be big enough for our large Saddleback sow who is due to farrow in a month.   She is 96 cm tall, but with the floor inside the ark, the overall height is about 116 cm with the doorway cut out right to the top.    This gives just 10 cm clear height, but only in the middle due to the curving roof.    The floor area of the arks is quite large 8' x 8' (2.4 x 2.4 metres), but I am wondering if she will be able to make use of this if she can't lie down anywhere except the very centre.    Has anyone else had to resort to providing larger/taller arks for large sows, or can they manage regardless?      Her current house is in the woods and unmoveable, and was purposely built to accommodate several mature sows - 120 cm high throughout the 8' x 8' area, but we cannot transport this back to the farrowing paddocks.    Would appreciate advice - Tamsaddle

[HappyHippy]

Hi Tamsaddle,
Is she going to farrow in the arc ?
I bring mine into the shed to farrow (easier access for us and setting up heatlamps etc) and keep them there til the piglets are around a week old and they go back out to an ark exactly as you decribe - our Large Black sow managed fine with her litter (and she's a big 'un) as long as there's clearance for her back and she's not having to stoop to get in I don't think there would be a problem.
HTH
Karen 

[robert waddell]

the majority of large sows will be very restricted in these arks    the risk of squashing and trampling is very real
even in our open plan shed with large pens there can still be the odd mishap
the good thing about tamsaddels location is it is warmer and more suited to farrowing outside if necessary they are not stupid animals and if left to there own devices can cope as long as we don't interfear
saddelbacks can get to some size  as i well know  when we had one
commercial sows if taken out of there sheds will nest prior to farowing

[Tamsaddle]

Thank you both -  on the strength of what you have said, and as I have still got a month to go I've decided to substantially alter my triangular wooden ark to make it a lot bigger and wider and taller, like my woodland ark with almost vertical side walls so that the whole floor space is useable.   Both our pigs farrowed in the two paddock arks last year quite successfully, but then they were quite a lot smaller pigs - it is extraordinary just how much they grow between 1 and 2 years old.   Both arks have back doors and the creep box with lamp near that, so getting access at the other end is not a problem, and as Robert says, its quite a lot warmer down in the south as well.     After losing the Tamworth sow in the summer, our replacement Tamworth gilt is only a year old so she will fit in fine, this year at least.    Thank you again - Tamsaddle

[Beewyched]

That's another reason for keeping to KKs - they'll fit into about anything 

 

[Berkshire Boy]

Ah but they are not proper pigs.