[mwncigirl]

Hi there, what do people generally think about having floors in pig arks?

[Polished Arrow]

We have them in all ours.  Look at any land at present with pigs on it, and ask yourself how dry the bed would be without a floor.  I use rough timber, though, not plywood, as I find it is less likely (though not without the possibility) to become slippery when wet and mud get on it.

[SallyintNorth]

If your ground gets wet from underneath, you need a floor in the ark. 

If it's light well-draining soil, with a water table always well below the surface even in the wettest of winters, then you might get away with it. 

Another way I've seen it done is to have the ark under cover - in woodland (but think about how bare its 'roof' will be in winter), or a tarpaulin piggy gazebo - so the rain doesn't fall on or around the ark.  (We can't do that here - too windy.) 

I do have a weaner house in a raised sheltered spot in an orchard and protected on two sides by high walls where I can get away with no wooden floor - but there's a layer of old tyres under the thick straw bedding, just in case.

[P6te]

We have identical arks in adjacent runs, the only difference being one has a floor and the other doesn't.  Both runs are waterlogged.  The ark with a floor has the floor raised about 4" off the ground whilst the other just has the main structure of the ark raised (so the ark timbers themselves don't rot and I can replace the base timbers when needed)

Whilst the ark with the floor is undoubtedly faring better, I have been very pleasantly surprised at just how well the other is doing.  I am in the process of making another to the same design .... and that one won't have a floor.

All the arks are 8' x 8' so their is lots of room but they do also take a lot of straw!

Pete

[Bionic]

I have an ark that doesn't have a floor.
It doesn't get wet in itself as such but the pigs are very muddy and I keep adding straw to make it more comfortable for them. This is the first time I have kept pigs so I don't have anything to compare to but the awful weather can't be helping.
Once my weaners have gone, in Sept, we might add a floor, only because I think it will make it easier to clear out the old straw before adding new.
Sally

[HappyHippy]

We have some with and some without, the one's with floors are definately drier.
The arcs used by my 'big' pigs don't have floors and the pigs have actually hollowed the ground below it and made a wattle and daub effect around the inside so it's quite dry.
I've made temporary floors for the other arcs by using heavy, solid pallets and covering the tops with extra sheets of wood, then a piece of non-slip rubber. I only use this for the Kunekunes though because I worry about the weight of the bigger pigs on them and how strong/safe they would be for them. It's working well for them though 
HTH
Karen

[mwncigirl]

We have one with floor and are constantly adding straw as it all gets kicked out. We've just got some more pigs and this ark won't have a floor. Its so wet out I hate the thought of a soggy floor but reckon they will make a comfy bed. I know there are pros and cons of both...... but wanted to make sure I just wasn't being soft!!

[supplies for smallholders]

Pig arks should not have floors.

No commercial arks have floors and that is not due to cost.

Take a look at the reasons why at the bottom of the page on our "Pig Ark Options" info page.

[hughesy]

We have one with and one without. The one with is drier and requires topping up with straw much less often. The floor is a separate item to the ark so moving the ark is not hindered by it and nor is cleaning. You just roll the top off, clean the floor, move it to the new location and drop the body of the ark back on top. A fixed floor would be a pain in the arse.

[mwncigirl]

Thanks supplies for smallholders, I think I am beginning to agree.

[supplies for smallholders]

For those who can't find the info on our site, below is the paragraph I refer to:

Do your Arks have floors, I've been  told I need a floor? Absolutely not, we would never put a  floor in a Pig Ark.  This is for  a number of reasons as follows:
 

• Floors harbour bacteria  within the hut therefore the health status will drop as will animal  welfare as  the risk of disease increases.
• In Farrowing Huts,  floors generally lead to an increase in mortality because the surface is  much harder resulting in more piglets being crushed.
• Floors  offer the perfect  environment for harbouring vermin beneath the Ark  increasing the chance  of disease.
• Floors will actually  encourage draughts and they certainly wont be air tight so will be  colder.  A conventional Ark with no floor and straw bedding will seal  against the ground.
• Whilst floors will reduce straw useage, in  Farrowing Huts, the sows natural nesting instincts will be limited  without straw bedding and without the straw, the pigs will not stay as  warm.
• Doorways with floors will become  more slippery  increasing the chance of lameness in both sows and  piglets alike.
• Arks  with floors are much more  labour intensive than those without.

To most people floors seem logical however experience has proved  them to be detrimental.  No commercial pigs are bred within Arks with  floors for the reasons outlined above.  If they were an advantage, every  Ark would have one.


Thanks

[Sylvia]

My arks are floorless, I put stable mats in them in wet weather and in winter. This was a reccomendation by the boy who made them and seems to work very well

[Tamsaddle]

But how do you stop the mud and rain oozing under the walls and turning into a quagmire like outside?   Or does the straw around the edges block it off?    Tamsaddle

[Berkshire Boy]

I'm sorry but I don't agree with most of your reasons SFS. All my arks have floors and all my arks are made from timber so if bugs are in the floor they are in the walls as well. Some of my sows farrow outside ,some I bring in to the stables which have concrete floors with stable mats and I have very few casualties.
The main problem I had with arks without floors was that the pigs would dig down into the ground and when we had a lot of rain they would have an indoor swimming pool. I think the advantages far outway the disadvantages.

[sabrina]

My ark does not have a built in floor but it is on concrete. its easy to clean and we move it every now and again. They get plenty of straw to keep them warm.