This document provides guidelines for constructing a pig farm, including housing pigs. It recommends that the pig house be elevated above the ground with spaced floorboards, a rainproof roof and shade. The location should be elevated and protected from sun, rain and wind, away from residences. The pigsty needs to provide ventilation, shade and avoid overheating, drafts or dampness. The building orientation should be east-west. Floor space requirements vary by type of pig from 0.96 square meters for weaners to 7.5 square meters for farrowing sows. Pens need to separate pigs by production phase.

1. F
A
R
M
P
L
A
N

2. FUNDEMENTAL NEEDS
1. Commercial pig production with exotic breed
necessitates the cheap and scientific housing .
2. Pigs are highly susceptible for climatic change. They
should be kept in cold condition.
3. The regulating mechanism of new born piglet is poorly
developed resulting in increased mortality in new born
piglets.

3. SELECTION OF HOUSING
LOCATIONS
• The site should be at an elevated place that
cannot be flooded by rain water.
• The site should be protected from the sun
(shade from trees) and have ample fresh air.
• Away from residences (around 8-10 meter
away downwind).
• In case of a large scale pig farm, the site
selected needs also to be: well connected to
roads throughout the year .
• Suitable for manure disposal, connected to
reliable water and electricity sources.

4. CONSTRUCTION PLAN FOR A GOOD
PIG HOUSE/SHED
• The floor of the house must be raised about 60 cm
above the ground.
• The floor boards should have spaces of 2 cm
between them.
• The roof must be rain proof.
• The high side of the roof should face in a direction
where some sun can shine a little way into the
house on this side: but there must always be shade
in some part of the house.
• The house must be strongly built.

5. o The pigsty should be comfortable for the
pigs: good ventilation and ample shade, no
overheating, no smells, no draft and no
dampness.
o The building should be constructed with its
length axis in an East-West direction
(protected from sun and rain).
o The costs of constructing the pigsty should
fit the pig production systems.

6. oThe pig building needs to be divided into different
pens for each phase of the produc- tion cycle. The
number and the size of the pens depend on the
expected numbers of pigs to be housed in each
production phase.

7. FLOOR SPACE
REQUIREMENT OF PIGS
Type of
animal
Covered
floor area
/animal
(sq. m)
Typical
dimension
(m)
Open yard
area/
animal
(sq. m)
Animals/p
en
Boar 6.25-7.50 2.5*2.5 /
2.5*3.0
8.8-12.0 1
Farrowing
sow
7.50-9.00 2.5*3.0 /
3.0*3.0
8.8-12.0 1
Dry sow/ 1.80-2.70 0.8*1.2 /
1.2*1.5
1.4-1.8 3-10
Weaner/
pigs
0.96-1.80 0.8*1.2 /
1.2*1.5
8.8-12.0 30

10. FARROWING SOWS WEANERS

11. DRY AND WET FEED BOX

12. PIG WATERER

13. MANURE CLEANER