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In winter, a pig loves to run out into the snow, frolic, and dig up snowdrifts with its nose. However, such walks are short-term and not acceptable for all breeds. If the question in general concerns keeping animals in the cold, then many nuances must be taken into account.
Can pigs be kept outside in winter?
Theoretically, most domestic breeds are adapted to cold climates. Adult pigs can withstand frost and can even bury themselves in the snow. In the Russian Federation, cold keeping of pigs is practiced. However, the technology is applicable to pigs left for fattening. The sow and babies need a warm barn.
In almost all regions of Russia, except for the northern regions, climatic conditions allow keeping pigs of cold-resistant breeds in a cold pen. In order for animals to easily survive the winter, it is necessary to create comfort for them. The entrance to the cold pen is covered with a tarpaulin or other dense material. The curtain will close off drafts and reduce the loss of heat generated by the pigs themselves.
It is good to raise the floor of a cold pen for pigs above the ground. The structure is installed on a columnar foundation or supports are created from railway sleepers. The raised pen for pigs will not be flooded by melt, rain and groundwater. The floor and bedding will always remain dry. Thoughtful solutions will help reduce the likelihood of drafts. If the walls of the pig pen are made of boards, seal all joints as much as possible. The entrance is cut from the side from which the wind blows less often. The roof is arranged taking into account a tight fit to the top of the walls. Through the gaps left, a draft will blow snow and splashes of rain.
The difficulty of eliminating negative consequences depends on the location of the pen and the composition of the soil on the site. For example, clay soils do not absorb moisture well. Water stagnates on the surface. If you set up a pen for pigs on such soil, and even choose a low-lying area, constant dirt will form all year round.
What temperature can pigs withstand outside in winter?
If we characterize animals in general terms, then it is impossible to accurately answer the question about minimum low temperatures. Each breed is adapted to certain conditions. If pigs are raised in harsh conditions for a long time, then each subsequent generation receives acclimatization. In order for keeping pigs in winter to give a positive result, when choosing a breed, they take into account what minimum temperature the animals can withstand.
The following breeds of pigs are considered the most cold-resistant:
- Hungarian Mangalica;
- North Caucasus;
- Oxford Sandy;
- Siberian-northern;
- Blacks.
Good results are obtained from the Berkshire, Breitovsky, and Gloucester spotted breeds of pigs.
Features of keeping pigs outside in winter
If you decide to keep pigs in the cold in winter, it is not enough to choose a suitable breed. Animals must be provided with proper care:
- High-quality nutrition increases the body's resistance to cold. Pigs are given food rich in minerals and other nutrients.
- For pigs of different ages, the required temperature regime is provided. Sows and young animals are given separate rooms and heaters, for example, a red lamp, are installed.
- Regardless of age, pigs are protected from drafts as much as possible in winter.
Babies born in winter are endowed with weak immunity. They try to vaccinate pigs earlier to protect them from diseases.
How to keep pigs in a pigsty in winter
A pigsty is rightfully considered the best place to keep piglets at home in winter, since the building 100% protects the animals from precipitation and other negative factors. Indoors it is easier for a person to control the conditions for pigs and, if necessary, change them. If the keeping takes place in a pigsty, an open range must be provided. Pigs need a place to frolic.
With the onset of cold weather, animals spend more energy on natural heating, and make up for it with increased nutrition. However, as pigs eat feed, they accumulate fat more rapidly. This feature is directly related to the purpose of keeping livestock and arranging a pigsty. If pigs are kept for lard, then the pigsty needs to be small, creating minimal mobility for the pigs. Meat breeds should not store much fat. Pigs in winter need a spacious pigsty with a walk.Playful animals will burn fat.
The difficulty of keeping pigs in winter is the additional work with bedding. Animals grow well and do not get sick if they are kept dry and clean. However, pigs are messy. The owner will have to frequently change the bedding in the pigsty in winter.
Natural ventilation keeps the pigs dry and the air inside the pigsty clean. The air ducts lead outside, but must be equipped with control dampers. The mechanism will allow you to control air exchange and reduce heat loss in winter.
In the video, keeping pigs on deep litter:
What temperature should the pigsty be in winter?
The temperature regime in winter is different for each age of pigs. For adult livestock and young animals over 165 days old, it is optimal to maintain from + 8 to + 15 OC. For younger pigs, the temperature in the pigsty is favorable in the range from + 14 to + 20 OC. A sow with newborn babies is maintained at a temperature range of + 20 to + 23 OWITH.
What to feed pigs in winter
After 15 days from birth, babies begin to introduce complementary foods into their diet. Young animals are given:
- Mashed potatoes. The food is given slightly warm, in small portions, so that the leftovers do not turn sour in the feeder. Feed concentrates are mixed into the puree to increase the calorie content of the food.
- To replenish vitamins, children are given chopped red carrots and dried nettles. For drinking, use hay infusion and oat milk.
- Lactating pig milk is low in iron. The young animals are given injections to replenish it. Bone meal, crushed chalk, and fish oil are added to food.
- Young animals growing up without a sow are fed with whole milk substitutes. However, you need to follow the norm. If young pigs overeat, there is a risk of gastrointestinal disease.
Adult pigs are fed in winter with feed enriched with minerals, vitamins, and nutrients. Vegetables, hay, and grain crops are included in the diet.
Features of farrowing in winter
If a pig piglets and the temperature in the barn is below freezing, the offspring and the sow herself will die. For an adult animal, the cold poses the main threat to the udder. In frost and damp bedding, the sow develops mastitis. The disease in pigs is difficult to treat; it is easier to send the animal to slaughter.
Before and after farrowing, the sow should not be allowed to go for a walk in a cold pen in winter. Newborn babies are provided with plenty of dry bedding. They give only warm drinks, and keep drinking bowls and feeders clean. The sow is given only high-quality food. In addition, they follow the normal diet. The development of the young depends on proper feeding of the pig, since everything that the mother eats is passed on to the babies with milk.
The pregnant sow is given:
- not rotten waste of vegetables and fruits;
- dry leaves of fruit trees, chalk, wood ash;
- protein-containing feed;
- concentrates.
The pig's food must be fresh and not sour.
Constantly monitor the temperature. For heating, use red lamps, IR heaters, and other devices.
Nowadays, Vietnamese pig breeds are popular in many households. The animals are not capricious and unpretentious for winter keeping. Caring for pigs is similar.Warmth is provided to the pregnant sow. To keep small piglets in winter, a lot of bedding is poured in a warm pen. Young animals are pierced with preparations containing iron. Useful additives to food include fish oil, bone meal, and chalk. Vietnamese pigs are given coal to chew on, and chopped hay is poured into feeders. Piglets are fed three times a day in winter.
How to keep piglets in a cold barn in winter
Having a cold barn is better than keeping pigs outside, but the area must be prepared. It is important to adhere to the technology itself. A cold shed for pigs is often a hangar. The structure consists of a frame, where the simplest shelter is an awning. This technology for keeping pigs has many supporters and opponents. The advantage is the simplicity of the design and minimal costs for its construction. The downside is the high consumption of feed. In a cold barn, pigs spend a lot of energy on heating themselves, and replenish it through high-calorie food.
No matter how well the tent is stretched, the heat loss will be enormous. A thick layer of bedding acts as heating for the pigs. It is changed 3-4 times a month. However, with increased feeding of pigs, the amount of organic waste increases. The litter quickly becomes clogged with manure, and worms and dangerous microorganisms breed inside. When animals eat or rummage through the mass, the parasites enter the body. Infectious and fungal diseases of pigs occur. Bio bedding cannot be used in a cold barn. Beneficial bacteria will simply die in the cold.
The construction of a cold barn reduces the cost of funds, but the labor costs for caring for pigs increase.Sows and young animals cannot be kept in hangars; they need warmth. However, according to farmers who tested the technology, pigs raised in a cold barn are more hardened. The animal body resists dangerous diseases.
How to keep piglets warm in a cold barn
First of all, the comfort of pigs in winter inside a cold barn is ensured by eliminating drafts. Leaving gaps is unacceptable. Natural ventilation is provided for exhaust hood.
On the floor side, animals receive heat in winter from a thick layer of bedding. The ongoing process of decay of organic matter is negative for pigs in terms of sanitation, but has its advantages. Putrefactive microorganisms similarly produce heat, which is additional heating.
If it is planned to keep a sow and young animals, special houses are placed inside the cold hangar. The pigs are provided with electric heating. Removable cages are attached to the houses to help feed the young animals.
Conclusion
A pig should be kept in comfortable conditions in winter, even if the breed is cold-resistant. Violation of technology will lead to excessive consumption of feed and poor growth.
Little piglets are shaking and wrapping themselves in hay, will they get used to the cold barn?