Housing Hogs

There are 2 methods for housing hogs:

• the central, or stationary, hog house;

• the colony, or portable, hog houses.

Central hog houses have special advances on farms where large numbers of hogs are raised. Feed and supplies are stored close at hand. In cold weather, artificial heat can be provided readily at farrowing time. But central hog house is expensive. Moreover, it is difficult to keep conditions sanitary around a central hog house. The best hog raisers are using a rotation of pastures to provide ‘clean ground’ grazing each season. Some hog raisers are building centralized facilities that make it possible to keep hogs confined from birth to market.

For small herds of swine of 6 or 8 brood sows, colony, or portable, hog houses are satisfactory and economical. Portable houses are less convenient than central houses in caring for hogs. More labour is required in caring for the sows and litters at farrowing time and it is more difficult to maintain a comfortable temperature for farrowing in cold weather than in the case with a central hog house. Many hog raisers find it desirable to have a central hog house and several movable houses.

There are certain basic rules for an owner of farm animals: providing the self-feeder and the automatic waterer, raising of pigs on large pastures, controlling parasites and diseases, cleaning and disinfecting, etc. But pay attention to some more factors.

To keep alive a high percentage of the pigs born, an attendant must be present during the time the sow is farrowing.

When pigs are small and easily injured during the first few days of their lives an individual pen is needed for each sow and her litter at farrowing time and for at least 3 to 5 days following farrowing. In cold weather it should be warm.

In favourable weather, move the sow and her litter to the clean ground pasture when the pigs are a week to ten days old.

Large litters can usually be best raised by dividing the litter into two groups, placing one group in a large box, and leaving the other group with the sow for an hour, then placing them in the box and putting the second group with the sow for an hour. Though it is a time-consuming procedure, it is the best way to raise large litters and save a high percentage of them.

Exercises

1. Learn the new word combinations:

housing hogs special advances close at hand artificial heat rotation of pastures farrowing time a time-consuming procedure save a high percentage

разведение свиней определенные преимущества по близости искусственное тепло чередование пастбищ время рождения потомства операция, занимающая много времени поддерживать высокую численность потомства

2. Make short sentences using the words from Exercise 1.

3. Read the text one more time and answer the questions in writing (to be handed in):

1. What are the peculiarities of central hog houses? Enumerate advantages and disadvantages of this type of housing hogs.

2. What are the peculiarities of portable hog houses? When are they used? Why is it desirable to have a central hog house and several movable houses?

3. What an owner should be aware of?

4. What peculiarities concerning pig housing during the first few days do you know?

5. Why are large litters often divided into two groups?