Types of housing for piggeries

The type of housing you choose for your piggery depends on your production system, the pigs’ age and the resources you can allocate.

Whatever housing you choose, you must meet the:

• minimum standards in the pig welfare code
• legislated environmental requirements.

The pig welfare code recognises 3 main pig housing systems:

• indoor - single and group housing, on solid or slatted floors
• deep litter - groups with bedding, in various types of sheds
• outdoor (i.e. free range) - outside with shelter such as arks or huts.

Indoor housing

The pig welfare code describes minimum space allowances for all pigs housed indoors.

Single stall housing

Stall housing is used for adult pigs and allows them to be easily managed.

Your pigs must be able to:

• stand, stretch and lie without being obstructed by fittings
• stand in a stall without touching both sides
• lie without snout and hindquarters touching the front or rear of the stall
• lie down without contact from other pigs (which can cause injury)
• easily access a feeder and waterer
• move without the bars along the top touching the pig’s back
• lie down in an area clear of faeces and urine.

Sow stall dimensions must be no less than 0.6m x 2.2m. Stalls used for boars must be no less than 0.7m x 2.4m.

There are additional requirements for a sow in a farrowing stall or crate.

Group housing

Group housing usually houses pigs of the same life stage; weaners, growers and pregnant sows share the same floor space. Group size may vary from 10 to a few hundred pigs.

The group size, the type of feeding system and watering system may determine the shed design and floor layout. Group housing design varies from part slatted (slats over flushing drain) to solid floor with deep litter.

Each of your sows must have at least 1.4m² of floor space when housed in groups.

Group areas must be designed to minimise aggression.

There are a variety of feeding systems available for group housed sows that allow each sow to access its allocated daily intake.

Deep litter housing (DLH)

Litter-based group shelters use a deep layer of bedding material such as straw and rice or peanut hulls. DLH systems have little liquid effluent and may reduce odour. The litter can be composted to fertilise and improve cropping soil.

DLH is suitable for large groups of pigs housed in big shelters or sheds. It may also be used in smaller, portable housing in outdoor systems.

Costs are lower than conventional sheds, especially if using plastic material instead of solid roofs and walls; however, labour costs may be higher. The minimum floor space required is greater than for indoor housing to allow for litter/waste management.

Litter provides insulation to keep young pigs warm. DLH can be used in an ‘all in all out’ system to easily manage your animal health, with the size of the sheds matching a production batch. The floor may be concrete or an earth ‘pad’ that has been properly compacted and raised.

Outdoor free range housing

Housing in free range systems is provided in arks or huts primarily to shelter from weather, rather than as principal housing. The pig welfare code describes maximum stocking rates for outdoor pigs.

Read about the design and management of outdoor free range areas for pigs.