How to build a pigsty with your own hands, types, drawings and materials, step-by-step instructions

Some owners of private plots often think about raising piglets. However, before doing this, you need to build a special barn for animals. Therefore, it is necessary to understand in advance the peculiarities of building a pigsty.

Types of pigsties

Before you build a pig barn, you need to become familiar with the main types of such structures. Most often, the following types of structures are built for breeding piglets:

• Motherhouse structure. Such a room is built to make farrowing easier. It is divided into several sections, thanks to which it is possible to accommodate about 35 sows. In the middle part of the structure there should be a section for feeding animals.
• Boar. The structure is built specifically for housing boars. Inside the boar sheds, the pen of piglets is divided into two rows. All animals are located in separate groups fenced off from each other.
• Fattener. Quite large structures used for keeping piglets in large groups. All animals in fattening pens are placed in 3-4 rows.

Preparing for construction

Before building a pigsty, you need to familiarize yourself with the preparation for further construction work.

How to calculate area

The first stage of preparation for further construction is calculating the area of ​​the structure. The size of the structure directly depends on the number of animals that will be kept in it. For example, if you are building a shed for 2 heads, it will be enough to make a small building with an area of ​​3 meters.

To keep sows, larger structures will be needed so that they have enough free space. A barn with an area of ​​ten meters is being built on the site for 10 animals. For 20 heads, you will need a spacious structure so that the pigs do not crowd near each other. The area of ​​the room should be 15-20 meters.

Blueprints

It is very important to create a drawing of the future structure before building a shed. This scheme will help in the future during the construction of a structure for breeding piglets.Before drawing a building design on paper, you must complete the following steps:

• choose a place to build a pigsty;
• carefully consider the structural features of the building, if necessary, sketch out a rough plan on paper;
• determine the dimensions of the building and the distance from the internal walls;
• decide on the type of breed being raised and the number of heads, since the number of compartments for piglets will depend on this.

Selection of materials and calculation of their quantities

To build a pigsty without high costs, you need to select the necessary materials in advance and determine their quantity. First you need to select the material from which the foundation for the pigsty in the country will be created. Experienced builders recommend using concrete for its manufacture. Its main advantage is resistance to dampness. To calculate the required amount of concrete, you will have to multiply the height of the foundation by the length.

Various materials are used in the construction of walls. Some people build them from sleepers. Foam blocks are used to build a warm barn for Vietnamese pigs. If you need to build a structure in the form of a greenhouse, the walls are made of polycarbonate.

How to build a pigsty with your own hands

To properly build a barn for pigs at home, you need to familiarize yourself with the main features of construction.

Foundation

The construction of a pigsty begins with the creation of a foundation. First, the site where the barn will be built is marked on the site. Then a trench is dug for the future foundation. It is recommended to make the recesses deeper so that the base is reliable. Therefore, the depth of the trench should not be less than fifty centimeters.

A layer of sand and crushed stone is poured into the dug holes.It must be thoroughly compacted, after which the concrete mixture is poured. When the concrete is completely dry, roofing felt is laid on top of it. This material is needed to improve waterproofing. It is better to lay roofing felt in several layers to prevent moisture from entering.

Floor options

The most controversial and difficult issue in the construction of pigsties is the creation of floors. Experienced farmers who have already built barns recommend building them from concrete. Thanks to this material, the flooring will be perfectly smooth. It will not absorb unpleasant odors and moisture. Concrete floors are also easy to clean from dirt.

To make a durable concrete floor, you need to remove the top layer of soil 4-5 centimeters high. Then fine crushed stone and sand are poured onto the surface. Concrete solution is poured on top of the bottom layer. This floor covering will harden within 3-4 days.

Walls and roof

When constructing walls, it is better to use warm and light materials. These include aerated concrete or foam concrete. The only serious drawback of these materials is moisture absorption. Therefore, the walls will have to be carefully plastered both outside and inside. It is not recommended to make the walls too low, since there must be good ventilation inside the pigsty. The optimal height is two and a half meters. However, if necessary, they are made higher.

The roof of the pigsty is made pitched. You should not build an attic, as there will always be high humidity in the barn. As a covering material for the roof, you can use tiles, slate or ordinary roofing felt.

Ceiling

After the roof is built, they begin to create a ceiling for the pigsty. It can be made from ordinary wooden planks or reinforced concrete slabs.To maintain the temperature inside the barn, the ceiling will have to be insulated. Any available materials are used as insulation. Some people place sawdust on top of the ceiling and cover it with a thin layer of sand.

Windows and doors of service rooms

Each pigsty should have small windows located at a distance of one and a half meters from the floor covering. There is no need to make large windows, as a large amount of light makes the piglets active and excited. Most often, single glazed windows are installed. However, if the barn is being built in a region with harsh winters, it is better to install structures with double glazing. Also, installed windows must open so that the shed can be ventilated.

All service rooms must be equipped with doors. They must be tightly closed so that there is no strong draft inside the pigsty with animals.

Doorways for exiting to the street

It is recommended to create doorways on the south side of the building, since most often there is no wind there. Their dimensions directly depend on the features of waste treatment and delivery of feed mixtures. The optimal height is two meters and the width is one and a half meters. Near the openings you can make a small utility room - a canopy. They will be used to store feed, tools and bedding. If the barn is being built in the northern region, where there is often strong wind, a vestibule is installed in front of the entrance. Its width is two meters and its depth is about three.

Ventilation

In order to better clean the polluted air indoors, you need to think about the ventilation system. Exit shafts are made near places where slurry and manure are collected. The sizes of ventilated shafts can vary, it all depends on the number of heads in the barn.For example, when raising adult animals, the cross-sectional area of ​​the pipe must be at least 165 square centimeters.

Lighting and water supply

The barn in which pigs are raised must be well lit. If there is insufficient light, animals' immunity may decrease, which will lead to the appearance of diseases. Also, in poor lighting, piglets absorb vitamins less well and grow more slowly. In addition to windows, ultraviolet or infrared lamps are used to illuminate the pigsty. They are installed at a distance of one meter from the floor surface.

A continuous water supply is created in the pigsty. In this case, purified water should be served. If it is of poor quality, their digestion will worsen, which will lead to constipation.

Heating a barn

The room where piglets are kept must be heated to maintain temperature. If the pigsty is small and several animals are raised in it, you can install 2-3 fan heaters. For large rooms it will be necessary to build special heating stoves.

Some install heated floors instead. In this case, at the initial stage of construction, you will have to start laying heating pipes, which are placed between the floor layers.

Manure collection system

The main problem that many farmers face when raising piglets is waste management. Some people do this manually, but this work is very labor-intensive. Therefore, it is better to think about a manure collection system in advance. Special manure trays are installed to collect waste. Such structures are made of boards, metal pipes or concrete.

Interior arrangement

Before placing piglets in the pigsty, you need to do the interior arrangement of the room.

Machine tools

The pig barn is equipped with special pens, inside which piglets are placed. They can be iron or wood. The height of each such machine is made at least one meter. A secure gate is installed on the front side so that the piglets cannot run out.

Feeders and drinkers

All pigsties must have a special device for supplying food - a feeder. The dimensions of such structures depend on the area of ​​the pigsty and the number of animals. For 3-4 small pigs, one trough 40-45 centimeters deep is enough. A drinking bowl should be installed near each pig. It is recommended to use cup products, as when using them the water will not splash.

Conclusion

Every farmer who plans to raise piglets will have to build a pigsty. Before this, you need to familiarize yourself with the main types of structures, as well as the nuances of their construction.