Portable Dry Litter Pig Penconsists of an 8'x8' pen covered by a roof. It can house two large pigs, a sow and litter, up to six weaners, or four "size two" pigs. The pigs are provided a bedding of compostable material such as yard trimmings, crop residues, or shredded municipal green-waste from tree trimming. The bedding helps to absorb pig waste liquids, while the action of the pigs’ hooves and rooting helps to break down the solid pig waste and mix it with the bedding.
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How It Works
Compostable material such as yard trimmings, crop residues, or shredded municipal green-waste from tree trimmings are placed into the pen to initiate an aerobic treatment process of the pig manure known as composting. The bedding helps to absorb pig waste liquids, while the action of the pigs’ hooves and rooting helps to break down the solid pig waste and mix it with the bedding. Bedding material is added on a regular basis to keep the animals in a relatively clean environment and eliminate pathogens, odors and flies. The only water in the system comes through a water nipple, which provides the pigs with drinking water on demand.
After a period of two to four months, depending on how many pigs are in the system, the pen is moved or rotated to a new 8′ x 8′ section, and the process can start again.
After a period of two to four months, depending on how many pigs are in the system, the pen is moved or rotated to a new 8′ x 8′ section, and the process can start again.
How To Build It
A portable dry litter pig pen can be built from different materials, depending on what you may have available. Download A Portable Dry-Litter Pig Pen for a list of supplies that can be bought and used to erect the pen.
- The system is easy to install and requires about 2 man-hours each to erect. Pens can be erected around a mature tree to provide shade (and limited rain protection) for the pigs (additional roofing may also be provided).
- Either dry or green plant material can be added daily so that the pigs can eat some of the green material and root. In some trials, total buildup of litter after six months has been measured at approximately 15” deep. There is no significant odor associated with the pen, even when standing next to the pen.
- Water can be provided to the pigs using several methods, including an inverted water container with a standard metal (or plastic) nipple waterer, providing a reduced level of operator maintenance compared to daily supplies by hose or buckets.
- The resulting litter is an agronomic resource. The material can be applied directly to plants, or composted before use (to reduce pathogens and increase options for use).
- The amount of effort involved in managing the portable pens is minimal, limited primarily to collecting and adding plant material to the pen (simply by throwing the material over the fence, usually on a daily basis) and providing water to the pigs.
Portable Dry Litter Pig Pen Demonstration at the Department of Agriculture, Kolonia, Pohnpei.
Resources
Click on this publication A Portable Dry-Litter Pig Pen to download a PDF of the document with details on how to build, locate, maintain and other considerations to think about with this system.
Below are images of different types of pens that have been constructed throughout the Pacific Islands.
Below are images of different types of pens that have been constructed throughout the Pacific Islands.
How Farmers Like It
Farmers have stated that there are various benefits of the portable pen system such as: the likely preferences of pigs being raised on earth vs. concrete; the possible health benefits for pigs raised in pens with earth bottoms that are more “natural”; the fundamental similarities of the portable pen system relative to the traditional Samoan pig production methods of open grazing and rooting.