HOUSING AND SOCIAL NEEDS (cont)

The Guide for the Care and Use of Agricultural Animals in Agricultural Research and Teaching (Agricultural Guide) also contains information on square footage requirements as well as other useful guidelines for environmental and social requirements.  You should refer to these documents for specific recommendations for the size of swine you are using.

For the most common weight range of pigs that are used in research, pens with 24-30 square feet of floor space are generally adequate.  If breeding is performed, then pens need to be designed with a barrier to allow the piglets to separate themselves from the sow to avoid injury from being crushed.

 

next page