Housing
Modern farming techniques are vastly different from those in the past when pigs roamed outdoors and wallowed in the mud to protect themselves from sunburn and parasites. Today New Zealand farmers use a variety of housing systems and farming practices to maintain animal welfare while achieving productivity. In New Zealand, pigs are kept both indoors and outdoors, either individually or in groups.
Many farmers choose to house their pigs indoors where they are well protected from adverse weather conditions and the ventilation, temperature and humidity can all be controlled and maintained at optimal levels. The animal's feeding, health and welfare can also be much more satisfactorily monitored and managed.
Outdoor farming also occurs in parts of New Zealand. In order for it to be successful, it requires low rainfall and free-draining soil conditions, as well as a moderate climate. These requirements are necessary to ensure that the paddocks on which the pigs are kept do not become devoid of ground cover and the soil structure damaged. Suitable conditions are commonly found in the South Island, particularly in Canterbury where many pigs are farmed outdoors. Regardless of where it is undertaken, outdoor farming also requires expert stockmanship in order to avoid health problems in pigs, competition for feed and social stress, all of which can impact negatively on the health and welfare of the pig.