loose sows in the farrowing unit

LOOSE SOWS IN THE FARROWING UNIT
Chief Scientist Lisbeth Ulrich Hansen
MSc. (Agricultural Science)
Pig Research Centre,
Danish Agriculture & Food Council
Denmark
Columbus, Ohio
2016
AGENDA
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2...
Pig Research Centre
Danish Pig Production
Handling large litters
Loose sows in the
farrowing unit
DANISH PIG RESEARCH CENTRE
● Financed by Danish pig farmers (levy fee)
● Responsible for research and development
programmes and knowledge transfer to the
Danish pig industry
● Support the development of a responsible
and economically sustainable pig industry
with the highest possible level of welfare
and a minimum impact on the environment
● Trials for 15 million Euro annually
● Operate on 200 commercial farms
TWO-LEVEL ADVISORY SYSTEM TINUES
● 4
Research &
Development
DIRECT
information
(Congress, seminars,
website etc.)
Advisors
DLBR
(Danish Agricultural
Advisory Service)
Pig producers
Vet
Practices
Companies
(slaughterhouses,
feedstuffs, farm
technology etc.)
DANISH PIG PRODUCTION
- 30 MILLION PIGS IN 2014
● 3625 farms with pigs in 2014
● 90 % of Danish pig meat is exported to 140
countries
● 11.3 million live pigs exported in 2014
● DanAvl genetics has increasing sale worldwide
● Non-commercial trials and recommendation in
Pig Research Centre
● Independent advice service
FARROWING UNIT – TRADITIONAL
1.7-1.8 m x 2.7-2.8 m
Partly slatted floor
6...
COWERED PIGLET AREA
Dog house plates: + 2-3 degrees
FARROWING UNIT – TRADITIONAL
2014*
2013
Average
Top 25%
Average
Live born / litter
15.6
16.2
15.4
Pre-weaning mortality, %
13.6
11.5
13.7
Weaned / litter
13.5
14.4
13.3
Litters / sow / year
2.26
2.32
2.25
Weaned/per sow/per year (median)
30.6
33.0
30.0
8...
TWO STEP FOSTERING PROCESS
Large piglets are moved
to nurse 1
that farrowed 4-7 days ago
Nurse 2 that farrowed
at least 21 days ago.
Her piglets are weaned
Sows with more
liveborn than teats
LOOSE HOUSING OF SOWS
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LONGER TERM GOALS FOR
LOOSE HOUSING OF SOWS
Danish objectives from the industry
● 10 per cent loose-housed
lactating sows by 2020
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1 million sows, 25% are lactation
25,000-30,000 pens
● Loose-housed sows in all units
in new systems built after 2021
APP. 4000 PENS IN 2015 – MORE TO COME
12...
LOOSE-HOUSED LACTATING SOWS
STRENGTHS
● Better welfare for sows
● Increased milk uptake for
piglets
● More uniform piglets at
weaning
● Improved image
LOOSE-HOUSED LACTATING SOWS
CHALLENGES
● Piglet mortality
● Hygiene
● Safety of the stockman
● Training of the stockman
● Size of pen/Economics
● Environment
Costs of establishment is
1000 euros higher than a
conventional farrowing
crates
WE CAN’T JUST OPEN UP A CRATE
Mens boksen er lukket,
æder og gøder soen i
samme position.
Når boksen er åben,
æder soen
selvfølgelig stadig
med hovedet i
krybben.
Men soen vender ofte
modsat (med hovedet
væk fra krybben), når
den gøder.
NO
– A farrowing crate is designed for a sow that doesn’t turn
PRC: TWO KINDS OF PEN DESIGN
SWAP = Sow Welfare
and Piglet Protection
FF = Freedom
Farrowing
FRAMEWORK
Sloping wall
● 17
1. Creep area adjacent to the aisle
• Piglets are checked everyday
• Safety
• Fast
• Limit risk of disease transfer
2. Sow-resting area next to creep
• The sows choose to lie next to creep
• Partly solid floor
• Reduce environmental impact
• Partly solid floor is cheaper
• Keep nestbuilding and rooting material in pen – not
in slurry
3. The sow walks away (turns away) from
feeding area, when defaecating
SHOWROOM
SHOWROOM
● The Danish Pig Research Centre (PRC) will establish
a test-center and showroom with pens for loose
lactating sows in collaboration with a commercial herd.
● The owner of the herd builds a new farrowing unit
● PRC have contract with 6 Danish companies to install
6 pens of their preferred farrowing pen
● The SWAP pen
● Pro Dromi from the Nederland's
● 3600 from UK
● Wing pen from Austria?
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11. februar 2016
FOCUS ON
SHOWROOM
Focus is on sows, piglets and staff – and the periods before
farrowing, farrowing and early lactation, and late lactation.
There will not be enough repetitions to evaluate piglet
survival.
BOPIL, BIG DUTCHMAN AND FUNKI/EGEBJERG
Aisle
Aisle
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11. februar 2016
Aisle
Bopil: 2.7 x 2.4 m = 6.48 m2 (69.8 sqft)
Big Dutchman: 2.7 x 2.3 = 6.21 m2 (66.8 sqft)
ACO Funki: 2.4 x 2.4 = 5,76 m2 (62.0 sqft)
VISSING AGRO, JYDEN OG SØREN JUUL
Aisle
Aisle
Aisle
Vissing Agro: 2.4 x 2.4 = 5,76 m2 (62.0 sqft)
Jyden: 2.0 x 2.9 = 5.8 m2 (62.4 sqft)
Søren Juul: 1.8 x 3.3 = 5,94 m2 (63.9 sqft)
21...|
PRO DROMI
3600
VEREIJKEN/HOLLAND
MIDLAND PIG PRODUCERS LIMITED/UK
Aisle
Aisle
Pro Dormi: 2.0 x 3.25 = 6.5 m2 (70.0 sqft)
360: 1.8 x 2.4 = 4.32 m2 (46.5 sqft)
22...|
11. februar 2016
WING
STEWA, AUSTRIA
Wing: 2.1 x 2.6 = 5.46 m2 (58.8 sqft)
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Aisle
SHOWROOM
11.24...|
februar 2016
SHOWROOM
TEST FACILITIES
WING?
SWAP
SEE YOU IN DENMARK
● We have pen designs we
recommend
● Production level is
promising
● It’s very difficult in existing
footprint
● Showroom 2016-17
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