The Rural Voice, 2001-01, Page 45I
Exploring loose
housing options
for sows
By Penny Lawlis
OMAFRA, London
The recent focus on sow welfare
has led to the development of loose -
housing systems. Dr. Dave Barney,
Manager of the Arkell Animal
Facility at the University of Guelph,
has modified one of the existing
gestation rooms to accommodate
sows in a loose -housing arrangement.
I recently visited with Dr. Barney at
Arkell Swine and discussed the pros
and cons of this system.
Dr. Barney explained how one of
the two existing sow rooms in the
swine barn has 'oeen modified to
accommodate large pens for the
sows. The room had already been
outfitted with a liquid manure
system, so the new design had to
incorporate this. The slats on one
side were cemented over and
extended in another area to provide a
soiling area for the sows.
Dr. Gerhart Schwarting, creator of
the "Nurtinger System", helped with
the original layout of the facility and
Agviro Inc. engineered the
construction plans. Input was also
received from the staff at the Arkell
Swine Research Centre for many of
the "practical" aspects involved in
the final layout. The construction
began early this year and was
completed in late March. Animals
were moved into the new system in
early April.
There are four Targe pens that hold
between 25 and 30 sows. One of the
large pens was divided into two
smaller pens that can hold between
10 and 15 sows. Pens were designed
with plenty of available wall space,
since sows like to lay down with
their backs against the wall. A short,
wall-like partition was, erected in the
centre of the larger pens to provide
extra resting space. The pens were
partially divided by part walls from
each side — these provided areas
where sows could escape in the event
of any fighting. Indeed, sows were
lying in all areas of the pen, either
alone or with one or two others, with
Advice
their backs against a wall.
The sows are moved together
from pens to farrowing stalls in the
same group, since the addition of any
new sows would cause some fighting
while the pigs established a new
hierarchy. Dr. Barney observed that
when any new sows were introduced
into a group, fighting only lasted for
the first day and sows had ample
room in the pen to remove
themselves to a neutral corner.
Each pen is equipped with four
feeding points for the sows. This
arrangement reduces any fighting or
competition for food that might occur
at feeding times. Nipple waterers are
located on the wall beside the slatted
area. Shower -heads were installed
over the slatted floor, as well,
according to a recommendation from
Dr. Schwarting. He suggested that
the showers be turned on about 20
minutes after feeding to encourage
the sows to use this area for dunging.
Overall, the arrangement seems
adequate for the sows, which were
clean and in good body condition
during our tour.
The ventilation system did not
change, but it appeared to perform
well in the new system: Dr. Barney
speculates that the loose housing
system was easier to ventilate since
there was very little in the way of
equipment to block the flow of air.
One surprise was the number of
sows in the loose housing system
versus the gestation stalls. Dr.
Barney pointed out that there were
the same number in both rooms — in
fact more sows could be comfortably
kept using the pen system. He
explained that this was a result of the
removal of much of the unused space
that is found in the gestation -stall
room i.e., the alleyways between
each row of stalls plus the area used
up by each stall.
The loose -housing system has
been up and running since March but
there are no active research projects
currently being conducted involving
the system. However, Dr. Barney is
able to observe the sows on a daily
basis and make adjustments to the
system based on these observations.
Sows are moved into the loose
housing room at 35 days post -
breeding, following confirmation of
pregnancy by ultrasound. Currently
only multiparous sows are kept in the
loose housing room. The smaller,
first litter sows are still kept in the
gestation stall room, since this allows
younger animals to adjust to the
confinement of a stall.
Dave and Brenda Linton, who
farm near Brussels, have also used
daily observations at their loose
housing barn to fine-tune their
operation. The Lintons designed and
built a barn where they keep 100
sows in 10 pens containing I() to 15
sows per pen. On a recent visit to the
farm, Dave and Brenda explained
how they have used "trial and error"
to make the barn work.
The pens in the Linton's barn are
divided into three sections. On one
wall, a Targe, dry area is bedded daily
with a small amount of straw. There
is a small step down into a soiling
and watering area in the middle of
the pen. Manure is scraped off
regularly onto a cement manure pad.
The last section of the pen is another
dry area where the sows are fed and
spend time resting. A ventilation
curtain, equipped with a net to keep
out birds, etc. and preset to the
appropriate temperature, keeps the
barn at a comfortable temperature for
the sows.
Brenda Linton commented that
they did not spend more time in the
barn with the sows, now that the
sows were kept in pens, but it took
time to fine-tune the operation.
Brenda explained how the barn had
been modified to cut down on the
daily chores. A plywood shelf was
added over the sleeping area for
storing straw; straw stored on this
shelf can be easily knocked down
into each pen. Dave added that soon
after the barn was built, they had to
reduce the space between the bars of
the pen to prevent the sows from
sticking their heads through.
Dave commented that the only
thing that he would like to add to the
barn would be a walkway to the
farrowing barn; however, the way his
farm is set up, he will have to rely on
the use of his trailer to get the sows
back and forth. They have very little
trouble while moving the sows in the
trailer and sows seem to have no
problem adjusting to the farrowing
JANUARY 2001 41