#PIG PEN FLOORING MANUAL#

showed that pigs kept under poor sanitary conditions (including soiled pens) showed reduced growth rates and a compromised health status (higher pleuritis scores at slaughter and an increased innate immune response and serum haptoglobin concentrations). However, these effects were likely related to the improved thermal comfort and not to pen soiling by itself. observed an increase in feed intake and growth rate together with a reduction in pen soiling when pen floors were cooled. The economic impact of pen soiling has not been estimated directly, but Renaudeau observed that, in a hot tropical climate, pigs housed in a clean environment consumed more feed and grew faster compared to pigs housed in the dirty environment.

#PIG PEN FLOORING MANUAL#

estimated growing pigs kept on partially slatted floors soiled the resting area in between 4% and 9% of pens, and 5вЂ“10% of pens required manual cleaning. the design of a so-called pig toilet, could have major benefits to reduce the environmental impact of pig farming as well as improve pig welfare. In organic pig production, where straw is provided, one of the biggest problems is environmental impact, in that emissions are more difficult to control due to a larger living area with a larger emitting surface of solid and slatted floors, including the outdoor area ДЄ better way of dealing with pen soiling issues, esp. Further welfare problems related to the use of hard slatted floors include claw lesions, bursitis, incidental casualties when pigs fall into the manure pit and barn fires. The provision of inadequate enrichment materials has been a persistent welfare problem of intensive pig farming, leading, e.g., to tail biting and routine tail docking. Straw, however, is highly beneficial to pig welfare as it serves various important functions, including bedding comfort for resting (cushioning and thermal comfort), recreational value for rooting and manipulation, and dietary value by providing gut fill. In addition, it became virtually impossible to provide rooting substrates, as these would block the liquid manure system. Such floors increase animal hygiene, and reduce material costs and labour The liquid manure, collected underneath the slats, was mechanically pumped out of the slurry pit. Slatted floors for pigs were made of metal, plastic, or concrete. For pigs, the discrepancy manifested itself as highly stocked, dark, smelly, and barren pens without straw or outdoor access.ДЄ crucial innovation in housing design was the use of perforated floors. ДЄnimal welfare concerns often relate to a perceived discrepancy between modern farming and some kind of ideal condition, which is considered to be more animal friendly, such as traditional farming, living in nature, or being kept as a pet. It was a time when the term вЂњfactory farmingвЂќ reached the wider public following the publication of Ruth HarrisonвЂ™s book вЂњAnimal MachinesвЂќ and the Brambell Report. ДЇrom the mid-1970s onwards, however, adverse consequences emerged. In 2018, only about 4000 pig farms were left housing about 3100 pigs per farm. For instance, in 1950, the Netherlands had 271,000 farms of which almost 179,000 farms had pigs with an average of 10.6 pigs per farm. This led to the industrialisation and rationalisation of agriculture, focussing on enhancing production efficiency and a larger scale of production. In many European countries, the phrase вЂњno more hungerвЂќ became a driving force after WW-II to provide plenty of affordable food for all. Pigs could get dirty in these traditional environments, either from lying in faeces or mud. In summer, pigs could often dig their own wallow. Nose rings were used to limit rooting activity in small outdoor fields, while outdoor access was partly seasonal. Prior to the development of intensive pig farming, which started around 1950вЂ“1960, pigs were generally kept in relatively small pens with straw.

Pig pen flooring