Page 11 of articles about facilities-equipment in Articles

Production manuals and legislation often give recommendations as to the minimum space requirements for each type of animal. There are many sources where we can find information about the minimum requirements to ensure animal comfort. But, what is the optimal number of animals to put in a pen? Is there a magic number? There is not as much documentation on this topic.

In high-density swine regions of North America, air filtration is playing an important role in the effort to maintain PRRS free commercial sow herds

In this chapter we will consider the benefits of closed nests and the importance of temperature regulation according to the age of the piglets.

In this chapter we will take a look at the use of heat lamps and how to distribute heat inside the pen.

In this chapter we will discuss the benefits of heating mats

The milk production of sows is one of the parameters that has evolved the most over the last several decades.

In the last decades the degree of technification and evolution of the productive systems at all levels has been constant.

The test we propose this week evaluates your knowledge about the welfare of gestational sows housed in straw.

This new test deals with sanitary conditions in fattening pigs: density, cleanliness of installations…

October’s new test deals with density in fattening.

In the last chapter we examined the advantages of positioning crates facing inwards and outwards. Now we are going to explore two other options: Aisles both in front and behind the crates and crates on both sides of the aisle.

Genetic selection over the last few decades has resulted in pigs with better feed conversion and leaner carcasses, but it has also led to pigs with a decreased ingestion capacity.

Any failure in a cleaning and disinfection programme costs money. This comes from the costs of the programme, the loss of its potential benefits and very probably the costs of disease the failure has allowed to occur. It is also very disappointing for the management and staff of the farm who have done the hard work, and the veterinarian who is trying to ensure healthy efficient production.

When designing farrowing rooms, sows can be placed in different ways: facing inwards, facing outwards, with aisles both in front and behind the crate, or on both sides of the aisle.

The European Welfare Quality® project has developed systems to objectively evaluate animal welfare on farms and slaughterhouses in order to identify the causes of deficient wellbeing and to assess farmers on possible improvements.

In previous articles we have discussed the need for good cleaning and disinfection, how to clean properly and how to disinfect. Now we come to the agents used, and it is vital to realise that the right choice of detergent and disinfectant is a pivotal part of any cleaning and disinfection programme.