Changing business | Some hog producers may leave the business or adopt a new model rather than take on conversion costs
RED DEER — Canadian hog producers may find it unworkable to convert their barns to provide group housing for sows, despite an international movement in favour of it.
“You are undertaking a fairly substantial change,” said pork consultant Bernie Peet, who was involved in helping British producers make the change when the open housing system became law in the European Union in 1999.
European farrowing rates show the performance in group systems is similar to that in sow stalls. Peet said pig performance has more to do with how people manage the animals. Often the style of barn came down to the farmer’s personal preferences.
Read Also
Agriculture ministers agree to AgriStability changes
federal government proposed several months ago to increase the compensation rate from 80 to 90 per cent and double the maximum payment from $3 million to $6 million
Considering the demographics of the Canadian industry with aging producers and a lot of old barns, some may decide to leave the business, he told the Red Deer Swine Technology Workshop held Oct. 30.
“We have to ask the question, if it is an old barn and it is 30 years old and we don’t want to spend half a million dollars on it, should we quit?” he said.
Others may decide to change from farrow to finish operations to finishing only, or renovate their current barns.
Producers who decide to continue with farrow to finishing may find it difficult and expensive to convert old barns.
“If it is done wrong, conversion can be a compromise,” he said.
Reducing the number of sows to make more room is not a good idea. Each sow is allowed 22 to 25 sq. feet, although some may go as high as 30 sq. feet.
“It is not economically feasible to keep the same building and reduce the number of sows,” Peet said.
Alberta Pork is running a sow housing project that involves six farms ranging from 300 to 3,000 sows.
An engineer has looked at options for conversion, space requirements and cost implications. Producers must consider all factors before making big changes.
In this study, the layouts all involved the use of free access stalls so sows could freely move around.
The amount of space nearly doubled from what was available in the existing gestation area. In addition, the plans showed that the space requirements for exercise and dunging were inadequate in old barns.
The cost of conversion and adding the additional sow places were $1,500 to $2,000 per sow, for a total cost of $400,000 to $2.1 million.
Sows can be trained to adjust to a more open system, but better handling skills are needed to identify sick and disadvantaged animals.
Hospital pens are needed in an open system because there will be more sows with health problems and injuries. According to Danish research, most of the problems are from foot and leg injuries.
“It is important to recognize these animals and treat them as quickly as possible,” Peet said.
A recovery area is also needed so sows can regain their strength before returning to the larger group.
Producers must also figure out how to feed them.
Denmark has fully converted to group systems and most farmers there use electronic feeding systems.
One system popular in the United Kingdom called trickle feeding involves small fixed groups, which receive feed in a trough with head and shoulders dividers. The feed is trickled into the trough at a rate of 100 to 120 grams per minute. It gives some control over how much feed they receive.
Automated floor feeding can work, but it can also turn into a free for all.
Liquid feeding in troughs is a simple but inaccurate feeding method, so the animals do not gain weight consistently as a group.
Choosing the right system often depends on personal preference and the size of the herd.
“Group size will tend to point you in the direction of one or two alternative systems you can look at more closely,” he said.
