Large Pen

1
Large Pen Auto SortFinishing Systems

• Steven J. Moeller
• Associate Professor
• Swine Extension Specialist

2
Why the Interest in Large Group Finishing?

• Minimize facility costs
• Fewer gates
• More efficient space/facility utilization
• Can you reduce sq footage in larger groups?
• Do you need an aisle?
• Animal behavior
• Social hierarchy in typical pens
• Growth/performance uniformity
• Animal welfare aspects

3
What is Known about Large Group Finishing?

• Peer-Reviewed Literature
• Few articles for stocking rates gt 100/pen
• Wolter et al. 2001
• Wean-finish pigs (25 vs 50 vs 100 pigs/pen)
• First 8 weeks
• Pens of 50 and 100 had lighter weight, lower ADG,
  poorer feed conversion but no difference in daily
  feed intake compared with pens of 25 pigs
• From 8 wk to Market (255)
• Pens of 100 had greater ADG (3), than pens of 50
  with pens of 25 intermediate.
• For the entire trial No differences in ADG,
  daily feed intake or feed efficiency

4
What is Known about Large Group Finishing?

• Peer-Reviewed Literature
• Verdoes et al. 1998
• 10 vs 90 pigs per pen
• Lower ADG in nursery stage
• No difference in growth rate in the finisher

5
Large Pen, Auto-sort Systems

• History
• Started in Pennsylvania/New York
• 2000-2001
• How do you sort hogs for market in groups of 500
  to 1000 pigs
• Moved to Midwest
• Spring/Summer 2002
• Farmweld Co.
• Over 100 systems sold in last half of 2002

6
Large Pen, Auto-sort Systems

• Initial Opportunities
• Overcome sorting/marketing challenge of large
  pens
• Scale weight vs Eye-ball weight
• Reduced time and labor of sorting
• Target market weights to a specific Packer Grid
• Reduce or minimize sort loss at the packer
• Premium for uniformity within a grid (Hormel)
• Improve Effective Pen Space
• Reduction in dunging area allows more free pen
  space
• Social hierarchy modification
• Fewer dominance/aggression problems, reduced
  tail-biting

7
Large Pen, Auto-sort Systems

• Concept
• 250, 500, up to 1000 pigs/pen
• Many configurations, barn specific
• Many, movable gates to establish pens for
  sleeping, feeding, sorting areas, etc
• Access to feed used to entice pigs to enter
  scales/feed court area
• One way gates in and out
• Requires training of the pig for effective
  application

8
Large Pen, Auto-sort Diagram
9
Large Pen, Auto Sort Diagram
Diagram Courtesy Kevin Cera, Akey, Inc
10
Large Pen, Auto Sort Diagram
Diagram Courtesy Kevin Cera, Akey, Inc
11
Food Court Scales
12
Liquid Feeding Food Court
13
Food Court
Photo Courtesy of Akey Feeds
14
Food Court
Photo Courtesy of Akey Feeds
15
Two Food Courts, Two Diets?
16
Food Court
17
Lounging/Sleeping Area
18
Lounging/Sleeping Area
Photo Courtesy of Akey Feeds
19
Lounging/Sleeping Area
Photo Courtesy of Akey Feeds
20
Lounging/Sleeping Area
Photo Courtesy of Akey Feeds
21
Water System Lounge Area
22
Building Length Pens
23
Building Length Pens
Photo Courtesy of Akey Feeds
24
Building Length Pens
Photo Courtesy of Akey Feeds
25
1-way gate out of the food court
Photo Courtesy of Akey Feeds
26
1-way gate out of the food court
27
1-way gate out of the food court
28
Scales
29
Scales
Photos Courtesy of Akey Feeds
30
Sorting
31
Sorting
Photo Courtesy of Akey Feeds
32
Sorting
Photo Courtesy of Akey Feeds
33
Sorting
Photo Courtesy of Akey Feeds
34
Two Food Court System
35
Large Pen, Auto-sort Systems

• Easier Pig Handling (farm and plant)
• Time and labor implications
• Welfare issues/Stockperson/Trucker Quality
  Assurance issues
• Reduced use of prods, fewer bruises, reduced
  DOAs and downers
• Pork Quality issues
• Reduced stress may yield improved pork quality

36
Large Pen, Auto-sort Systems

• Nutrition Management Strategies
• Feed withdrawal prior to harvest
• 1 day of feed savings lowers feed costs
• Knowledge of weights for feed budgets
• Fine tune budgets
• Phase feed pigs within the large group
• Offer two diets
• Strategic feeding of Paylean

37
Large Pen, Auto-sort Systems

• Waste Management Strategies
• Feed withdrawal prior to harvest
• Clean the pig out prior to harvest
• Reduced waste on trucks
• Less time for cleaning
• Reduced waste in plant
• Less time for cleaning
• Food safety issue, fewer problems with nicked
  intestines on the line

38
Large Pen, Auto-sort Systems

• Current Issues and Questions
• Impact of very large group sizes (500/pen) on
• Average Daily Gain, Daily Feed Intake, Feed
  Efficiency
• Uniformity of growth and composition
• Social Hierarchy
• Impact of food court size/design on these factors
• Training procedures for the pig
• Equipment cost and life expectancy

39
Large Pen, Auto-sort Systems

• Pork Quality Issues
• Reduction in muscle energy stores due to 24-h
  fast
• Reduced muscle glycogen
• Reduced post-mortem conversion of glycogen to
  lactic acid
• Greater 24-h pH ???
• Improved water holding capacity ????
• Improved color????
• Conflicting evidence in the literature on this
  issue

40
Large PenAuto-sort Systems

• Longer-term Issues
• Pig Stocking Density (space requirements)
• Gain some space when alleys are removed
• Can you reduce space allowance? (lt 7 ft2/pig)
• Will welfare challenges negate this opportunity?
• Additional Research is Necessary to address these
  issues

41

• Special thanks to
• Frank Brummer, Farmweld
• Kevin Cera, Akey, Inc
• For pictures and information