Adapting to Sow Housing Trends/Conversion. Erin Ehinger Dykhuis Farms, Inc September 24, 2010

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1 Adapting to Sow Housing Trends/Conversion Erin Ehinger Dykhuis Farms, Inc September 24, 2010

2 As an industry, we can manage sows in pen gestation as successfully as we ve managed sows in the past. with stalls for breeding and farrowing with the right people

3 Outline Overview of Dykhuis Farms Barn Design Weekly Tasks in Pens Animal Husbandry Worker Safety Production Numbers

4 An Overview of Dykhuis Farms

5 About Dykhuis Farms Head quarters in West Michigan All the sow units are in the Holland area Contract finishing in Michigan and Indiana (Part of the Michigan PRRS Eradication Project)

6 About Dykhuis Farms 15,500 sows 5 commercial sow units of 2800 sows each 1 grandparent herd unit with 1900 sows PIC sows

7 History Started in 1978 with all stall gestation (80 sows) Steady growth from 1980 through 2009 In 2009, cut sow herd by 20% Early 2009, 70% of DFI sows spent part of gestation in pens

8 History 2004 Purchased farrow to finish unit and kept finisher pens for sow gestation Changed another finisher/gilt developer into a gestation barn with pens

9 Changes in Europe Group housed sows in Denmark.

10 History 2007 Changed another finisher to pen gestation Built new breeding and farrowing barn attached to old finisher

11 History December 2009/ February 2010 Changed some pens into stalls 2010 Michigan Legislation Early 2020 takes effect Can be in stalls until confirmed pregnant and one week before due to farrow

12 Our People All of the managers in our pen barns worked with stalls before pens Many of our gestation people worked with stalls before pens

13 Barn Design

14 Feeding/Watering

15 30 inches between feed tubes (2 sows per box)

16 30 inches between feed tubes (2 sows per box)

17 Trough for whey and water

18 30 inches between feed tubes (2 sows per box)

19 30 inches between feed tubes (2 sows per box)

20 Sow lick inside the pipe which causes the feed to hang up.

21 27 inches between feed tubes (2 sows per box)

22 4 feet between feed tubes (2 sows per box)

26 Feeding Whey

27 This feeding system is not ideal

29 Feed wasted on backs of animals

30 Hanging Waterer

31 Not our farm, but another feeding system

32 18 inches between dividers

33 Other Systems Free Access Stalls Recent research published on amount of time spent in and out of stalls Electric Sow Feeding System

34 Planning a Barn Pens needed: Farrowing Target x Number of weeks in the pens (e.g. 10) Stalls needed: Hospital area Gilts Wean sows Bred sows: Breeding Target x Number of weeks in the stalls (e.g. 6)

35 Breed in stalls

36 Hospital Area

37 Small vs. Large Pens Either can work Needs to fit the system Bigger pens can make planning more difficult If a pen is only partially emptied, can leave unavailable empty spaces.

38 Stocking Density We stock pens at 15 square feet per sow By the end of gestation, goal of 18 square feet per sow Fall out: Opens Aborts Dead sows Thin Lame

39 Village Central

40 The Round Barn Built on top of existing cement manure storage Built in 2007

41 Stalls: 1228

43 Pens: 16 square pens

44 642 ft 2 (24 x )

45 Sow Capacity Stocked at 15 sq. feet: 43 sows Figure on 7 pulled out Last weeks of gestation stocked at 18 sq. feet: 36 sows

46 Round barn: 8 pens (1 is slightly smaller)

48 102 feet in diameter

49 ft 2 per pen (828.2 ft 2 on one pen aisle)

50 Sow Capacity 67 sows at 15 ft 2 (1 pen 55 sows at 15 ft 2 ) Expected fall out: sows at 18 ft 2 (1 pen with 46 sows at 18 ft 2 )

51 Farrowing: 516

52 Total Space Available: Stalls: 1228 Pens (18 ft2): 1014 Farrowing: 516

53 Sandy Ridge Half converted finisher Half new construction in 2007: farrowing & breeding barn

54 Stalls: 1296

Pens: rectangle pens Big Pens: 39 10 x 18

56 Pens: rectangle pens Big Pens: x 18 =717 ft2 Small Pens: 19 9 x 18 =355.5 ft2

57 24 Big Pens Capacity: 48 sows at 15 ft2 Fallout: 8 sows 40 sows at 18 ft2

58 6 Small Pens Capacity: 24 sows at 15 ft2 Fallout: 4 sows 20 sows at 18 ft2

59 Farrowing: 576

60 Total Space Available: Stalls: 1296 Pens (18 ft2): 1080 Farrowing: 576

61 Grandparent Herd

62 Stalls: Stalls in breeding barn: 736 Stalls in gestation barn: 436

63 10 pens: x sows at 15 ft 2 11 sows at 18 ft 2

64 17 pens 8.5 x sows at 15 ft 2 13 sows at 18 ft 2

65 10 pens: 8.3 x sows at 15 ft 2 12 sows at 18 ft 2

66 Farrowing: 395

67 Total Space Available: Stalls: 1172 Pens: 451 Farrowing: 395 * This sow unit has 3 sites and has more farrowing than is needed. Also, only half of the sows gestate for 10 weeks in pens.

68 Weekly Tasks

69 Establishing Pens Sow are in stalls from weaning until 35 days bred or more Confirmed Pregnant

70 Establishing Pens Group pens by Due date/breed date Size/Parity

71 Newly mixed pen

72 Mixed the previous day- gilts

73 Sows get extra feed the first 2-3 days in a pen Helps reduce fighting

74 Heat Checking/Breeding

75 Heat checking for returns in the pen Boar

76 Mark heats and move to stalls

77 Breed in stalls

78 Don t do this!

79 Gilts breeding in pens: not ideal

80 Works best with a lot of people

81 Boars can be aggressive

82 Quality Mating?

83 Vaccinating

84 Ultrasound

86 Record Keeping

89 Sows Marked to Move to Farrowing

91 Animal Husbandry

92 Caring for Individuals Lame sows in pens need immediate attention Sick sows need immediate attention Why did that sow get beat up?

93 Injured Sows

94 Hospital Area

95 Feeding and Body Condition Fed as a group Thin sows Minimize Group together Pull out of pens 35 days gestation in stall gives time to gain body condition

96 Thin Sows

97 Worker Safety

98 Worker Safety Boars can be aggressive during heat checking Moving animals Be aware of surroundings Some things may be safer because there are no stalls to pinch hands and legs

99 Production Numbers

100 Total Sows May 2009-April 2010 Stall housed sows: 5426 (30%) (parity 3.9) Pen housed sows: (70%) (parity 2.7) June August 2010 Stall housed sows: 8561 (52%) (parity 2.8) Pen housed sows: 7782 (48%) (parity 3.6)

101 Farrowing Rate May 09-April 10 Stalls: 82.1% Pens: 84% June August 10 Stalls: 87.2% Pens: 85.2%

102 Total Born & Born Alive May 09-April 10 Stalls: 12.5/11.3 Pens: 12.6/11.7 June August 10 Stalls: 12.9/12.0 Pens: 13.1/12.0

103 Percent Stills & Mummies May 09-April 10 Stalls: 5.9%/3.7% Pens: 4.7%/2.4% June August 10 Stalls: 4.2%/2.6% Pens: 5.6%/2.9%

104 Pre-weaning Mortality May 09-April 10 Stalls: 13.8% Pens: 12.8% June August 10 Stalls: 12.2% Pens: 14.0%

105 Pigs Weaned per Sow & PSY May 09-April 10 Stalls: 9.7/24.1 Pens: 10.2/24.9 June August 10 Stalls: 10.4/25.8 Pens: 10.2/24.2

106 Sow Death Loss May 09-April 10 Stalls: 8.3% Pens: 7.7% June August 10 Stalls: 6.6% Pens: 6.4%

107 Conclusion Overview of DFI Barn Design Weekly Tasks in Pens Animal Husbandry Worker Safety Production Numbers

108 As an industry, we can manage sows in pen gestation as successfully as we ve managed sows in the past. with stalls for breeding and farrowing with the right people

109 Any questions? Mom, aren t these sheep? Where are the pigs?

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