Growing-finishing facilities vary from a single strand electric fence to a totally enclosed, environmentally controlled unit. Despite their differences, all facilities should have several things in common. They should provide some shelter from the environment (heat, cold, rain). The ideal number of pigs per pen is 5 to 30, whatever the facility. All can be efficient production units if managed correctly.
Drylot
Fenced dirt lots are the cheapest growing-finishing facilities to construct. They can also result in the poorest performance because of buildup of internal parasites and disease and lack of protection from the environment. Providing 5 to 6 square feet of shed space per animal will reduce the environmental effects on performance. With a stocking rate of 50 to 100 pigs per acre, manure can dry, thus reducing odors.
Low-Investment Confinement
Low-investment confinement facilities cost more to construct but provide better protection from the environment. The space requirements depend on the building design. In buildings with solid floors and outside aprons, each growing-finishing pig needs 6 square feet inside and 6 square feet outside. Space requirements for other low-investment designs with solid floors are 8 to 10 square feet per growing pig and 10 to 12 square feet per finishing pig.
When the floor is solid or partially slatted, pen cleanliness can be a problem. Pen design and layout can help reduce the problem. Solid partitions between pens except over the slats or open gutter stimulates dunging in the disposal area. Waterers and sprinkler systems over this area are also important. Feeders should be opposite the dunging area. The solid portion of the floor should slope away from the feeding area 1/2 to 5/8 inch per foot. A drop of 1 to 2 inches between the solid and slatted area will help reduce waste problems on the solid area.
High-Investment Confinement
High-investment facilities are costly but require less space and labor. These facilities provide the greatest protection from environmental conditions. Depending on the type of structure, these facilities either offset environmental problems or create a new environment. High-investment growing-finishing facilities are of two designs: curtain-sided and environmentally controlled.
As the name implies, curtain-sided facilities have open sides with movable curtains. These buildings make use of natural ventilation but can be closed during cold weather. Curtain controls are either manual or automatic (thermostat controlled). One problem with these facilities is winter ventilation. Closed curtains eliminate natural ventilation. Moisture and odor control require mechanical ventilation (Table 4, below). When you follow space recommendations, supplemental heat is rarely required for growing-finishing pigs in the South.
Ventilation rates, cfm (a) | |||||||
Weight, lb. |
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40 |
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50 |
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100 |
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150 |
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200 |
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250 |
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Environmentally controlled facilities create a "new" environment with mechanical ventilation and heating and cooling equipment. Ventilation requirements can be found in Table 4. As with curtain-sided facilities, minimum and winter rates are necessary for moisture and odor control. Summer rates provide cooling. If the ventilation system is designed and set properly, there should be little seasonal effect on pig performance. Heating or cooling can be used, but the added cost of operation may not be offset by improved performance.