Related projects
- Antibiotic-free pigs (EIP project)
- ConnectingPigs (EIP project)
- PigID: More efficient pig farm management (VLAIO)
- Wave: WAter consumption in livestock farming (Blue deal)
Piglets
PVL always tries to tailor its piglet trials to practical conditions as much as possible. A trial set-up in the piglet battery always consists of 12 pens of 10 piglets. These piglets can be specifically classified according to customer demand. The piglets are always weighed on set-up and receive an intermediate and final weighing in each standard trial. Additional weighings can always be carried out at the customer's request. In this way, daily growth in different phases can be determined.
There is the possibility of giving each pen a specific feed. This as the main feed in the feeder but there is also the possibility of giving a second feed or by-product. Feed intake can also be determined on a loft-specific basis so that feed conversion can be determined at loft level. In addition, PVL has its own mixing installation so that different feeds can be mixed or additives added to the feeds.
Besides the above general data, additional determinations are also possible such as behaviour, aggression, health monitoring, etc. Each piglet battery also has specific pen enrichment so that research can also be carried out in that area.
Piglet battery
The piglet battery is made up of plastic pen partitions and the grid is also composed of more than half plastic. The remaining part of the floor at the back of the pen is a grid made of iron. These materials were chosen because plastic is easy to clean and also absorbs heat very quickly. Each pen also has distraction material for the piglets. One feeder per pen was chosen so that feed intake per pen can be recorded. The drinking trough is integrated along the feed trough. The department is ventilated by ceiling ventilation and one centrally located fan. This is located on the side above the feed alley.
Fast forward to
- Sow herd
- Piglets
- Fattening pigs
