17/01/2024

Designing the waiting stable

Tierhaltung

If sows feel comfortable in the waiting stall, there is harmony within the group. With structural measures and an understanding of your sows, you can increase the feel-good factor in the barn. Housing sows in groups requires considerable knowledge regarding the structural requirements of the waiting stall, as well as the animals' social, feeding, and resting behavior. Keep the guiding principle in mind: We want to adapt the housing system to our animals, not the animals to the housing.

Grouping sows

Mandatory group housing of sows has been in effect in all EU member states since January 1, 2013. In Austria, farmers must keep their sows in groups after mating until five days before the expected farrowing date. Group housing allows the pigs to express their pronounced social behavior. The freedom of movement promotes the animals' health. Sows in group housing are calmer and more sociable, with a good human-animal relationship, than sows housed individually.

Scratch and bite injuries usually result from dominance fights during the grouping phase. Keep sows to be grouped in an arena. The arena is a special pen in which the hierarchy within a herd can be established as gently as possible. The grouping pen should offer each sow a minimum of 3–3.5 m² of space so that weaker animals can escape in the event of an attack. Provide distractions in the grouping pen by providing plenty of activity material. Ensure the floor in the arena is non-slip. A dry floor can prevent claw injuries and lameness as a result of fights. Provide water and feed for the sows in the arena.

New construction and renovation options

The size of the pens in the waiting area depends on the number of sows. The 1st Animal Husbandry Ordinance regulates the minimum space per sow, the minimum length of the pen, and the floor design. For groups of up to five animals, one side of the pen must be at least 2.40 m long. For groups of six or more animals, the pen must be over 2.80 m long. The minimum area per sow varies according to the group size. In general, the more space the animals have to move around, the better they can avoid each other in conflict situations. For slatted floors, you must provide an area of 0.95 m² per gilt or 1.30 m² per sow, ensuring that the perforation does not exceed 15%. You can design the waiting area as a two- or three-area pen.

Two-area bay

Bay with feeding boxes
This pen is suitable for new constructions and renovations of warm barns. This pen type is divided into a feeding area and an aisle. Each animal has its own crate. Close the crate during feeding time so that the sows can feed undisturbed. The sows also use the feeding stalls as retreats and lying areas. Especially in self-catching systems, weaker sows can find protection and peace from attackers. Ensure compliance with the applicable dimensions for individual feeding stalls. The aisle behind the crate, with a width of at least 1.60 m, serves as an exercise area and can be designed with solid or slatted flooring.

Bay with outlet
This pen is also suitable for new construction and renovations. The feeding and resting areas are identical. The animals' feeding areas are separated by feeding screens. Accurate individual feeding is only possible to a limited extent, and crowding at the feeding table is almost impossible to avoid. You can increase cleanliness in the stable by moving the feeding area outside into a covered run.

Bay with bedding or with bedding niches
This type of beechwood is particularly well-suited for conversion. The sows are fed in existing stalls or at troughs divided by feeding screens. Feeding at on-demand stations is also suitable. The feeding area is raised by a step above the straw-strewn resting area. During the colder months, the sows find warmth in the straw-strewn resting area. The space required for this type of housing exceeds the legal minimum standards. The lying area should be 1.00–1.20 m² per animal. The space required for feeding and aisles varies depending on the structural layout.

Three-area bay

The three-area pen is divided into the functional areas of feeding, lying, and defecating. This pen type accommodates the sows' natural need for a separation between their resting area and the defecating area. The three functional areas can be set up one behind the other or side by side. To allow the animals to feed undisturbed, you can also install lockable crates here. In the three-area pen, the sows use the feeding stalls exclusively for feeding, unlike in the two-area pen. Therefore, the width of the crates can be reduced to 50 cm in this type of pen. Spread straw on the lying area and ensure that it is closed on three sides so that the animals use the lying area as a place of retreat. In the lying niches, the animals are not disturbed or provoked by animals crossing over. In cold barns, design the lying areas as crates or huts. This creates a warm, wind-protected zone for your sows. The space required in the lying crates is based on the lying area specifications for a two-level pen with bedding. The space requirement corresponds to 4–6 m² per sow.

Non-slip floor

Non-slip floors are essential in pigpens. Lay concrete slatted floors evenly and without burrs. Pay attention to broken edges. There must be no gaps between the individual elements. The gaps may not be more than 20 mm wide. The tread width must be at least 80 mm. By covering the lying areas with rubber mats, you can reduce the number of slots (max. 15% perforation). Give preference to slotted rubber mats so that liquids can drain away unhindered. If you want to use closed mats, install them with a gradient of at least 2% (preferably 4%). This gradient ensures the drainage of urine and water. The lying area remains dry and non-slip.

Avoid food envy

Pigs naturally enjoy feeding together. To ensure each animal has uninterrupted access to food, it is advisable to separate the feeding areas with screens or install individual stalls. The Animal Husbandry Ordinance stipulates a minimum feeding area width of 40 cm per animal. Feed your animals individually, for example, at a call-feed station, and offer them additional roughage in the form of grass, hay, or straw. This allows the sows to indulge their chewing and exploration instincts. In groups with call-feed stations without roughage, injuries to the rear body region, such as the vulva, can occur more frequently if the animals push into the station and attack waiting sows from behind. With rationed or restrictive feeding, each animal must have access to a feeding place. When feeding from dry feeders, maintain an animal-to-feeding place ratio of 4:1. When using bulk feeding via automatic wet or dry feeders, a bird-to-feeding place ratio of 8:1 is recommended. Water is just as important as feed as food. Check the flow rate and water quality regularly. A sow's water needs vary depending on gestation period and temperature. Sows in their first trimester drink 8–12 liters per bird per day. Sows in their second trimester require 10–15 liters per bird per day. Plan for one drinker per ten birds. Install at least one drinker per pen if fewer than ten birds are housed.

Avoid noise

Sows prefer to rest in dry, draft-free areas. The animals should use the entire resting area when lying on their sides. Open areas are otherwise used as defecation areas. Machinery such as ventilation fans and feeding machines should be as quiet as possible. The sound level must not exceed 85 dBA. This noise level is equivalent to passing trucks, chainsaws, or angle grinders. Continuous or sudden noise makes the animals restless and can also cause hearing damage in humans.

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