Feasibility of Hoop Structures for Market Swine in Iowa: Pig Performance, Pig Environment, and Budget Analysis

Hoop structures are large simple, tent–like shelters that can be used for pigs. The pigs are kept inside the hoop structure and large bales, e.g. straw or cornstalks, are used for bedding. A typical hoop structure (10x30 m) holds about 200 market pigs. Bedding is added every two to six weeks as needed until the pigs are marketed at which time clean out occurs. Three demonstrational trials were conducted in Iowa. The pigs were fed from 26 to 117 kg. Pig performance in hoops was acceptable (ADG=.83 kg/d, FE=3.42 kg feed/kg gain) with 9% poorer feed efficiency in winter. Growth rate was equal to or slightly more than typical for pigs in conventional confinement. Pig mortality was less than 3%. Average bedding use was 100 kg per pig in winter and 55 kg per pig in summer. The hoop manure can be composted readily. The bedding pack was variable with some areas actively composting on site in the hoop, generating temperatures up to 62C. An economic analysis showed similar total costs of production with the hoops having lower fixed costs and higher variable costs than in conventional confinement. The higher variable costs are due to bedding and extra feed and labor. Hoop structures offer a feasible alternative production system for sustainable swine production in Iowa and surrounding areas

Comparison of Different Styles of Swine Finishing Facilities within a Uniform Production System

Swine originating from one farrowing and nursery source were finished in five different finishing facility types. Three of the facilities were considered new styles and two were older facilities. The total data set included information collected on 46,408 pigs from 25 groups. The three new styles of finisher included a fully slatted, hybrid ventilated facility; a fully slatted tunnel ventilated facility; and a partially slatted naturally ventilated facility. These were also compared to an oldstyle finisher and an outdoor feeding lot. No significant differences were observed in production performance of the three styles of new buildings at the p\u3c0.05 level. Significant differences were found in feed efficiency, days to market and yield among all (new and old) facility types at the p\u3c0.05 level. Average daily gain for the new facilities were found to be significantly different at the p\u3c0.05 level by season of the year. The variation in death loss, feed efficiency and ADG appeared to be relatively consistent between the different styles of finishers. A basic cost analysis shows that the production cost differences between the three styles of new finisher is small and therefore decisions on the type of building should be based more on management preferences than cost savings

Performance of gestating sows in bedded hoop barns and confinement stalls

The effects of gestation housing systems on sow and litter performance were evaluated for 2.5 yr in southwest Iowa. Gestation housing system treatments were as follows: 1) individual gestation stalls in a mechanically ventilated confinement building with a partially slatted floor and a manure flush system and 2) group pens with individual feed stalls in deep-bedded, naturally ventilated hoop barns. In all, 957 litters from 353 sows were evaluated. Number of pigs born alive per litter differed for the 2 housing treatments (P = 0.002). Sows gestated in hoop barns gave birth to more live pigs per litter (10.0 ± 0.2 pigs) than sows gestated in stalls (9.3 ± 0.2 pigs). Preweaning mortality was not different for the 2 housing treatments (P = 0.70). Cross-fostering was done to equalize litter size within 24 h of birth, which resulted in an equal number of weaned pigs per sow (P = 0.50) regardless of gestation housing treatment. The weaning-to-breeding interval was different (P = 0.01), with sows kept in stalls (4.3 ± 0.6 d) returning to estrus sooner than sows gestated in hoop barns (6.0 ± 0.6 d). These results indicate that gestating sows can be housed as groups in deep-bedded hoop barns equipped with individual feeding stalls and will perform comparably to gestating sows housed in confinement systems with individual gestation stalls

Daily Cleaning Options for Sloped Manure Pits in Swine Finishing

Two technologies were evaluated for daily manure removal in shallow, sloped pits in swine finishing facilities. The criteria included cleaning ability, initial cost, and water usage. One system selected for the trial was mechanical and one was liquid-based. Preliminary results of the scraper system have shown clean pit floor and side walls. The frequency of scraping has been reduced to several times per day and twice after a weekend. Challenges of the system include cleaning the front 0.45 m (18”) along the wall and using water to assist the drainage of manure. Results of the tip tank have shown a 4 gallon per pig recycle water usage per day. Flushability of the solids and development of sufficient head were factors in this 3 design. Both systems were automated to lessen human intervention and designed to allow the recycle pumps to be shut down at night

Two Year Summary of the Performance of Finishing Pigs in Hoop Structures and Confinement During Winter and Summer

Finishing pigs were fed for two years in bedded hoop structures and a confinement building with slotted floors in central Iowa. When summer and winter feeding periods for two years were combined, the trials showed that the finishing pigs in hoops ate more feed, grew faster, and required more feed per unit of liveweight gain than confinement pigs. The mortality rate was similar and percentage of culls was higher for hoops compared with confinement. Also, the hoop pigs were fatter with smaller loin muscle area and a lower percentage of carcass lean and carcass yield compared with confinement pigs. The efficiency of lean gain was also poorer for the hoop pigs. Because the hoops are cold structures, there were seasonal effects. The hoop pigs ate more feed, particularly in the winter, grew faster in the summer, and were less efficient particularly in the winter than the confinement pigs. The hoop pigs were fatter in the summer only and less efficient in converting feed to lean in the winter only. Also the hoop pigs had a greater incidence of roundworm infestations particularly in the later trials, in spite of a thorough deworming regimen. Therefore, hoop pigs may need to be fed diets somewhat differently than the diets fed to confinement pigs to optimize lean growth, and the control of internal parasites in hoop pigs may need to be more aggressive than in confinement. Bedding use was approximately 220 lb per pig on a year round basis. Approximately 204 lb of bedding was used in summer and approximately 236 lb of bedding was used in winter

Bedded Hoop Barns for Beef Cattle

This fact sheet from Iowa State University Extension and the Iowa Beef Center describes recent research on beef cattle hoop barns

Impact of Gestation Housing System on Weaned Pig Production Cost

Construction and operating costs for two gestation housing systems—1) individual gestation stalls in a mechanically ventilated confinement building with slatted floor and 2) group pens with individual feed stalls in deepbedded naturally ventilated hoop barns and their impact on cost per weaned pig produced were compared. Iowa work has shown that reproductive performance of group-housed sows in hoop barns is equal to individually stalled sows and for some measures may be improved. Assuming equal prolificacy, feed cost per pig weaned is 7% more for sows gestated in hoop barns, but total cost per pig weaned is 3% less for pigs produced by sows gestated as groups in hoop barns compared with pigs from individual stall gestation systems. When the observed increase in live pigs born for litters following hoop gestation was included in the cost analysis, the group housing in hoop barns for gestation resulted in a weaned pig cost that was 11% less than the cost of a weaned pig from the individual stall confinement system. In the upper Midwest United States, group housing of gestation sows in deep-bedded hoop barns may produce pigs at a lower cost than individual gestation stalls in confinement facilities if the bedded group housing system is managed optimally

Sow and Litter Performance for Individual Crate and Group Hoop Barn Gestation Housing Systems: Progress Report III

The effects of gestation system on sow and litter performance over a 2.5 year period were evaluated at the Iowa State University Lauren Christian Swine Research and Demonstration Farm near Atlantic, IA. Gestation housing system treatments were 1) individual gestation crates in a mechanically ventilated, partially slatted floor manure flush confinement building (C); and 2) group pens with individual feed stalls in deep-bedded, naturally ventilated hoop barns (H). Sows were artificially inseminated in a mechanically ventilated, partially slatted floor confinement breeding barn. Sows were moved as a group to their assigned gestation housing treatment by the ninth day post-weaning. Sows were randomly assigned to gestation housing treatment when the project commenced. All first parity gilts were gestated in individual crates and randomly assigned to a gestation group after breeding for the second parity. Farrowing occurred throughout the year on a bi-weekly schedule. All sows received 2.04 kg per day of a cornsoybean meal diet. During the last trimester of gestation, feed allowance was increased to 2.72 kg. During the winter H sows were fed 25% more feed and C sows were fed 5% more feed. Reproductive performance was summarized for 957 litters and analyzed using general linear models. Number born alive per litter was different for the two housing treatments (P0.1). H sows also weaned 0.4 pigs more per litter (P0.1). Failure to conceive was the leading reason for culling in both treatments. There was a trend for sows gestated in C to be culled for feet and leg unsoundness. H sows tended to be culled for poor body condition. Results indicate that gestating sows can be housed in deep-bedded hoop barns equipped with individual feeding stalls and achieve results comparable or superior to gestating sows housed in individual crated gestation systems

The Effects of Gestation Housing on the Reproductive Performance of Gestating Sows: A Progress Report

There is increasing interest in evaluating group housing for gestating sows. The majority of gestating sows are housed in individual stalls or crates for the majority of the gestation period (100–110 days). Hoop structures are low-cost shelters that can be used for swine. By using feeding stalls and cornstalk bedding, hoops provide a feasible housing system for gestating swine. The objective of this long-term study is to evaluate effects of gestation housing on reproductive performance of sows. Group-housed gestating sows in static groups were compared to sows in individual gestation crates. Static refers to a group of sows that is managed as a group without mixing with other groups of sows. The group farrows, is bred, and gestated as an intact group. Replacement gilts are added to the group after farrowing