This factsheet evaluates farrowing pen design to reduce piglet mortality and health problems. Additionally, it presents the results of the Core Organic Cofund project POWER on a farrowing pen design’s relevance for animal welfare and its environmental impact

Baldinger, Lisa

Heidbuechel, Katharina

Vermeer, Herman

Organic Eprints

1Handbook Welfare and environmental impact of organic pig production | 2022 | FiBLDescriptionA well-designed farrowing pen creates a safe en-vironment for the sow, the piglets and the farm-er. Dividing the pen into areas for the needs of the sow and the piglets ensures optimal use of the space, adequate temperature and easy management. Non-slippery flooring and the allowance of appro-priate bedding enable the sow to exhibit her natural behaviour of nest-building around farrowing. Easy access to the piglets and the option to separate the sow ensure the farmers´ safety during inspection and care of the animals.LegislationEU organic Regulations 2018/848 and EU 2020/464 stipulate the following:  • Minimum space allowance per sow and litter is 7.5 m² indoors with a mandatory addition of 2.5 m² outdoors. • Floors shall be smooth, but not slippery. At least half of the indoor surface areas must be solid. • Ample dry bedding material (straw or other suit-able material) must be provided in the resting area.The Swiss Animal Protection Ordinance (AniPO, SR 455.1) stipulates that farrowing pens have to be de-signed so that the sow is able to turn around. Like-wise national regulations in Sweden and Norway prohibit the use of farrowing crates, where the sow is not able to turn around, in all production systems – organic as well as conventional.Improved health, welfare and viability in young pigs:  designing an organic farrowing penFactsheetApplicability boxThemePigsFarm typeIndoor housing with outdoor runProduction stageSows + pigletsWelfare   Environment   CostRelevance for animal welfare • The design of the farrowing pen influences the sows´ ability to exhibit her natural behav-iour, protects piglets against cooling and being crushed by the sow, and ensures good hygiene and easy control of the health of the animals.2.11 22 Handbook Welfare and environmental impact of organic pig production | 2022 | FiBLRelevance for environmental  impact • Proper insulation of the building and providing a warm microclimate only in the piglet nest, reduc-es the energy consumption for heating. • Heating the whole barn can even be detrimental for the sows as they need ambient temperatures around 15 °C. Piglets on the other hand need am-bient temperatures of up to 33 °C. Therefore they will use the heated piglet nest less frequently if the whole barn is heated, increasing their risk of being crushed.  • A sloping floor indoors and outdoors (1-2 %), as well as a functioning drain, ensure suitable drain-age of liquids and reduce ammonia emissions.Cost and labour • Observation of the pigs can be simplified by en-suring that farrowing pens are easy to overlook and/or recorded with cameras. • For the necessary treatments of piglets, the pos-sibility to separate the sow indoors or outdoors improves work safety.  • Frequent monitoring without disturbing the sows around farrowing can save piglets, most sows far-row in the evening or night.Recommendations • Farrowing pens should be divided into separate areas (see Fig. 1). • Indoor area: Depending on the size of the sows, a minimum 7.5 m² indoor area (EU 2020/464) might not be enough.  • Lying area: The lying area of the sow should be big enough for her to turn around easily. A di-ameter of 2.4 m is usually suitable. Continuous fixation of the sows in crates during farrowing and the lactation period is not allowed.Picture 10.2: Using windbreaks and plastic curtains can help to  prevent drafts in the farrowing pen. Picture10.1: Keep-off rails create a save space for piglets when the sow is lying down and therefore help to reduce piglet crushing.Movement areaof the sowOutdoor area,partlyslattedPigletnest375265 20060 5070130200Layout example of a farrowing pen consists of different areas. The lying area provides space for the sow to rest, feed and move around. It should have at least 4 m2, so that the sow can turn around. Before farrowing adding some extra long straw to the lying area, is recommended, so the sow can use this bedding mate-rial for nest building. The piglet nest should be heated, as piglets need a higher ambient temperature compared to the sow. The out-door run is used for exercise, resting, dunging and rooting.Figure 1: Separate areas of a farrowing pen3Handbook Welfare and environmental impact of organic pig production | 2022 | FiBL • Prevent crushing: The piglets must be able to walk around the lying sow to prevent crushing, which can either be achieved by keep-off rails on the pens´ walls (see picture 10.1) or by providing more space. • Materials: Since the surface must be easy to clean and disinfect, the use of plastic is recommended. • Floor: Flooring should be non-slippery, so the sow can move securely, but not too rough to avoid joint lesions in piglets. Concrete with suf-ficient straw, mixed with sawdust to better absorb liquids, is a good solution. • Bedding material: Chopped straw or a similar bedding material should be used to make sure, that newborn piglets can walk freely. • Draft: A draft inside the pen should be avoided. Swivel doors or solid walls can be used as a wind-break (see picture 10.2). • Feeding area: The feeding trough of the sow should be easy to reach from the service aisle, and visible to the piglets.  • Water source: Water should be provided in bowl drinkers for both the sow and piglets, so the pig-lets learn from the sows (see picture 10.3). The mother-child waterer should be protected from frost and positioned close to the outlet so that overflowing water can drain off easily. • Separation of the sow: There should be a fast and easy option to separate the sow from the piglets. Solutions are a lockable door to the outdoor run, or a swivel fence to lock the sow while eating. • Ambient temperature: The pen should be divid-ed into temperature zones: 30-33 °C in the piglet nest, > 15 °C in the pen. Depending on the sea-son, additional heating during farrowing might be necessary. • Piglet nest: The piglets nest should be easy to reach from the service aisle to simplify their ob-servation. • Access to piglet nest: When (some) curtains of the piglet nest are open on the first days after birth, the nest is more accessible for piglets. • Outdoor run: The outdoor run should be big enough for proper use by the sow and mechan-ical cleaning. A minimum of 2.5 m² for outdoor runs (EU 2020/464) is too restricted; 4 m2 (2 x 2 m), should be the minimum area of an outdoor run.Further information • Bussemas R., Widmaier A. (2011): Biolo gi-sche Schweinehaltung: Fütterung, Management und Tiergesundheit. 3. Auflage. Bioland Verlag, Mainz. • EU (2018): Regulation (EU) 2018/848 on organic production and labelling of organic products. At: eur-lex.europa.eu [Link]. • EU (2020): Commission Implementing Regula-tion (EU) 2020/464 of 26 March 2020 laying down certain rules for the application of Regulation (EU) 2018/848. At: eur-lex.europa.eu [Link]. • Swiss Federal Council (2008): Animal Protection Ordinance (AniPO, SR 455.1). At: www.fedlex.admin.ch [Link].Picture 10.3: Bowl drinkers can be installed at a suitable height for both, the sow and piglets.ImprintPublisher: Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL, Switzerland Ackerstrasse 113, Postfach 219, CH-5070 Frick Phone +41 62 865 72 72, info.suisse@fibl.org, www.fibl.orgAuthors: Katharina Heidbüchel (TI-OL, DE), Lisa Baldinger (TI-OL, DE), Herman Vermeer (WUR, NL) Contact: lisa.baldinger@thuenen.deRevision: Sophie Thanner (FiBL, CH)Proofreading: Andreas Basler, Lauren Dietemann (both FiBL, CH)Editors: Rennie Eppenstein, Sophie Thanner (both FiBL, CH)Layout: Brigitta Maurer, Sandra Walti (both FiBL, CH) Photos: Katharina Heidbüchel (TI-OL, DE) p. 2 (1, 2), 3Permalinks: orgprints.org → power, projects.au.dk → power1. Edition 2022 © FiBLThe project “POWER – Proven welfare and resilience in organic pig production” is one of the projects initiated in the framework of Horizon 2020 project CORE Organic Co-fund (https://projects.au.dk/coreorganiccofund/) and it is funded by the Funding Bodies being partners of this project (Grant Agreement no. 727495). The opinions expressed and arguments employed in this factsheet do not necessarily reflect the official views of the CORE Organic Cofund Funding Bodies or the European Commission. They are not responsible for the use which might be made of the information provided in this factsheet.

Improved health, welfare and viability in young pigs:

designing an organic farrowing pen

https://orgprints.org/43619/1/10_POWER_Piglets_Farrowing_pen_einzeln_Web.pdf

Improved health, welfare and viability in young pigs: designing an organic farrowing pen

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