Construction of semi-confinement feeding floors for swine has increased in recent years. Available plans concentrate on design of the confinement area and feed handling. As producers expand, they need more efficient ways to sort, handle and load hogs. Additional planning is required to design smooth flow patterns for livestock handling into the basic production unit

Carpenter, Jerry D.

Hoehne, John Albert

Mayes, Herman F.

University of Missouri: MOspace

University of Missouri ExtensionG1165, Reviewed October 1993Corral Systems for Handling and Sorting HogsJerry D. Carpenter and John A. HoehneDepartment of Agricultural EngineeringH.F. MayesAgricultural Research Service, USDAConstruction of semi-confinement feeding floors for swine has increased in recent years. Available plansconcentrate on design of the confinement area and feed handling.As producers expand, they need more efficient ways to sort, handle and load hogs. Additional planning isrequired to design smooth flow patterns for livestock handling into the basic production unit.Design criteriaPlans were developed to fit the basic swine feeding floor shown in Figure 1. This unit features a low profile,open-front building on the north. The feeding floor slopes south to the service alley. This alley slopes towardthe lagoon or manure collection point. Lagoon location is determined primarily by land topography and trafficapproach. Lagoons have been located on all sides of these units.Figure 1Basic swine feeding floor A common road is used for all vehicle traffic. The traffic approach and lagoon location impose limitations onthe location of the corral system. The service alley is used as the main alley for the handling portion of thecorral system.The designs presented have the corral system located on the east, south and west sides of the production unit.For corrals located on the south side, the cross-slope of the service alley is to the north.Corral floors should be concrete and should slope to permit drainage and facilitate movement of waste. TheG1165 Corral Systems for Handling and Sorting Hogs | University of Miss... http://extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPrinterFriendlyPub.asp...1 of 8 2/22/2010 1:53 PMrunoff should be collected in the waste management system. Fences and gates should be 3 or 4 inches abovethe floor to prevent manure accumulation.Swine confined to concrete are reluctant to walk on other surfaces. They usually must be physically handledif forced off of concrete. Designs that include concrete loading chute floors are well accepted.Sorting alleys are 16 inches wide and have solid side panels. This prevents the hog from seeing to the side andencourages movement to the open area ahead. Cutting gates in the sorting alley should be hinged on bothsides. This provides for sorting incoming animals, such as feeder pigs, and outgoing animals. A two-way sort isprovided in all of the designs. Three-way sorts are possible with some of the designs.Circular crowds constructed with open-wire hog panels work well and may offer some advantages over thosewith solid walls. The pigs may be reluctant to enter the circle where solid walls are used.For a swine handling facility to operate properly, flow patterns must be smooth. Sharp turns should beavoided if possible and there should not be any corners of 90 degrees or less. As hogs are moved through theservice alley, they tend to stay along the feeding floor fence and socialize with hogs in the feeding pens.Reluctance to cross the service alley causes some flow problems. Alley crowd gates and gradual turningangles will solve this problem. Orienting the sorting alley so hogs move back toward the vacated pen seems toimprove flow during sorting.Production unit size and marketing program influence the selection of a corral system. Some smallerproducers sort and market small groups of pigs at regular intervals. This marketing program requires a corralcapable of sorting off 10 to 12 market hogs per marketing interval. Large producers may require a systemwith the capacity to sort off 100 to 200 head per marketing interval.ManagementCleaning the service alley before sorting and loading provides safer working conditions and results in cleaneranimals to market.Allowing hogs in the service alley for a period of time before sorting improves handling. They can socializealong the fence and become familiar with new surroundings. This practice is limited to opening one pen gateat a time to avoid fighting.Keeping the facilities in good repair, particularly gates and latches, improves the movement of hogs andprovides safer working conditions for the operator.Figure 2"Simplest" systemG1165 Corral Systems for Handling and Sorting Hogs | University of Miss... http://extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPrinterFriendlyPub.asp...2 of 8 2/22/2010 1:53 PM "Simplest" systemThis system (Figure 2) consists of a sorting alley, pens for a two-way sort, and loading chute. This unit can belocated on the east or west end of the feeding floor. Pens of 60 hogs can be sorted at one time.Main advantagesSimple, low-cost construction.1.Low maintenance requirements.2.Space requirements are minimal.3.Makes use of existing pens and alley.4.Adapts to either end of the production unit.5.Main disadvantagesCrowding capacity is limited.1.May require using the sick pen when added to existing floors.2.Figure 3Wallace system Wallace systemThis system (Figure 3) consists of a half-circle crowd, sorting alley, two-way sort, and loading chute locatedsouth of the feeding floor. Pens of 60 hogs can be sorted conveniently.Main advantagesService alley is used for holding pens.1.Less building materials are required than for some others.2.System is compact.3.Main disadvantagesHalf-circle crowd has a limited capacity of 25 to 30 head.1.Swine are reluctant to cross the service alley and enter crowd.2.G1165 Corral Systems for Handling and Sorting Hogs | University of Miss... http://extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPrinterFriendlyPub.asp...3 of 8 2/22/2010 1:53 PMFigure 4Waddell system Waddell systemThis system (Figure 4) consists of a sorting alley, two-way sort, separate market hog holding area, full-circlecrowd and loading chute. Location is south of the feeding floor. This system should handle groups of 60 hogs.Main advantagesMarket hogs are accumulated in an area other than the service alley.1.Producers anticipate an advantage by heading hogs toward the vacated feeding pen.2.Main disadvantagesNo positive crowd to force swine into the sorting alley.1."Tail-enders" must be returned to feeding pen before additional sorting can be done.2.Circular crowd is used only for loading.3.Entrance to the circular crowd is narrow and will create some flow problems.4.Access to several pens is denied during sorting.5.CEC systemsThese systems (Figures 5, 6 and 7) are similar. They consist of a full-circle crowd, sorting alley, two- orthree-way sort, scale and loading chute. These plans show the adaptation of the basic corral system to theeast, south and west sides of the production units.Common advantagesLoading chute and sorting alley are tangent to the circle crowd.1.Plans incorporate a scale.2.Market hogs can be held while additional sorting is done.3.Common disadvantageMarket hogs are not held adjacent to the circle crowd for easy loading. They must be returned through1.G1165 Corral Systems for Handling and Sorting Hogs | University of Miss... http://extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPrinterFriendlyPub.asp...4 of 8 2/22/2010 1:53 PMthe sorting alley or holding pens.Figure 5CEC system 1 CEC System 1 (Figure 5)Main advantageService alley is used for holding and sorting pens.1.Main disadvantagesDue to manure accumulation, it does not adapt where service alley cross-slope is to the south.1.Access to several feeding pens is denied when sorting pens are in use.2.A short section of road must be built from the service road to the chute.3.Figure 6CEC system 2G1165 Corral Systems for Handling and Sorting Hogs | University of Miss... http://extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPrinterFriendlyPub.asp...5 of 8 2/22/2010 1:53 PM CEC System 2 (Figure 6)Main advantagesService road can be used for loading trucks.1.Unrestricted service alley allows movement of hogs to and from feeding pens.2.Main disadvantagesSorting pens are located in a feeding pen.1.Time limitations are imposed on holding market hogs if the feeding pen is in use. Those hogs occupyingthe feeding pen are restricted from feed and water while corral system is used.2.Market hogs must be returned to the crowd and pass through the sorting alley for loading.3.Operator is in direct contact with hogs when using the "caller's" gate.4.Access to several pens is denied during sorting.5.Manure accumulation in the section of service alley used for holding pens is a problem.6.Figure 7Oberdahlhoff system Oberdahlhoff System (Figure 7)Main advantagesHolding pen for market hogs is separate from the unit so market hogs can be held without disruptingother operations.1.Three-way sort is provided.2.G1165 Corral Systems for Handling and Sorting Hogs | University of Miss... http://extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPrinterFriendlyPub.asp...6 of 8 2/22/2010 1:53 PMMain disadvantageAdditional concrete and material are required, increasing cost of construction.1.Figure 8Kennett-Tepen system Kennett-Tepen SystemThis system (Figure 8) consists of a full crowd, sorting alley holding area, pens for a three-way sort, andloading chute. Pens of 120 hogs can be sorted conveniently. The authors are indebted to Albert L. Kennett,Area Livestock Specialist, New London, Missouri, for valuable assistance in the development of this plan.Main advantagesSystem will accommodate large numbers.1.Market hogs are held adjacent to crowd for easy return through the circle for loading.2.Service alley is unrestricted.3.Provides three-way sort.4.Main disadvantagesHigh cost for additional concrete and materials.1.No provision is made for installation of a scale.2.G1165, reviewed October 1993Related MU Extension publicationsAED46, Swine Wean-to-Finish Buildingshttp://extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPub.aspx?P=AED46G1165 Corral Systems for Handling and Sorting Hogs | University of Miss... http://extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPrinterFriendlyPub.asp...7 of 8 2/22/2010 1:53 PMG2504, Hoop Structures for Missouri Swine Finishing Facilitieshttp://extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPub.aspx?P=G2504MM102, Missouri Swine Enterprise Manual CDhttp://extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPub.aspx?P=MM102Order publications online at http://extension.missouri.edu/explore/shop/ or call toll-free 800-292-0969.G1165 Corral Systems for Handling and Sorting Hogs | University of Miss... http://extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPrinterFriendlyPub.asp...8 of 8 2/22/2010 1:53 PM

Corral systems for handling and sorting hogs (1993)

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