Articles - Facilities and equipment

Which environmental factors can affect the feed conversion ratio? Enric Marco talks about the effects of temperature and humidity.... they can make us lose money.

This system uses a small air stream at the sow's nose to improve her thermal comfort.

Using solar energy to evaporate part of the water from the slurry can be of interest, avoiding volatization of ammonia. Solar drying can be combined with other strategies.

Slaughterhouses and cutting companies plan to automate their production lines but face numerous constraints that complicate implementation...

Removing nitrogen from slurry by transforming it into N₂ can be done biologically or by physical-chemical methods, the latter of which are in the experimental phase for slurry.

Continuous monitoring of sow weight has significantly improved feed use efficiency and sow longevity.

A simple piece of hardware could protect your piglet feeders from damage and save you time when cleaning.

This corridor allows sows to be moved with minimal intervention from the staff.

Composting pig manure results in a product that can be sold in the organic amendment, horticulture, and gardening market.

Among other things, anaerobic digestion improves the fertilizer quality of slurry and reduces odors and GHG emissions. The choice to use this or not will also depend on the justification of the cost, i.e. whether it allows for energy savings on the farm or whether it provides an income from the sale of the energy generated.

In addition to the environmental benefits, the increased cost of energy and inorganic fertilizers make on-farm biogas production an interesting cost-effective option.

Solid/liquid slurry separation systems improve the subsequent management of the slurry, such as its transport or further treatment of each fraction.

We describe the main alternative systems to farrowing crates for sows, from zero confinement to temporary restraint.

In a situation with a nutrient surplus, the cost of transport is often the most important limiting factor to consider when deciding on the best manure management system for the farm.

Placement of the straw is important to give the sow access on days where she is confined and when she is loose.

Europe is preparing to eliminate farrowing crates in the next few years... Are farmers ready? Will this benefit the sows? What about the piglets?

Do you know the most effective, practically applicable, and economically feasible measures to reduce ammonia emissions? Proper application of these measures would meet the requirements set forth in the regulations.

In a situation of nutrient balance between the nutrients produced and the needs of the crops, priority is given to the transport and application management and the fertilizer quality of the slurry. Which systems allow me to optimize these?

HoCoTec is a production system that takes on the challenge of serving as an open center for learning and experimentation.

Twelve years ago, the French cooperative Cooperl implemented the TRAC system, a novel way of removing slurry from the pits several times a day, significantly reducing ammonia emissions inside the barns.

We can place the weakest piglets from each litter to dry out and warm up in this incubator while we tend to the next sows.

Here's how to make a modular gate that is adjustable in length and can easily be installed in all the aisles of the sow farm.

The complexity of our situation and the objectives to achieve will depend on the results of the nutrient balance. Where do I stand? We'll help you answer this question.

Preventing the entry and spread of diseases should be an objective on any swine farm, so adequately designing biosecurity aspects is key. In this article, we continue to discuss biosecurity measures with two experts: Lara Ruiz and José Casanovas.