120 pig unit tour - dry sow house
- Dry sows are housed in free access cubicles.
- Sows are grouped in batches of four
- The sows remain in these groups from weaning to farrowing
- Sows use the cubicles for both feeding and lying
- The solid floor under the cubicles is insulated. This encourages the sow to lie in this area
- Sows have continuous access to the roaming area behind the cubicles
- This area is slatted to ensure sows remain clean
- Dividing gates can be used to close the sows in the cubicles for short periods
- This facilitates management practices such as pregnancy testing and vaccination
- Each cubicle has a front opening gate
- This eases the movement of sows in and out of the cubicles
- Feeding is automatic and feed levels can be adjusted depending on sow condition
- Sows within a group are fed the same level
- A sunken trough runs along the front of each row of cubicles
- Water flows into the trough from a header tank positioned in the floor of the central passage
- There is always a small amount of water in the trough.. The level is controlled by adjustment of the ballcock
- Two boar pens are positioned at the service end of the house
- The dimensions of the boar pen are the same as a group of four cubicles (4.5 m x 2.4 m)
- The boar pens are positioned between groups of sow cubicles
- The rail divisions allow for good contact between boars and weaned sows and/or gilts
- The boars are fed in a trough in the corner of the pen
- Water is available from nipples at the back of the pen, as boars tend to dirty the water in the open trough