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October 2016 27
Pork News & Views
bone strength, fewer stillborns, and
reduced farrowing intervals. If individual
feeding systems are used feed costs can
be reduced and productivity improved by
targeting sow nutritional requirements.
4.
All group gestation systems are alike
Compared to the consistent nature of ges-
tation stalls, the options for group housing
(feeding system and equipment, flooring
type, grouping management, grouping tim-
ing) can be bewildering. Each option has
characteristics that need to be understood
and assessed to determine what will work
best in any facility, and suit the stockper-
sons and management style.
(There isn’t space here to delve into this
topic in detail; in a sense, this is what the
2016 Group Sow Housing Seminar was all
about.)
5.
Mixing before 4 weeks gestation re-
duces conception rate and litter size
Mixing at 4 weeks (after implantation and
pregnancy confirmation) is common.
Recent research at the Prairie Swine Centre
indicates that mixing sows at the time of
weaning did not negatively affect concep-
tion rate but did reduce the number of
stillborns. This approach may introduce
more management options.
6.
Group housing will be mandatory by 2024
The following is an excerpt from the Na-
tional Farm Animal Care Council`s Code of
Practice for the Care and Handling of Pigs:
As of July 1, 2024, mated gilts and sows
must be housed:
•in groups*; or
•in individual pens; or
•in stalls, if they are provided with the
opportunity to turn around or exercise
periodically, or other means that allow
greater freedom of movement. Suitable
options will be clarified by the partici-
pating stakeholders by July 1, 2019, as
informed by scientific evidence.
* If housed in groups, individual stalls
may be used for up to 28 days after the
date of last breeding, and an additional
period of up to 7 days is permitted to
manage grouping.
Research is planned to determine sows`
need and motivation for exercise in order
to help define the `suitable options` for
periodic exercise when stalls are used.
The National Sow Housing Conversion
Project (NSHCP)
The NSHCP aims to provide resources and
advice to producers facing the task of convert-
What are the options
Feeding
Floor
Grouping
Timing
Total
Floor
Short stall
Slat
Static
Weaning
Gated stall
Partial
Dynamic
Pre-Implantation
ESF
Bedded
Post-Implantation
4
x3
x2
x3
=72
From H. Gonyou