straw based pigs. ideas to stop dunning in lying area

[Matt]

So we have got a 1000 pig place shed with the galebreaker blinds on side with the raised catwalk over pens. the pigs seem to like to mess in the middle of the pens
any one got any tips to help try to stop this.

our first batch was lovely minimal mess, it was a winter batch so it was a colder winter which i think resulted in blinds shut more.

so i am thinking draughts cause them to dung under cat walk?
wondered about getting a vent tube fitted and then having the blinds shut more?
Thanks
Matt

 

[snarling bee]

We have struggled with this. Exactly the same as you, first batch, over winter, were great. Having tried all sorts we have now resorted to deep litter with about 6/7 weeks to go, but we have had to buy a tiny skid steer to muck out at the end of the batch. We have 2 x 1000 sheds.

 

[Matt]

We have struggled with this. Exactly the same as you, first batch, over winter, were great. Having tried all sorts we have now resorted to deep litter with about 6/7 weeks to go, but we have had to buy a tiny skid steer to muck out at the end of the batch. We have 2 x 1000 sheds.

We have spoke before snarling bee. we use a micro compact digger. we try to keep them as clean as we can for as long as we can then when pigs fill pens just clean off step so doors can operate freely.
When we get to 15 ish or less in a pen we usually put divider back in to shut pen to half and 9 times out of 10 they keep them selves clean.
I think its somethig to do with air sitting under cat walk or poss a draught.
We have blinds almost allways open a little bit.

 

[tomg]

Have you got a vented ridge? I read somewhere about ventilation in a pig shed which had the same problem and they put it down to cool air coming down from the roof vent.
Once they've started mucking in the pen it's very difficult to get them to stop.
Or if it's to warm in the shed are they choosing to lay in the passage to keep cool and then using the pens to muck in?

 

[ploughman1963]

We have just cleared our first batch out (same setup as OP). They have been bad for this - the company staff think it was down to allowing them to have the full width of the shed too soon. We do have a vented ridge. Interested to hear others thoughts. Compay staff suggest we wont have as much of an issue with the next batch.

 

[Hjwise]

Try to get them ‘trained’ early by keeping the bedding area clean and dry and the muck passage relatively dirty (by forking out after scraping & only scrape when necessary in the first few weeks).
Big pigs in July & August want a muddy puddle to lie in - if they don’t have access to one they will make their own!

 

[Matt]

We have just cleared our first batch out (same setup as OP). They have been bad for this - the company staff think it was down to allowing them to have the full width of the shed too soon. We do have a vented ridge. Interested to hear others thoughts. Compay staff suggest we wont have as much of an issue with the next batch.

your with the same people we are with, we aint stopped them messing yet. just make sure you give the person doing the pigs a new fork for xmas and their bday.
first lots cleanliness aint been repeated as yet. when beast from east ect.

 

[Matt]

Try to get them ‘trained’ early by keeping the bedding area clean and dry and the muck passage relatively dirty (by forking out after scraping & only scrape when necessary in the first few weeks).
Big pigs in July & August want a muddy puddle to lie in - if they don’t have access to one they will make their own!

we do tend to do that, can keep them fairly clean up at the start by doing what you say. do find they tend to be cleaner if they have got a corner to go round for dunging area. eg L shape pen

 

[Matt]

Have you got a vented ridge? I read somewhere about ventilation in a pig shed which had the same problem and they put it down to cool air coming down from the roof vent.
Once they've started mucking in the pen it's very difficult to get them to stop.
Or if it's to warm in the shed are they choosing to lay in the passage to keep cool and then using the pens to muck in?

yes crown cranked vented ridge so not the best for ventilation. might change it to open protected would do open protected if doing it again.
do think the galebreaker screens work the wrong way on times with coming from top down.

 

[Hjwise]

I have three sheds, all with different ridges. The one with a completely open ridge is often the cleanest. I think the ideal ridge would be powered, so that you close for rain and very cold nights. I think this would be a better investment than auto curtains.
I have converted one shed to double sized pens that is mucked out with a loader. Pros and cons, but much better than mucking out 52 pens on your own in the height of summer!

 

[Mad For Muck]

Slightly off topic (sorry!) is there a certain size/make of feed bin that’s recommend for these types of units? Is 18t/9 days feed what most go for or is it best to go bigger? Would be looking for 2 bins for a 2000 place straw based unit.

 

[Hjwise]

Feed lorries are generally 27t, so you’ll want be to fit 1/2 in each plus enough for a few days grace as feed orders are around a week in advance. Bigger makes ordering more straightforward as you have a bigger margin before running out.

 

[ploughman1963]

We went for a 32t bin for 1000 pig unit which gives us some leeway on ordering

 

[Matt]

Slightly off topic (sorry!) is there a certain size/make of feed bin that’s recommend for these types of units? Is 18t/9 days feed what most go for or is it best to go bigger? Would be looking for 2 bins for a 2000 place straw based unit.

so we have a 26t bin on each shed. as others have said loads are 26 to 27 ton.

However.. depending on who you are with for the pigs (maybe same across them all) its can be a fine art with running feed down and clearing out, unless you have got something handy to store left over feed in.
we had had batches where its all come together nicely, and some where we have had 10t left in bins due to pigs going sooner than planned.

so if i was doing it again i would look at having a main bin and a smaller bin on at least one of the sheds so that you can toward the end just fill the smaller bin with finisher feed so its not in the way of the first bulk feed.

 

[Mad For Muck]

Thanks for all the replies, my original thoughts were to go for a bin to hold a load per shed. Is there any bin manufacturers which are ‘the ones to go to’ or all they all fairly similar in build quality etc?

 

[Matt]

Thanks for all the replies, my original thoughts were to go for a bin to hold a load per shed. Is there any bin manufacturers which are ‘the ones to go to’ or all they all fairly similar in build quality etc?

think you will struggle to beat Collinson's.
we got 3 now.
and a fibre glass one for the cattle.
collinsons better built. but there are lots of makes out there.

other think i would go for, even though we have a tip batch weigher on the feed line, I would seriously look at getting weigh cells under it.

 

[ploughman1963]

We paid for the weigh cells instead of fitting a batch weigher and it makes life really easy

 

[Mad For Muck]

Thanks both! I was seriously considering the weigh cell option to make life easier, I’m guessing they aren’t cheap tho?

 

[ploughman1963]

Cost us about £1000 but by the time I would have found a batch weigher and fitted it in the auger I didn’t reckon there would have been much difference. We know to the kg how much is in there even when cake is stuck on the windows and you think there is more. They have just upgraded ours so we will soon have it talking to an app on the phone to tell us daily consumption and total remotely - at no extra cost

 

[Mad For Muck]

Cost us about £1000 but by the time I would have found a batch weigher and fitted it in the auger I didn’t reckon there would have been much difference. We know to the kg how much is in there even when cake is stuck on the windows and you think there is more. They have just upgraded ours so we will soon have it talking to an app on the phone to tell us daily consumption and total remotely - at no extra cost

That sounds like the way forward! Thanks very much! Will give them a ring tomorrow for a quote, what bin model is yours? Looking on their website there’s loads to choose from. If we’re going to build a unit I’d rather spend a little bit more on stuff like that which will make life easier than spend the next how ever many years regretting not doing it.