Straw Or Slats?
- Thread starter Seth470
- Start date
SRRC
Member
- Location
- West Somerset
Your building and your market will decide for you!
If you don't have proper insulation and control of your ventilation then straw will help, 7kg piglets in a draughty shed without some form of bedding will be carnage.
If it's contract rearing then the end market will most likely specify what you must use.
If you want to do it efficiently then temperature controlled buildings on slats is usually best.
Lots of "ifs"!
If you don't have proper insulation and control of your ventilation then straw will help, 7kg piglets in a draughty shed without some form of bedding will be carnage.
If it's contract rearing then the end market will most likely specify what you must use.
If you want to do it efficiently then temperature controlled buildings on slats is usually best.
Lots of "ifs"!
Straw Is No Problem.
Our market doesn't mind either slats or straw, the only bonus to slats is that it is less work when cleaning. Could we get away with slats without ventilation or is it a probelm?
SRRC
Member
- Location
- West Somerset
Sounds like you have never kept pigs, they don't have a woolly coat, they need keeping warm and draught free or vice will be an issue.
There is always a cost attached to straw, mycotoxins in poor straw will cause all sorts of issues.
There is always a cost attached to straw, mycotoxins in poor straw will cause all sorts of issues.
- Location
- Near Colchester
Straw every time if you have it, the pigs are happier - they look much higher welfare which will be more important in the future.
If you are bed and breakfasting the pigs there will be more choice of supplier with a straw based system I think, hardly any abattoirs specify slat reared pigs as far as I am aware.
The shed will be cheaper to build and have be more easily adapted to something else later if you have enough of the pigs.
Straw based pigs don't smell so much but a straw shed would be a good thing to have to cut down on wastage and mould etc.
If you are bed and breakfasting the pigs there will be more choice of supplier with a straw based system I think, hardly any abattoirs specify slat reared pigs as far as I am aware.
The shed will be cheaper to build and have be more easily adapted to something else later if you have enough of the pigs.
Straw based pigs don't smell so much but a straw shed would be a good thing to have to cut down on wastage and mould etc.