What is the future for flexible farrowing systems?

Uncertainty remains about potential new farrowing system regulations requiring the industry to switch from conventional to flexible farrowing systems.

These provide sows with extra space and enable them to be confined temporarily when needed, to protect piglets and enable safe working for the stockperson.

Retailers are already able to source pork from Europe that is produced in flexible farrowing systems, and Defra will be keeping an eye on policies being developed on the continent.

See also: How realistic is free-farrowing for the UK pig industry?

However, the UK pig industry is taking a proactive approach, with the National Pig Association (NPA) publishing a position paper late last year proposing a voluntary, industry-led transition to flexible farrowing, rather than legislation.

© Tim Miller

Pig producers, researchers and building suppliers now have much greater experience of flexible farrowing systems in practice.

There are an estimated 5,000 UK sow places now with some form of flexible pen installed (out of 60,000 places).

“These systems have proved to be a good alternative to completely free farrowing pens. However, there is no one-size-fits-all solution,” says NPA senior policy adviser Katie Jarvis.

Voluntary approach

Key proposals from the NPA’s paper include:

• A 20-year transition period, during which time new conventional systems cannot be installed – repairs and individual replacements of conventional pens are allowed
• 5.5sq m minimum pen size
• Maximum 10 days confinement throughout the entire farrowing and suckling period – there is no scientific consensus on the optimum number of days for minimising piglet mortality.

Financial costs

The pig industry’s Building Suppliers Forum (BSF) estimates that it could cost £3,500 to £5,000 a sow place to refurbish an existing building with new flexible farrowing pens, and £5,000 to £8,000 to put up a new building (excluding planning costs).

The BSF also estimates it would take 15 years to transition all UK units from conventional to flexible farrowing (not including planning processes), based on the current capacity of pig building companies.

To date, investments on commercial farms have all been down to the producer’s own initiative.

Katie says: “For the whole industry to make the transition, it needs to be financially supported by the supply chain and by government infrastructure grants in order to make it viable for producers.”

Time for transition

An NPA member survey revealed that 46% of respondents would exit the industry if they were given only five to 10 years to make the transition from conventional crates to flexible farrowing systems.

Of those who would exit, half believed 10 to 15 years to be a reasonable transition timescale, but a third said they would need more than 20 years.

Their primary concern was the capital cost.

And, although almost a quarter of respondents are looking at investing in such systems in the next five years, they said they would first need clarity on technical specifications to ensure compliance with any future legislation.

Pen size and design

The NPA’s position paper proposes that the total footprint of the flexible farrowing pen should be a minimum of 5.5sq m.

Many on UK farms are 6sq m or more, while a lot of farms in continental Europe have installed pens of 6.5sq m and some are up to 7sq m. Most are at least 2.4m long.

“For a building refurbishment, the number of flexible farrowing pens that fit in a room is around 30% lower than for conventional systems,” says ARM livestock environment specialist Tim Miller.

“Options are either to reduce the total number of sows, or have a combination of refurbished and new buildings to maintain numbers.”

Different pen sizes make a notable difference to the installation costs. For example, the difference between a 6sq m pen and one of 6.4sq m is estimated to be about £600 a sow place.

“Irrespective of the whole-pen size, the system should provide an adequate free-sow area, enabling the sow to turn around when she is unconfined, and a separate protected area for the piglets,” says Tim.

Free-sow areas vary, with rectangular, triangular or polygon-shaped spaces. Rectangular areas work well, usually spanning the full length of the pen at 2.4m and with a width of 1.6m or more.

But the optimum size and dimensions are still to be fully researched, including whether they have an effect on the number of times a sow turns around in a day.

© Tim Miller

Temporary confinement

Ideally, the number of days a sow is confined for, and when, should be left to the discretion of the stockperson, taking into account the age and temperament of the animals.

For instance, gilts may not need to be closed in at all, whereas older, more clumsy sows might need to be confined for three to five days after farrowing.

Some farms close each sow in on the day they farrow and release each of them in turn after a set number of days, while others release all sows on the same day.

Sow nutrition and management

© Tim Miller

Because they are more active throughout lactation, sows are fitter, which might have benefits for their longevity.

Weaning day is also much easier, with sows walking straight out of the pen without any coaxing.

Flexible farrowing systems often have ad-lib feeding, giving more active sows the opportunity to build higher feed intakes.

They typically have bowl drinkers on the floor, enabling sows to drink a lot more than through a nipple or bite drinker.

When the pen is opened out, sows can present all their teats more easily to give better access to piglets when suckling.

Piglet management

© Tim Miller

Minimising the risk of piglet mortality caused by lay-ons by the sow is a key priority for piglet welfare in both free and flexible farrowing systems.

The average pre-weaning mortality across UK flexible farrowing systems is now comparable with that in conventional farrowing systems, between 10% and 12%.

However, there is a transition period during which both sows and staff are learning, so pre-weaning mortality could initially be higher.

“A separate protected creep area, often with a heat mat and/or a cover, is essential in a flexible farrowing system, to help encourage piglets out of the sow’s way,” Tim emphasises.

Sows can be temporarily confined while people handle piglets for routine treatment and processing.

Staff safety and training

A stockperson should always be aware of sow behaviour and body language, getting into the pen only when the sow is confined and after checking that the frame is securely locked in place.

Producers are increasingly benefiting from visits to other farms with flexible farrowing systems, particularly talking to the people who run them day to day.

The vast majority who have a flexible farrowing system say they would not go back to a conventional system.