Pigs Notes September 2010

NIEA are currently carrying out on farm inspections for the Nitrates Directive.  For the first time inspectors will be checking there is adequate slurry storage on farms.  Remember 26 weeks storage is required for pig units.

During a recent farm visit the owner told me that as a result of changing from monoflow nipple drinkers to bowl drinkers he gained approximately six weeks slurry storage!  This ties in with research carried out at AFBI, Hillsborough.  The research compared water usage from nipple drinkers and bowl drinkers.  Highest water usage was with the Halfman Bite drinker (see photo), lowest with the Drik-O-Mat bowl (see photo).  In fact, pigs used over one litre per day more with the bite drinkers compared to bowls.  As there was no difference in growth rate it can only be assumed the extra water used was wasted.

Bite drinker

Drik-O-Mat bowl

This means for a 1000 pig finishing house with nipple drinkers 1000 litres or 222 gallons of water is wasted per day.

Did you know that lime washing is an excellent way of cleaning pens?  On many pig units part of the routine is to lime wash pens, especially farrowing pens after they have been power washed.  Lime has a disinfectant action reducing bacterial levels.  Lime washing is also useful where concrete surfaces are badly worn.  Pitted surfaces are difficult to clean and disinfect as the bacteria are embedded in the concrete.  Covering the concrete with lime wash will therefore reduce both the roughness of the surface and the level of bacteria.

However, it is very important to remember that lime wash can burn.  Health and safety must therefore be borne in mind.  This also applies to the pigs and the recommendation is that lime washed surfaces are allowed to dry for at least 48 hours before pigs are moved into the pen.

In previous management notes I discussed the cost of energy and how to improve energy efficiency on pig units.  Areas discussed included:-

An area that I haven’t mentioned in relation to reducing electricity costs is changing electricity supplier.  In addition to NIE Energy other suppliers of electricity include Airtricity, Energia, ESB and Firmus.  This month I suggest you contact other suppliers of electricity, discuss with them what you energy needs, see if they can meet these and at what cost.

Some farm businesses, including Greenmount, have already switched suppliers and are saving money.