2.3 Abferkelbucht Bodengestaltung - Netzwerk Fokus Tierwohl

	Foreword
1	Introduction
2	Farrowing pen
2.1	Farrowing pen – size
2.2	Farrowing pen – layout
2.3	Farrowing pen – floor design
2.3.1	Farrowing pen – Floor design: Lying comfort for the sow
2.3.2	Farrowing pen – Floor design: Slip resistance
2.4	Farrowing pen – Pen structure
2.5	Farrowing pen – Run-out area
3	Pen components
3.1	Pen elements – pen walls
3.2	Bay elements – Storage aids
3.3	Pen elements – troughs/drinking troughs for sows and piglets
3.4	Pen components – Piglet protection cage
3.5	Pen components – Cover for sow resting area
3.6	Pen components – Piglet nest
3.6.1	Pen elements – piglet nest: size and floor design
3.6.2	Pen elements – piglet nest: Position
3.6.3	Pen elements – piglet nest: Covering/walls
3.6.4	Pen elements – Piglet nest: Temperature in piglet nest
3.6.5	Pen elements – piglet nest: Piglet nest temperature control
3.6.6	Pen elements – piglet nest: Heat source
3.6.7	Pen elements – piglet nest: Heating the piglet nest
3.6.8	Pen elements – Piglet nest: Lighting
4.1	Organic material – enrichment material
4.2	Organic material – Manure removal and slurry technology
5.1	Climate – Creation of climate zones
5.2	Climate – Temperature regulation
6	Cleaning and Disinfection
	Bibliography

farrowing pen

2.3 Floor design

Figure 9: Exercise pen with a floor made of lightly perforated clay tiles in the sow’s lying area within the crate, a cast-iron floor in the rear section of the crate, and plastic slats.
(Image: Netzwerk Fokus Tierwohl, DLG e.V.)

Figure 10: There are plastic slats beneath the trough and the mother-and-piglet drinking trough; in the middle section of the pen there are concrete slats with very narrow gaps; and in the rear section there are cast iron grates. Note: If there is too much PVC in front of the trough, the sow’s stability is compromised in wet conditions.
(Image: Netzwerk Fokus Tierwohl, FiBL Deutschland e.V.)

Figure 11: Exercise pen with a concrete floor featuring a small slatted section in the sow’s lying area within the crate, a cast-iron floor in the rear section of the crate, and wire mesh grating covered with plastic.
(Image: Netzwerk Fokus Tierwohl, DLG e.V.)

Figure 12: Concrete slats and cast iron grates in the area of the sow stall
(Image: Netzwerk Fokus Tierwohl, FiBL Deutschland e.V.)

The greatest need for development lies in floor design, because once the piglet protection cage is opened, not every square centimetre of the floor can be allocated to the sows or the piglets. This means that the differing requirements of sows and piglets in terms of climate, floor design and lying comfort must be taken into account. Equipment suppliers currently regard plastic as the best compromise for resolving this conflict of objectives, though this cannot be effective due to physical limitations (coefficients of sliding friction). Rather, the solution lies in the use of different materials and the design of a lying area as a standing space for the sow (Figs. 9–12). New materials such as ceramics, alongside tried-and-tested ones like cast iron, demonstrate promising properties, but still require further development in terms of drainage capacity.

Practical experience
"When combining different materials → clean workmanship and precise installation"
"Choosing the right pen flooring is essential: it must be suitable for sows and piglets, must be slip-resistant and sufficiently perforated, and must have adequate load-bearing capacity. Fully enclosed floors (‘semi-slatted’) can increase the workload dramatically in some cases (daily cleaning and, above all, final cleaning!)."
"Joint-friendly flooring (abrasions)"
"Mucking out: Slats in the manure area should be easy to muck out; where possible, avoid stepping directly into the exercise area"

Figure 13: Free-range pen with a fully paved area in front of the housing area
(© Animal Welfare Network, North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Agriculture)

Figure 14: Detail from Fig. 13 – Concrete floor with a grid pattern to improve the sow’s stability
(© Animal Welfare Network, North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Agriculture)

Figure 15: Pen from Fig. 13 – Free-range pen with a fully paved floor and bedding
(© Netzwerk Fokus Tierwohl, North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Agriculture)

If concrete is used, it must also be sufficiently hard to withstand frequent use of a high-pressure cleaner. However, the sow’s lying or standing area is also a resting area for the piglets. No other type of flooring causes such severe abrasions as weathered concrete.

In the exercise pen, a completely enclosed lying area beneath the sow should be avoided due to the significant soiling of the lying area, particularly when the piglet protection cage is closed during the sensitive period of birth and the piglets’ first days of life. Therefore, there must be slats in the rear section when the sow is secured. In exercise pens, at least 60% of the open area should be perforated. Only in the case of free farrowing does a completely solid floor surface with bedding make sense (Figs. 13–15).

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Table of Contents

farrowing pen

2.3 Floor design

Practical experience