3.2 Buchtenelemente Abliegehilfe - 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

Bay elements

3.2 Mooring aid

Sloping boards on the pen wall have proven effective (Figs. 28, 29, 32, 33). They can serve both as a resting aid and as a place for piglets to slip through. A study by Damm et al.²⁶ also showed that sows prefer the sloping boards to the farrowing rails (Fig. 31). Observations by practitioners show that boards mounted vertically and at a distance from the pen wall and the floor are also readily used by sows to slide down them (Fig. 30).

Figure 28:

Inclined board used as a resting aid and piglet slipway (Photo: L. Bütfering)

Figure 29:

An inclined board raised off the ground to aid resting and as a piglet slipway (Photo: W. Schulte-Remmert)

Figure 30:

Vertically mounted reclining aid (Photo: W. Schulte-Remmert)

Figure 31:

Two metal tubes provide support when the sow is lying down. There is a manure chute at the rear. The metal frame is used to secure the sow stall. (Image: Netzwerk Fokus Tierwohl, North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Agriculture)

Figure 32: The principle of sloping boards as a support for lying down
(Image: Moustsen 2006)

Figure 33: Dimensions of a fitted sloping board with a height of 90 cm
(Image: Moustsen 2006)

Figure 34: Metal pipes fitted to the walls of the pens near the floor serve less as resting aids and more as guard rails.
(Image: Netzwerk Fokus Tierwohl, North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Agriculture)

Figure 35: Metal pipe used as a guide rail. The space behind the sow, which serves as a creep area for the piglets, is clearly visible.
(Image: Netzwerk Fokus Tierwohl, North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Agriculture)

Metal pipes fitted to the pen walls near the floor serve less as a resting aid and more as a guard rail (Figs. 34 and 35). They influence the sows’ resting behaviour by making it uncomfortable for them to lie against the relevant wall.²⁸ When a sow lies down against a pipe, this creates a very high point load at that specific spot. This can sometimes even lead to bruising. They fulfil the same function as protective devices for piglets as sloping boards do.

Figure 36: A piglet protection cage restricts the sow’s range of movement
(Image: Netzwerk Fokus Tierwohl, FiBL Deutschland e.V.)

Figure 37: Resting bars or aids should not be positioned directly behind the closed farrowing crate to ensure that assistance during farrowing can be provided without hindrance
(Image: Netzwerk Fokus Tierwohl, FiBL Deutschland e.V.)

It has proven effective to enclose the sow’s activity area within the farrowing crate wherever possible (Fig. 36). This can facilitate¹⁰ farrowing and then allows for the use of low partition walls (50 to 60 cm), which is advantageous both in terms of labour efficiency and animal behaviour.

Farrowing rails/aids should not be fitted directly behind the closed farrowing crate so that assistance during birth is possible without obstruction (Fig. 34). A distance of at least 50 cm, preferably more, is recommended.

The devil is in the detail: guidance on, for example, the correct installation of farrowing aids can be found at:

https://freefarrow.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Piglet_Protection_recommendations_Oct_2014.pdf (in English)

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