3.6.3 Ferkelnest Abdeckung - 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

3.6 Piglet nest

3.6.3 Cover/Walls

Coverings for piglet nests are essential in larger exercise^8, 32 pens and in open farrowing pens. These coverings ensure a microclimate that is beneficial for the piglets, as the heat generated by the piglet nest heating system can be retained in the immediate vicinity of the piglets.

The covers should be exactly the same size as the heated area (0.9 m^², see Overall Farm Management Concept for Pigs – Sows and Pig³³lets). The covered area is adjoined by a solid-floored, unheated and thermally insulated area, resulting in a total solid-floored area of 1.4–1.5 m².

Piglet nest covers should be easy to open (Figs. 50 and 51). Furthermore, there should be a means of temporarily closing off the nest area (e.g. using a board) (Figs. 52 and 53).

The ability to close off the nest also facilitates ‘split nursing’ (separating the first-born piglets from large litters, which have already been fed colostrum, into the piglet nest). Furthermore, this makes it easier to catch the piglets for animal checks or treatments. It is important that the piglets are encouraged to retreat into the nest and not to lie with the sow, in order to minimise crushing losses.

Figure 50:

Piglet nest with handles on the lid (Image: Netzwerk Fokus Tierwohl, FiBL Deutschland e.V.)

Figure 51:

Piglet nest cover being secured (Image: Netzwerk Fokus Tierwohl, FiBL Deutschland e.V.)

Figure 52:

A view from above of the piglet pen with a red-light heater in the lid: a removable panel allows the piglets to be temporarily confined. (Image: Netzwerk Fokus Tierwohl; FiBL Deutschland e.V.)

Figure 53:

Piglet nest from Fig. 49 – view from the outside; the piglets are secured in the nest (Image: Netzwerk Fokus Tierwohl, FiBL Deutschland e.V.)

Video 12: Short-term confinement of piglets

Video 13: Opening the piglet nest’s safety catch

Practical experience
"Install a central lifting mechanism for the piglet nest cover in the piglet nest in the corridor"
"It is important that the sows cannot operate the locking mechanism to close the piglet nest themselves and thereby trap the piglets inside the nest."

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