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The improvement in the management in the farrowing room can have a direct influence on the saving of energy and the optimal use of the human resources, which has a direct effect on the profitability and competitiveness of our farm. This is an example in which we tried a system that did not provide an improvement of the production data, but a saving of energy and a better use of the resources in general.
Nowadays, in the farrowing rooms it is very frequent to have hyperprolific sows, with big litters. These sows need very special attentions. One of the management procedures that we carry out for a better leverage of the teats and a correct colostrum intake is split suckling. In order to carry them out we use plastic circles that allow us to separate the piglets that are stronger and that are the first ones to consume colostrum, and give an opportunity to the piglets born during the second part of the farrowing.
This system is not new: it was used before, but with a more expensive management: we located the plastic circle in the farrowing pen, normally in a corner near the aisle so the worker could control it better (visually and mechanically). We put paper bedding on the floor, and a heat lamp above so the newborn piglets are kept in a good temperature. All this management required quite a lot of working time by the operators, and they dedicated less time to the assistance during the farrowings.
We tried using the same cylinder/circle, but this time between the pad on the floor and the nest lid. In this way the temperature of the piglet while participating in a split lactation is almost the same, with the added benefit of the saving of electric energy from the heat lamps, plus the time saved on the movement of piglets.
Nowadays, the operators that assist the farrowings have more time to dedicate to other activities. And the electricity costs do not run so quickly!
