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Nedap is currently successfully implementing “Farrowing Feeding”, a new system which allows for an easy and flawless transition from traditional sow feeding to fully automated sow feeding in farrowing pens. With Nedap’s Farrowing Feeding, each post-farrowing sow receives the exact amount of food she needs to maintain her physical health while lactating. This innovative system, which has so far been introduced to great customer satisfaction in pens in the Netherlands, China, England, France and Spain, will be demonstrated in Rennes, France, at Space 2015, from 15 to 18 September. Nedap now offers hog farmers an all-in-one starter kit allowing them to test farrowing feeding in 20 farrowing pens at a time.
With the launch of its Farrowing Feeding System, Nedap is meeting a growing demand in the swine industry for precision feeding. Many hog farmers are unsure whether their lactating sows are meeting their nutritional needs in terms of daily feed intake. Nedap’s new system enables hog farmers to develop feeding strategies designed to optimize their sows’ food intake, keep the sows in good health while they are lactating, and produce strong and healthy litters.
Nedap’s Farrowing Feeding System can be easily installed in both farrowing and breeding stalls. It can be combined with various types of dosators, regardless of brand. Nedap’s Velos software allows hog farmers to enter various types of feeding strategies, slowly feeding sows small meals up to 24 times a day, in accordance with the sows’ individual needs.
Nedap’s Farrowing Feeding System offers:
- Automated sow feeding in both farrowing and breeding stalls
- Accurate dispensing of food multiple times a day, up to 24 times a day
- The ability to set the amount of food to be dispensed in accordance with the sow’s stage of lactation
- The ability to time when sows are fed on warm days – at night if necessary
- The ability to meet each individual sow’s food intake needs
- Adjustable dispensing speed for each individual feeding system
- Removable auger
- A robust dust- and splash-proof cover
Tested to great satisfaction
Hog farmer Richard Wellink, who owns a sow farm in Aalten, the Netherlands, has field-tested the new system. Initially, he only used it in one pen. Now he uses it in all his pens. “I like it a lot,” he says. “I used to have to physically pull the pipes in the dosators up a little every day to make sure my sows’ food intake increased. Nedap’s Farrowing Feeding allows me to set a simple feeding curve, which means my sows are fed a little more food every day.”
Wellink used to feed his sows twice a day. Nedap’s Farrowing Feeding allows him to feed his sows many more times a day, dispensing a small amount of food each time. “The main advantage is that, each time their mother is fed, the piglets become active for a little while. They start drinking again, which stimulates their mother’s milk production. I have noticed that by the time they are weaned, these piglets tend to be heavier than before I started using this system. Moreover, the sows stay in good health, which is important, as it helps them fall pregnant again more easily and ensures a good litter the next time around.”
By now, other sow farmers in the Netherlands, China, England, France and Spain have also begun to use Nedap’s Farrowing Feeding, to great satisfaction.
“Nedap is very keen to present more innovative automated solutions for every stage of the production cycle,”
says Arno van Brandenburg, a sales manager with Nedap France. “With over 35 years’ research and
experience, we know exactly what sow farmers need. The launch of Nedap’s new Farrowing Feeding
completes our program for individual feeding of pigs in all stages of their lives.”
Nedap cordially invites all sow farmers to attend a demonstration of its new system, along with the Nedap
Electronic Sow Feeding system, at Space 2015. Join us at Booth No. A17/A19 in Hall 7!
July 23, 2015 - Nedap
