Source: Pigs/Jos Thelosen
We are welcomed by Van Sambeek at the Niemann family’s sow farm in Germany. ‘Since 2014, this forward-thinking sow farmer has had a barn with farrowing and rearing pens that allow for free movement. Niemann was very pleased with this approach,’ explains the Verba sales manager. ‘He recoups the higher costs – due to the extra floor space, as the pens are each 6 square metres – through better production results and labour savings. Think of not having to move piglets and the reduced frequency of cleaning and disinfection. What’s more, there’s no need to invest in space for piglet rearing,’ explains Van Sambeek.
When the German sow farmer wanted to expand the number of free-range farrowing pens by 140, it gradually became clear that the new German welfare requirements would be stricter than the 6 square metres. Together with his barn designer, he explored the options and decided to allocate 7.1 square metres per pen. ‘During the preliminary phase, Niemann discovered the KZB family feeding trough. ‘The farmer immediately recognised the benefits of the sow and her piglets being able to eat together from a single feeding trough,’ explains Van Sambeek. ‘So, in the autumn of 2021, he asked if he could test two troughs with a feeding width of 40 centimetres on his own farm.’ In two pens, the standard troughs were replaced with the KZB family feeders. ‘What the sow farmer noticed straight away was the difference in behaviour between the sows and piglets in those two test pens,’ says Van Sambeek. ‘Because the sows could decide for themselves when and how much feed to eat, they seemed to develop a certain sense of calm. They produced more milk and were more sociable, as they could eat and drink from the same feeder alongside their piglets. As a result, more piglets were weaned, and they were of a higher quality.’ During the rearing phase, Niemann also observed that the piglets in the KZB test pens performed better. ‘After the farrowing sows were weaned, the weaned piglets in those two pens carried on undisturbed. They were used to eating from the family trough, which from that point onwards contained weaning feed in the storage bin,’ explains Van Sambeek. ‘In the farrowing-rearing pens with troughs, more piglets struggled to adapt to the situation. This led to differences in growth.’
COMPLETELY OVER THE SIDE
After a trial run, the German sow farmer was completely won over. Despite the less than rosy conditions in the pig farming sector, he decided to invest anyway. Van Sambeek: ‘All 160 troughs in the free-range farrowing pens were replaced without hesitation, because the immediate profit was so substantial.’ Niemann has achieved a 3 per cent higher piglet survival rate up to weaning and a 0.1 improvement in feed conversion ratio for the piglets from weaning to 30 kilos, Van Sambeek reports. ‘Sow mortality is 3.5 per cent lower. They are fitter, have better gut health and, on average, consume 1 kilo less feed per day during the farrowing phase, whilst performing better.’ The new farrowing rearing unit, which Niemann brought into use in May 2022, is also equipped with KZB family feeders. ‘In every farrowing unit, the pigs are performing in an oasis of calm.’ Van Sambeek demonstrates this by entering a farrowing pen where a sow is suckling her piglets. ‘She doesn’t even look up. Unperturbed, the pigs carry on with what they’re doing.’
‘KZB’BIG PERFORMS BETTER
3 per cent more piglets are weaned when they are born in farrowing pens fitted with KZB family feeders, rather than troughs. When weaned at 28 days of age, a ‘KZB piglet’ weighs
an average of 7.1 kilos, almost 1 kilo more than a ‘trough-reared piglet’. With a single type of piglet feed in the KZB troughs, a piglet grows to 31.2 kilos in 47 days with a feed conversion ratio of 1.56. Previously, four types of piglet feed were required and the feed conversion ratio was 1.66.
