Are Sows Motivated for Movement?
The Canadian Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pigs requires that as of July 1, 2024, all mated gilts and sows must be housed in groups, or individual pens. Mated gilts and sows may also be housed in existing stall barns if...
by
Ken Engele
Feeder Design Considerations
The minimum width of a feeding space is based on the shoulder width of the largest pig in the pen, plus 10 % to accommodate variation in body shape. The formula used to calculate the width of a feeding space is: Minimum feeder space width = maximum shoulder...
by
Ken Engele
Improving Biosecurity in Swine Transport
While on farm biosecurity measures are increasingly stringent, a major gap that can allow for transmission of disease is biosecurity in transport. As such, new cleaning procedures for trailers must be developed to make sanitizing trailers easy and effective. Problems associated with cleaning trailers include...
by
Ken Engele
Transitioning to Loose Sow Housing
One producer's (John Van Engelen, Ontario) lessons in making the transition to group sow housing. As presented to a Group Sow Housing Seminar in the fall of 2017. https://youtu.be/WOzUdmEDsLs ...
by
Ken Engele
Group Sow Housing Resources
The following resources are designed for producers looking to make the transition to group sow housing. ...
by
Ken Engele
Enrichment for Sows: Increases Positive Behavior
On Canadian farms, interest in enrichment has grown recently due to changes in the Code of Practice requirements, stating that ‘Pigs must be provided with multiple forms of enrichment… to improve the welfare of the animals through the enhancement of their physical and social environments.’ This...
by
Ken Engele