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Ag News
Gestation Flex Pens Working
Moving sows into group pens is having mixed results. That’s according to Janeen Salak-Johnson, associate professor in animal sciences at the University of Illinois. While group sow housing works, research at the university shows this practice does not answer welfare concerns or improve sow performance. Instead, Salak-Johnson has found that slight modifications to sow gestation stalls may provide solutions to one of the most controversial issues facing the swine industry.The research showed that using flexible stalls positively influenced behavior, performance and productivity of sows in gestation. Salak-Johnson says - making minor changes in existing systems may truly improve the well-being of the sow. The flex stall allows the producer to increase the width but not the length of the stall. It can be adjusted midway through the gestation period to offset the sow’s growth during pregnancy.
When the flex stall width was adjusted to achieve more space between the sow and the stall when lying down, researchers observed fewer oral-nasal-facial movements and sham-chewing. Sows also sat down more in the flex stall and drank less often. Also, Sows in the flex stall farrowed more piglets and weaned more piglets than sows in conventional gestation stalls.
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- © 2008 Rural Radio Network. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.