Abstract: Space to Add Efficiency and Animal Welfare

Type and Average of Pigs on the Farm

The farm maintains 310 sows, 2,000 weaners and 2,100 grower-finishers.

Farming System

Intensive production system.

Description and Evaluation of the Good Practice

Following improved production results, this farm faced a shortage of space in its intermediate rearing facility. In autumn 2023, a new facility was built, adding 400 rearing places, in use since the end of 2023, easing daily work and streamlining routines. The expansion brought several welfare improvements. With additional space, group sizes could be reduced to more optimal levels, lowering stress and aggressive behaviour and giving the animals more room to move and express natural behaviours. The new sections feature modern ventilation and heating systems that maintain consistent temperature and fresh air, improving health and reducing respiratory illness, and are designed for easy cleaning, allowing more effective disinfection between batches. With more space available, transfers proceed more calmly without animals waiting for free spots. Working conditions also improved. The new sections reduce walking distances and streamline daily routines, conveniently extending the existing sections, and robot washing saves time and removes a laborious task from staff. The added capacity allows more flexible grouping and timing of transfers, and the facilities consider ergonomics and safety, with non-slip floor materials. The additional buffer capacity has eliminated the overcrowding that previously caused stress for both animals and workers.

Farm Context

• Pigs: Litters are kept together as far as possible, with a maximum of two litters mixed at weaning and no further mixing after 8 kg, reducing fighting and injuries among older pigs. If tail biting occurs, the biting pig is identified; if not obvious, the group is divided in two and feed, water, health and temperature are checked, with extra enrichment added if needed and the biting pig culled as a last resort.
• Environmental Enrichment: Sawdust is added daily, with straw provided if needed and enrichment switched as required; a rack is kept filled daily.
• Housing and Management Characteristics: Space available follows a curve from 0.25 m²/pig at 8 kg up to 0.9 m²/pig at 95 kg, remaining at 0.9 m²/pig from 95–110 kg and increasing to 1 m²/pig from 110–140 kg. The pen design includes a defecation area of slats by the corridor, a solid concrete lying area, and a covered area at the end, with long troughs on one side and water nipples above the defecation area. Flooring is partly slatted.
• Management Practices: Daily cleaning, monitoring twice a day, and medication if needed; around 30% of pigs are sold to another farm and 70% reared on site. Non-slip surfaces, corridor cleaning, good air quality and robot washing support working conditions, while the ability to eat simultaneously, good-quality feed, high biosecurity and high hygiene standards support animal health.

Economic Analysis

The investment cost was approximately €500 per pig place. Total project cost was around €200,000, with eligible costs of €126,069; EU funding covered 30% of eligible costs (€37,820.70), corresponding to about 18% of the actual cost. The investment has proven highly profitable from both a production and welfare perspective, enabling production growth while significantly improving animal conditions.

Environmental Analysis

Approximately 8,000–9,000 m³ of slurry is spread on the farm's own and contracted fields using a low-emission hose-spreading system, with slurry stored in 12 tanks near 210 hectares of fields.

Replicable Benefits and Relevance for Other EU Countries

The model is scalable to farms of different sizes and production systems, can be implemented gradually within existing housing standards, and is supported by equipment widely available from established manufacturers.