Abstract: Free-Farrowing and Wean-to-Farrow Systems: One Space, Two Functions

Type and Average of Pigs on the Farm

The farm maintains 350 sows, producing approximately 10,000 fattening pigs per year.

Farming System

Intensive production system.

Description and Evaluation of the Good Practice

In 2025 a producer facing ageing facilities and labour recruitment difficulties modernised his production unit while anticipating upcoming animal welfare regulations. The investment comprised 180 free-farrowing crates with a wean-to-farrow system, a quarantine unit and a biofilter, combining technical performance, improved working conditions and enhanced animal welfare. The free-farrowing pen totals 7.3 m², including 5 m² for the sow, and is equipped with two flip-up crates providing 0.5 m² per piglet post-weaning at 28 days. This dual-use design eliminates conventional post-weaning units. Piglets remain in the farrowing unit until 65 days of age (28–30 kg) before transfer to finishing, by litter and without mixing. Eliminating one transfer step reduces weaning stress as piglets remain in the same environment with the same feeding, drinking and sanitary conditions. The producer targets a reduction of 7–10 days to reach slaughter weight, and the system saves one cleaning cycle and one transfer.

Farm Context

• Sows: The farrowing block comprises 4 rooms with 44 pens each, plus 2 buffer rooms, with a pen area of 7.3 m². Sows enter the farrowing unit 7 days before their expected farrowing date and are temporarily confined 5 days before and 5–7 days after farrowing. A toy is available at all times as enrichment.
• Piglets: The piglet area totals 2.3 m² and is equipped with floor heating and a geothermal heated slab, rails and a solid floor with a transparent lid. A multiphase feeding system delivers feed into a common trough, and an additional drinker is available.
• Caretakers: Piglets are processed in front of the sow. No castration is performed; tail docking and iron injection are carried out, and tooth grinding is performed sometimes. The pen is ergonomically designed for human intervention with gilts positioned centrally. Flooring is 89% slatted and 11% solid, with a geothermal slurry system and a biofilter.

Economic Analysis

Initial results after 3 batches are very satisfactory: 28 kg at 66 days of age, 4 kg above the farm's previous average. The wean-to-farrow system involves an additional investment equivalent to €0.045/kg carcass. Two performance improvements could offset this: a 0.1 improvement in FCR yields €0.039/kg carcass gain, and 1% lower losses from weaning to sale yields €0.018/kg, giving a projected net gain of +€0.012/kg carcass.

Environmental Analysis

The farrowing rooms use a geothermal system coupled with a heat pump to reduce ammonia volatilisation from the slurry. The biofilter reduces ammonia emissions by 30–50%.

Replicable Benefits and Relevance for Other EU Countries

This system offers clear advantages in welfare, performance and reduced labour, and can be adapted to farms of various sizes. The main barrier is the higher cost per farrowing place, which is best justified when farrowing and post-weaning facilities need to be rebuilt simultaneously.