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In June, the European Commission announced that by 2023, it will develop proposed legislation to phase out the use of cage systems in breeding, including sow farrowing boxes.

Defra also stated that its goal is to stop using delivery boxes in the UK, but did not provide further details on future requirements or timetables for the transition to a free delivery system.

We interviewed Zoe Davies, CEO of the American Pig Association, and Tim Miller, an environmental expert at ARM Buildings, to learn more about the prospects.

See also: How realistic is free delivery in the UK pig industry?

We also asked several British manufacturers that have installed temporary farrowing pens — an adjustable form of free childbirth, which the industry believes provides a more viable alternative to completely free childbirth — for information on using them. Suggest.

In June, Europe announced its response to the end of the cage era movement, calling for a ban on the use of cage systems from 2027. Although the committee has confirmed that it plans to phase out the cage system, it has not actually committed to a timetable until 2027. It stated that it will first assess the feasibility and impact of this initiative.

Dr. Davis emphasized that the 2027 deadline is unrealistic for any country. Last year, Germany set a deadline of 2035 for its producers to convert their farrowing rooms into temporary delivery rooms.

"The transition from traditional farrowing boxes to alternative systems will be the most significant change facing pig farmers in decades," said Dr. Davis. "Therefore, it is vital for the government to cooperate with the industry to ensure that we can maintain a thriving pig industry and avoid simply exporting products to countries that still use farrowing boxes."

She confirmed that NPA will advocate voluntary phasing out within a reasonable time, and strongly advocate the use of temporary crates to allow pig farmers to continue to protect piglets.

She added: “We will also promote equivalent standards for government procurement and imports, and let retailers support all suppliers in the UK and the EU in the transition.”

No matter which delivery system the producer chooses, this change will involve significant investment, whether from a financial or managerial perspective.

Free farrowing systems allow sows to move about completely freely throughout farrowing and lactation, but it is difficult to keep piglet mortality at a low level, and users of these systems require more experience and adjustments.

Temporary boxing allows the sow to move freely during the entire lactation period and allows her to be restricted for a few days during farrowing to increase the protection of newborn piglets.

Mr. Miller visited most of the units equipped with temporary pig housing systems in the UK-currently the number of these units is about 14-and saw how they can benefit the welfare and performance of sows and piglets with proper management .

These manufacturers generally believe that anyone installing a new farrowing house should consider using a temporary crate system to help their investment face the future.

However, there are some key factors to consider:

Most temporary delivery troughs are designed to cover a larger area than traditional delivery troughs, usually between 5.5 square meters and 6.5 square meters. More space is needed to accommodate the same number of delivery positions. Therefore, if a manufacturer transforms an existing building from a conventional building into a temporary crate, additional buildings may be needed to make up for the difference.

For example, in a unit with 5 farrowing houses with 48 to 50 positions in each farrowing house, converting to a temporary pig house will reduce the pig house to only 38 to 40 sows, which means an additional farrowing room is required. Of course, not all sites have suitable additional free space.

The conversion requires careful planning because each room cannot be used for three or four weeks during the conversion period. The new building will take several months to complete. 

There are also practical limitations on the ability of professional construction companies to install new delivery systems, so there may be a backlog.

The cost of installing a temporary pig barn for a new sow barn ranges from £5,500 to £6,000, while the installation cost of a traditional pig barn is £3,500, and the cost of retrofitting an existing pig barn is approximately £2,000 to £2,600.

If you remodel an existing shed and build a new room to make up for the balance of sow numbers, the average cost of a place is between £3,000 and £3,500.

Tim Miller, Environment Specialist, ARM Buildings © ARM Buildings

Although the total area of ​​the fence is 5.5 square meters or more, the fully open area available to the sow may be between 3 square meters (if the sides of the crate are opened into a triangle) and 4 square meters (if the design creates a rectangular area) Between changes.

Both of these options provide enough comfortable space for the sows, although as more details are understood, the government may make regulations on the space requirements of the sows in the future.

Between the 3rd and 5th day after farrowing, the crates can be opened to completely release the sows, depending on how well the breeder is comfortable with each sow. Once they are confident in the system, the next step is to keep the crate fully open throughout the delivery process. Some producers have successfully conducted trials on gilts and young sows.

The layout also needs to allow the breeder to easily restrain the sow in a short time while helping or handling her or her piglets (for example, when vaccinating).

Producers emphasize that the sow's environmentally rich materials are a key consideration. Burlap bags and shredded paper for nesting are often used. This should be provided on the floor or shelf. Some units also use straw.

Options for auxiliary mud treatment include placing a scraper under the slats or using a mud separator.

There should not be too many movable parts, and the structure of the pen body needs to be durable.

The temporary crate system has a slatted floor, and the entire floor area must bear the weight of the sow.

Creating a microenvironment that keeps the piglets away from the sow will help protect them from being born.

Some temporary boxing systems provide heating pads for piglets and have rails to prevent sows from entering the heated area. Other producers prefer a covered chicken farm area because it can better protect the lower room temperature because there are fewer sows in the house.

Heated floor mats can help pull the piglets away from the sow © ARM Buildings

Producers report that compared to traditional systems, sows in temporary free farrowing systems are significantly calmer and more satisfied. They found that sows are also more active, tend to eat more, drink more, and produce more milk.

Most units use bowl-shaped drinkers in their temporary crates, which encourages intake of more water than nipples. Automatic improvisation systems are used in almost all temporary boxing systems. They help avoid increasing the risk of piglet birth when sows get on and off the bed at the set feeding time.

A producer found that its improvised feeding system increased feed intake rapidly. The daily feed intake of each sow was stabilized at about 10 kg, and the total feed intake of sows was more than when fed manually—and There is no waste of feed.

The producer seems to be also managing the piglet mortality rate in the temporary pig house system. So far, once the breeder gets used to the new system, the mortality rate and average piglet weaning weight are comparable to the traditional system.

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