When breeding pigs, one must put in a lot of effort. We usually think that the most significant items are related to their fattening, farrowing, and health care. These are important things – but we often overlook the space where we keep these animals. Have you ever thought about the importance of pig flooring systems in farming?
In the text below, we will tell you a bit more about it – but also about different types of pig flooring systems and their importance for good breeding.
Pig Breeding ─ Profitable Business or Risk?
Anyone successfully involved in livestock farming will feel as happy as a pig in the mud when making a good profit. You’ve probably heard of that before – right?
However, we must emphasize that this term probably originated in years favorable for farmers – when average pig breeders were happy with their placement on the market.
In those years, the pig production profit used to be twice as much compared to production costs. Nowadays, things are a bit different. Great market competition and the raising of new breeds of pigs have brought new chances for profit – but also a lot of obligations that we didn’t think about that much before.
Experts in this field claim that novice growers quickly create an impression of relatively simple, easy, and good earnings. However, we all know it is easy to lose money in pig farming. That often happens if breeders do not take care of pigs seriously.
To prevent this, you need to know what conditions need to be met for raising pigs, and which type of pig farm is the most profitable.
Challenges Pig Breeders Face
There are many problems pig farmers face. To have high-fertility genetics and a large number of piglets – the crucial thing is the improvement of farm production. An important step that breeders should take care of is the condition of the facility where the pigs are. Namely, the air should be fresh, the optimal temperature should be as required by the norms, and the water should be of good quality.
Of course, the quality and quantity of feed is also a significant factor when raising pigs. However, what many people don’t think about enough are pig flooring systems. Here is what you should know.
The Importance of Flooring For Pig Breeders and Farms
If you are a professional pig breeder or aspiring to become one – you will take care of pig flooring. Namely, it is important to know what kind of flooring you will choose for breeding pigs because it affects their health and progress in breeding. What many people tend to overlook is the fact that the pig flooring must be flat and smooth – but not slippery.
It should be designed so it does not endanger the animals in any way or cause any possibility of injuries. Also, the flooring must be stable, large, and strong enough to support the weight of these animals – because they can grow to be quite large.
Choosing Adequate Pig Flooring
Even though flooring may not represent anything significant for some of you – it is rather significant for pigs. And although you may think that it is a very simple thing, you should check out Canarm and learn more about several types of pig flooring.
Of course, you can choose them according to your needs, the breed of pigs, the age of the animals – and your budget. Keep in mind the fact that farming technology has changed and advanced following the latest technology so that today many farms use flat floors with rotating mechanisms that clean the boxes or deposit waste in special tanks.
4 Basic Types of Pig Flooring
In general, four basic types are most often used. These are plastic fully slatted flooring, concrete slats, woven-wired floorings, and steel and casted type.
1. Concrete flooring
Concrete is certainly one of the most frequently used and also the best options considered among many farmers. Of course, the first and primary reason for this is endurance. Concrete flooring or concrete slats are pretty wear-resistant, easy to maintain, and long-lasting.
Concrete slats are more suitable than a classic concrete floor because they are easier to clean – and simply by washing the dirt down through the slats into the pre-made drains and tanks, they will be easy enough to maintain. In addition, they will dry quickly and will not retain moisture, and deteriorate. Although this may be a somewhat more expensive investment – pig farmers know it pays off in the long run.
2. Plastic slats
If your budget is one of the items you have problems with, you should find the most favorable option. In that case, choose the plastic slats option. True, this type of pig flooring does not have the same durability as concrete, but that is why they are a much more affordable investment at the very beginning.
It is a very acceptable solution for pig farmers who are looking for a temporary financially affordable solution – or for those who do not keep fattening animals weighing several hundred pounds. They are easy to maintain and simple to install – so they can be an excellent solution.
3. Woven-wired flooring
While this is another cost-effective type of pig flooring, we wouldn’t put it in the same category as plastic slats. Namely, when it comes to prices – the cost is approximately the same as for plastic slats. However, this is a much more difficult option to clean and maintain, and it is also very uncomfortable for animals. Therefore, choose this option only if you can’t do anything else.
4. Steel and cast flooring
The most aesthetically acceptable type of pig flooring, and in terms of quality, we would say – the golden middle. Steel and cast flooring can be placed in the category between concrete slats and woven wire. It is clear that they are not as durable as concrete, but they are still much stronger than the woven wired type – and they certainly last longer.
Maintenance is relatively easy, but the price is a bit higher compared to other types of flooring. There are two reasons for this. The first one is aesthetics. This type of flooring leaves an impression due to its modern design.
Also, it is much more comfortable for pigs compared to, for example, woven wired floors. However, many pig farmers will give up on it because it is way more expensive compared to other types of pig flooring.
Conclusion
There are many problems pig farmers face. To have high-fertility genetics and a large number of piglets – the crucial thing is the improvement of farm production. An important step that breeders should take care of is the condition of the facility where the pigs are. That’s why you should choose pig flooring carefully.
