margerisons Posted July 19, 2008 Share Posted July 19, 2008 Heres pics of one of our pig barns.First off heres the outside of the barn on the left thats the loading bay for the livestock lorries.we ship out every 8 weeks in these barns get 1 week to wash everything out then the week after we get 4 installments of shipments each lorry load normally has 625pigs in them on average.Each one of these barns are able to hold up to 3,600 weanling pigs but we on average have around 2,500 in them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
margerisons Posted July 19, 2008 Author Share Posted July 19, 2008 These 2 pics are off the outside pit and as you can see is very full right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
margerisons Posted July 19, 2008 Author Share Posted July 19, 2008 Heres a pick of 3 Feed Bins and each one of our weaner pig barns has there own 3 and has there own generator.Heres pics of a back up water system and we use this for putting meds in them through the water supply.the most used water med we use would be neo-chlor if you have heard of that before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
margerisons Posted July 19, 2008 Author Share Posted July 19, 2008 Here is a state of the art computer board one for each room.They run everything from fans to feed hoppers.Heres a pics of one of the rooms its all slatted there is 12 pens per room.theres 2 big fans way in the back and air exchangers in the ceiling on the right.all the hoppers are fill automatically twice a day.With every shipment of pigs we have to go through the whole lot and inject them,inspect them and grade them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
margerisons Posted July 19, 2008 Author Share Posted July 19, 2008 Heres the hopper up close also in the back of the pens there water bowls for the pigs.In each pen theres a concrete slab that is heated for them in winter time.These pigs are new ones we got them than a week ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
margerisons Posted July 19, 2008 Author Share Posted July 19, 2008 Heres another view of them room.The chimney in the middle is also for heat in the winter.In summer time we use the pigs body heat and outside air to warm the barns up.That is the last pic for now Ill keep you updated with more pics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tractorman810 Posted July 19, 2008 Share Posted July 19, 2008 impressive set up there, nothing like what we had, we had to clean out the pens by them selfs every other day, ,much the same as you as in the pigglets were bought in to be fattend up, but before we lost them all to swine fever in the late 80's we used to breed ourself to, if you only wash down every now and then, i asume the muck is washed out auto maticly from the grilled floor?? never seen that done before Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
margerisons Posted July 19, 2008 Author Share Posted July 19, 2008 When washing out we use a power washer and there is a sprinkler system in the ceiling we use before going around washing.we disassemble all the pens before washing then reassemble them all.We do have sow barns aswell to supply this barns with it.over here the system goes sow-nursery(weaner barn)-finisher barn.All the barns we have are on contracts so we own the sows but when they have there litter the people our contracts belong to buy them so we don't own the litters and when they ship them on to our weanling barns we dont own them all we have to do is look after there welfare.Then after every 8weeks we get a cheque for that batch of pigs.Then they get shipped off to our finisher barns for another 8 weeks so we really just nurture them for 24weeks before going to a butchery.This business we work for altogether own 330,000pigs and we are there biggest contract farmer with 30,000pigs now.there are pits underneath the barns so we have to keep the level of manure lower in there or certain harmfull gases can be lifted up by the fast air coming in by the fans and that will harm the pigs and farmer or even in some cases cause an explosion. \ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
painter Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 Well lad that is a fine setup you have there well done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpinefocus Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 what a set up you have there, how does the waste management work on a big scale? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graeme Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 That is a great setup you have. Personally I like to see them outdoors but with the numbers you are talking here it would`nt be possible. I worked on a pig unit for 3 years and don`t miss it one bit. 2500 outdoor sows and fattened outdoors to cutter weight and then indoors to bacon weight on straw sheds. We also bred Gilts for the Cotswold Pig Development Company. I think they now send all litters away at weaner stage and don`t fatten any more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tractorman810 Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 That is a great setup you have. Personally I like to see them outdoors but with the numbers you are talking here it would`nt be possible. I worked on a pig unit for 3 years and don`t miss it one bit. 2500 outdoor sows and fattened outdoors to cutter weight and then indoors to bacon weight on straw sheds. We also bred Gilts for the Cotswold Pig Development Company. I think they now send all litters away at weaner stage and don`t fatten any more. thats all we did after the siwn fever, took them in fattened them up, sent them on, actually worked out more profitable at the time till prices dropped, that almost sealed the fate as much as the lack of anyone to run the farms ,which ultimatly lead to the sale of them all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Light Land Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 I realy enjoyed this thread,thanks. I've always wanted to work with pigs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
margerisons Posted July 20, 2008 Author Share Posted July 20, 2008 I don't think they experienced the same swine farmers did over there.We can't really have pigs outdoors unless if it is just for the warm months.about waste management all the pig barns in Ontario are the same design as ours give or take a few things depending on the farmer.Especially the Amish and Mennonite Farmers have straw packed barns and none of these electronics.Thanks for all the comments and replies it has been a fun topic for me too ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Light Land Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 I when too a huterite (spelling?)cononly in manitoba a few years ago,and they were getting the water out of the slurry and then washing down barn with the extracted water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
margerisons Posted July 21, 2008 Author Share Posted July 21, 2008 I have seen some barns like that but it isnt finicial viable any more because it is expensive to do so they decided to sink a well or use already sunken well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texas Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 I missid this topic but you have there very nice setup. Also nice to see that the barn has al new equipment and technology that barn is economical and nice to work at. Texas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
margerisons Posted July 21, 2008 Author Share Posted July 21, 2008 thanks Bas I thing I should tell you the Provinicial Government is promoting "Eco-friendly farms" and has a program who funds farms to become more eco-friendly so my dad,a local government official and a finicial advisor have made plans to make our pig barns compatible for solar power Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmernick06 Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 Im not a fan, i don't like sheds set out like that if im honest, i know there in the same format as many pig barns, but they just look so .. i don't know, so concentrationcampish, but thats my opinion, as much as i don't agree with that style of farming it's an impressive set up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texas Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 Im not a fan, i don't like sheds set out like that if im honest, i know there in the same format as many pig barns, but they just look so .. i don't know, so concentrationcampish, but thats my opinion, as much as i don't agree with that style of farming it's an impressive set up You are right about the farming style and i think when the farmers have the choice they want to farm your way. But the first problem is we have a food problem in the world. The second problem are the consumers. When a consumer want to buy for example meet he can buy meet from pigs that lived outside or in a barn. But the price from meet from a pig that lived outside is much higher than from a barn pig. So the problem is that consumers don't want to pay for food and buy the meet from a barn pig,so they can spend there money on other things. Texas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmernick06 Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 You are right about the farming style and i think when the farmers have the choice they want to farm your way. But the first problem is we have a food problem in the world. The second problem are the consumers. When a consumer want to buy for example meet he can buy meet from pigs that lived outside or in a barn. But the price from meet from a pig that lived outside is much higher than from a barn pig. So the problem is that consumers don't want to pay for food and buy the meet from a barn pig,so they can spend there money on other things. Texas Oh i completely agree mate, i know they get paid barely anything for what they raise and know that conditions have to be like this to retain any profit etc, just a shame it's got like this \ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tractorman810 Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 Oh i completely agree mate, i know they get paid barely anything for what they raise and know that conditions have to be like this to retain any profit etc, just a shame it's got like this \ does look very clinical doesnt it nick, but it produces results, and can probally explain why british pig farming has died off to a certain degree, as far as i know we dont have anything like that set up over here, just normal pens and feed towers, all that need to be cleaned out either by hand or machine every other day, well thats what we did, 3 to 4 hrs at a go, if all they do is wash down every week ,then its easy to farm, like that program last week said, farmings as much a science as a bussiness now a days, and what ever gets profits gets used on the whole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
margerisons Posted July 22, 2008 Author Share Posted July 22, 2008 over here pig prices have plummeted and its the same with beef and now its called a "agriculture crisis" the only 2 commodities making are sheep and dairy and thats because they are quota controlled which means there market is more stable so its the only part of our farm making profit but the downside to having quota control is it cost alot more money to get into over here in canada there not allowed outdoor pig farms anymore they put a ban to it as there was alot of river and lake pollution coming from the manure and feces.over in quebec all lakes are considered off limits to the public as beaches because there they had alot of outdoor pig farms and they kept running there manure into the rivers which spread to the lakes then when they got the raised barns and then they had a over supply of manure so they just dumped it all in the lakes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Light Land Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 What do you feed the mother pigs? Do pigs in canada eat maize grain? Do you get weedy crops from useing pig slurry? I neeeed too know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
margerisons Posted July 23, 2008 Author Share Posted July 23, 2008 ok the mother pigs get a high protein diet consisting of mineral water,vitamins,corn and other feeds.Yes they can we got alot of maize mostly for dairy but we give it to our finisher pigs as we have seen results of making them bigger and stronger.Our crops grow better than any in the area because of the pig slurry we get little to no weed growth.with our grass fields we also spread pig slurry and our grass was atleast 4inches taller and that made the fields silage yeild increase greatly hope this helps ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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