Green Valley Farm decided to install a new gestation sow feeder to meet the requirements of its swine harvesting customer. But they also were intrigued by the nutritional benefits of the technology, says Katie Stambaugh, manager of operations at Green Valley Farm.
Market demands, including Proposition 12, have pushed many swine producers to transition back to housing sows in groups rather than individual pens, explains Jeff Schoening, technical sales manager for AP.
“By modifying free access pens with a radio frequency reader and a mechanical feed dispenser, producers now have the capability to electronically feed each sow to meet their individual nutritional needs,” Schoening says. “Gone are the days of pouring feed out and hoping all animals get their share. Today we have access to tools that can help us ensure each sow gets exactly the ration she needs.”
In Stambaugh’s operation based in Seven Valley, Pa., the gestation sow feeder was installed this year as part of the remodeling of two older, connecting barns that were built in 1977, when Green Valley Farm was established. Combined, the two facilities house 1,818 sows in 62 pens – just over half of the operation’s 3,500 sows. The barns also house the farm’s farrowing and breeding operations.
The new system combines free access stalls with radio frequency identification (RFID) tracking to feed sows in pen gestation individually. Each GSF station recognizes sows through an RFID tag, which enables the feeding schedule and ration to be adjusted for each animal’s individual needs, she explains.
“Each sow can enter her stall, eat her ration and back out without having to compete for feed,” Stambaugh says. “The animals are getting the feed they are supposed to receive, and their condition is excellent. From an animal welfare standpoint, this is the way to go. It’s nice to see the animals in open pens. They’re calm and enjoy greater movement.”
Sows are social animals, Schoening says. This setup allows sows to move around more freely and interact with other animals.
Stambaugh says she is impressed with how the system has lowered the farm’s feed and water usage.
“We’re saving $19,000 a month in feed costs since the gestation swine feeder was installed,” Stambaugh says. “The system is very accurate on poundage. It prevents feed from spilling onto the floor and there’s no neighboring animal to steal feed from another sow.”
Water usage has dropped by 20%, saving the operation 1,541,500 gallons compared to 2021.
“We save a ton of money on water usage, since the gestation sow feeder does not use traditional water troughs that can leak,” she explains.
The system enables her to make changes to each sow’s feeding plan directly on a wand display and enter new sow arrivals into the system by scanning their ear tag. Stations can also be programmed for color marking based on particular sorting or nutritional requirements.
“Sows can be put on a feed curve and daily portions can be automatically adjusted over time, so that they receive the right amount of feed for their body condition and state of gestation,” Schoening explains. “Producers can see data on animal eating, drinking and consumption, so they can keep a better eye on herd health and efficiency, while also improving the survivability of baby pigs.”
He adds that by using a gestation sow feeder, producers can eliminate the need for feed drops every two feet, making the pen easier to navigate for workers and animals.
Despite the nutritional and efficiency benefits of gestational sow feeding, Schoening acknowledges some producers have been reluctant to adopt the technology.
“The primary reason is the current labor situation affecting many swine barns,” he says. “While gestation sow feeding systems are easy to use, they do require more training to use than feeding stanchions. Operations faced with labor shortages want to keep training to a minimum so they can spend time on other animal care tasks.”
The approximate 1,680 sows not currently on the GSF system at Green Valley Farm are housed in traditional stalls in the center section of the connecting barns. The system design will allow the farm to potentially transition those sows to GSF at a future date, Stambaugh adds.
More from Farm Journal’s PORK:
Labor Turnover and Biosecurity: Avoid a Multi-Million Dollar Mistake
Employee Emotional Health: The Crisis No One Wants to Talk About on the Sow Farm
Lameness: The Leading Identifiable Reason for Sow Mortality
Can Genetic Selection Lower Incidence of Uterine Prolapse in Pigs?
What’s it Worth to Reduce Your Herd’s Stillborn Rate?
Fill Your Nursery Site in Fewer Groups to Maximize Pig Exit Weight
