Early group sow housing pens were known for high levels of aggression among gestating sows. This has been a counter argument on group gestation pens for years, but the amount of sow aggression depends completely on your pen design. To mitigate aggression, we must first know why the animals are aggressive, and then we can understand how to design a hog pen that reduces harmful behavior as much as possible. Hog pen designs have advanced since the early layouts in the 1980s, but there are still, and most likely will always be, aggressive sows in your herd. That is why it is vital to put your pens together with these four guidelines in mind.

Group sow housing barns are not new to the industry, but people are often not sure what it is like inside one of these hog barns. Most of us are familiar with gestation stall barns from either working in one or seeing images of them online and throughout different media. While there are many gestation stall sow housing facilities in North America, the industry is transitioning to loose housing facilities. Get a first hand account of operations inside these facilities by listening to what Janae Metzger from Pig Hill Farms has to say about working in an ESF barn.

Feed costs add up in sow housing, and they quickly take away from your bottom line. Luckily feeding technology has evolved in many ways over the past decade, making it easier to control these costs. By accurately targeting the amount of feed each sow receives, we can also improve her health throughout her life in the barn. Implementing Electronic Sow Feeding is the first step to start controlling feed, but Nedap has also introduced farrowing feeding systems to take it one step further. Automated feeding in your farrowing barn will help you reduce feed waste, keep sows healthy throughout their entire lives, and produce healthier, heavier piglets.

Due to both consumer pressures and the need for improved barn efficiency and reduced feed costs, pork producers in North America are moving towards Electronic Sow Feeding in hog barns. Nedap's automated sow feeding technology has been around since the early 1980s and has since developed into a complete sow management system. Learn more about the evolution of ESF technology from dysfunctional identification collars to fully automated barn management systems.

Tuesday was not just another day in the 5j Design office. Nope, on Tuesday, we had the wonderful opportunity to see what one of our clients does...by taking a tour of a hog barn. Jake and I are the web guys for New Standard, and typically we don't like to call ourselves city boys. But let's face it, when in comes to farming and livestock production, we are definitely city boys. Tim and Ben from the New Standard Group were gracious enough to take us where we had never been before. Read more about our first journey through a group sow housing barn.

Installing new hog penning and gating systems into your existing or new swine barn has a large impact on the quality and efficiency of the barn. When deciding what products to install, you have to make tough decisions on the strength and lifespan of the panels, as well as the health risk each presents to your animals. After working with both PVC and polypropylene products, we strongly recommend Paneltim polypropylene hog pen panels. Read more on how these panels compare to traditional PVC panels when it comes to hygiene and biosecurity, product strength, and environmental friendliness.

Making the decision to remodel your existing sow housing barn may seem daunting. You will have to restructure your barn, buy new equipment, and train your pigs and barn staff on the new processes. We promise that making this decision is worth your time and investment, but we understand effort this transition takes. That is why we want to provide you with everything you need to know about a sow housing remodel before you make the decision.

You have many choices when it comes to the feeding equipment you select for your new or remodeled sow barn. When choosing ESF systems, think about what is unique about your farm and what you need to future proof your farm. Then, choose a management system that can support your individual operation. 

It is an uncomfortable question to ask yourself, but do you know if your swine barn is designed to keep up with the pork industry trends in the next 20 years? There is no doubt that the industry has been changing rapidly over the past 20 years, and the next 20 years will likely keep the same pace. As a pork producer it is vital to stay up-to-date with the latest trends, especially in sow housing. Hog barn designs from 20 years ago are quickly becoming outdated, and it is time to start considering what you can do so the rest of the pork industry doesn't leave you behind.

Converting to an Electronic Sow Feeding barn usually brings about many different thoughts and emotions. You may be excited for the change, frustrated about the social demands and regulations, or you may just know it is a necessary change. Whether you are frustrated, excited, or indifferent, you probably have the end goal of increasing production within your barn. One of the major benefits of ESF barns is their ability, with proper management, to reduce stress among your sows. By reducing stress, the pigs become happier and healthier. When the pigs are happy and healthy, they produce more piglets and increase your profits. Learn more about how Electronic Sow Feeding barns will reduce your sows' stress.