Alternative housing systems

The owner of the architectural firm

The owner of the architectural firm runs his own slaughter pig production with an annual production of approx. 7,000 slaughter pigs. The production takes place in a housing system developed by the owner in collaboration with the area’s slaughter pig producers, who have chosen to build their stables according to the same concept.

The stables are built as open curtain stables with wet feed, the stable concept places great emphasis on animal welfare, environmentally efficient solutions and, last but not least, a good working environment for the employees.

In the latest barn project, the farmer was paid a full technology subsidy; but no technology obligation was required as the barn system already meets the goals of reduced emissions and energy consumption.

Open curtain houses are mostly seen in dairy farms and have never caught on with
slaughter pig producers. There are many prejudices about open barns for fattening pigs, especially that the open curtain barn is a cheap housing system where it is not possible to control temperature, manure behavior and feed consumption.

However, the reality in their barns is that the pigs thrive without tail biting and leg problems, with good growth and low feed consumption.

The stable is by no means a primitive housing principle

but provides all the comfort for the pigs that a modern housing system can and should deliver. The house, including the curtains, is well insulated, there is underfloor heating, 2 climate zones, sprinkling and an advanced climate control system.

Last but not least, there is always plenty of air in the barn, partly because the slatted area is limited and because the pigs always fertilize on the slats, even on hot summer days.

We have had such good experiences with the finisher housing that, together with a young farmer on Broager land, we adapted the housing concept to a piglet house in 2014, which has now worked to the farmer’s full satisfaction for 4 years.

The weaner house is designed with the same proportions and principles as the finisher house, because we showed that it works, the difference is only a higher degree of insulation of the house, as well as an even better comfort in the pigs’ immediate environment under the cover.