Black figures on the bottom line despite low pig prices: The light housing system still pays off

Good management, light housing and a focus on keeping grain on the farm after harvest are helping maintain a healthy economy at pig producer Johannes Kaasgaard’s farm near Skjern.

Near Skjern, Johannes Kaasgaard runs a finishing pig farm with 7,000 pigs housed in Denmark’s first light housing units, which he has now been using for seven years. It is an investment that continues to pay off for the forward-thinking farmer.

On the farm, the grain he grows for the pigs’ feed is stored, processed, milled, mixed and fed to the pigs using a SKIOLD feeding system.

For the producer, it is all about maintaining control of the feed all the way from field to pig.

“Any grain you can grow and store yourself, you should use yourself. After harvest, I have enough grain in storage for around a year,” says Johannes Kaasgaard.

Of the 900 hectares included in the farm’s crop rotation, the main crops are grain for the pigs, but the rotation also includes grass seed, rapeseed and potatoes for flour mills. Around two-thirds of the area is used for grain, while the remaining third consists of the other crops.

Feeding runs consistently every day

In the pig house, SKIOLD’s Eattime control system manages the daily feeding. It is a solution the producer is particularly pleased with.

It saves both time and walking during the daily work. With 7,000 finishing pigs in the light housing units, there are many metres to cover if feeding has to be checked manually.

“We have a large herd, so we save at least a kilometre of walking every day compared with having to go around and check the feeding. In addition, the liquid feeding system ensures that feeding runs consistently every day, so the pigs receive the same feeding pattern throughout,” he says.

This is particularly important at weekends, when there are typically fewer employees at work. The automatic feeding system therefore helps create more consistent management.

An on-farm feed mill provides flexibility

The feed is based on a traditional mixture of barley, wheat and soybean meal, which the farm mixes itself. In addition, the farm uses Arla’s by-product Perlac 14.

The grain is milled using a SKIOLD disc mill. According to the producer, it requires very little servicing and supervision.

“The disc mill does a good job, and the wear parts last a long time. I have an annual service agreement where a specialised service technician goes through the entire system. As a result, we rarely experience operational disruptions,” explains the pig producer.

At the same time, the mill allows the farm to control the degree of grinding itself.

“We can control the degree of grinding ourselves, and that is very important when it comes to the frequency of gastric ulcers. We need to find a point where stomach health is good, while the pigs can still grow. So, the ability to make ongoing adjustments is an important management tool,” he says.

The light housing system is still making money

The housing equipment, ventilation and feeding system in the light housing units were all supplied by SKIOLD, and overall, the producer is satisfied with the solution.

He chose a housing design with relatively narrow sections because this made it possible to use a ventilation solution where air is drawn directly in through the walls.

“This means we can keep the temperature down throughout the year, so the pigs still have a good appetite during the summer,” he explains, before concluding:

“Even though pig prices are nothing to celebrate at the moment, we are still making money from the light housing system. So, I am happy with the solution I have.”