Flooring for pig pens

The floor of farrowing pens for loose sows can be designed in different ways, depending on the pen type and prioritization of needs. A part of the floor can be established as solid or drained floor, enablling distribution of straw to the pen, which meet the sow’s need for nesting behavior, and help the sow identifying a resting area. A solid or drained surface also minimizes the risk of shoulder wounds. Alternatively, the pen can be fitted with a fully slatted floor in combination with plastic and cast iron slats.

The slatted floor has an opening width of max. 10 mm, preventing the piglets from getting caught whilst at the same time ensuring a good manure flow and pen hygiene.

5 reasons to choose plastic slats

• Plastic slats ensure a warmer floor for the piglets
• Many combinations with plastic flooring
• Optional foot hold, improving safety on slippery floors
• Surface ensures good manure flow and hygiene
• An easy-cleaning surface

5 reasons to choose cast iron slats

• Iron cast slats can handle high weight loads
• Slats with a pointed surface provides good slip safety
• Slats with a smooth surface provides good manure flow
• Slats with a smooth surface minimize risk of shoulder wound
• Made of GGG40 spheroidal graphite, ensuring long durability for the slats

5 reasons to choose plastic slats 

Weaner units are designed with a large proportion of solid floor (could be a mix of solid and drained flooring) in the resting area and with slatted flooring in the activity and dunging area. The solid floor provides the possibility for allocation and retention of bedding or activity material and at the same time minimizing the ammonia evaporation of the unit. Combined with a correct dimension of the pens and covers, the solid floor provides a draft free area for the animals.

The floor has to be even and stable and suitable for the size of the animals. The slatted floor can be made of plastic or cast iron with slat openings of approx. 12 mm and at the same time, the design of the slatted floor must ensure good flow of dunging.

The floor in finisher housing can be designed with non-slip concrete flooring with a greater or lesser degree of opening. It is possible to provide a part of the floor with slats, which can be combined with drained flooring and/ or solid flooring. A solid floor in the building reduces the amount of ammonia evaporation and therefore results in higher welfare for the pigs. When the pigs have the opportunity to divide the pen with a resting area and a dunging area, the dung deposition on the slatted floor is ensured. For that reason, the slatted floor must be big enough for grown finishers not to dung on the solid floor.