The biggest challenges in pig production are to start each round with germ-free pens (HYgiene) and to give optimal care to the animals, without frequently entering the pens (Care). MS Schippers has taken up this challenge with Hy-Care® as result.
Hy-Care® is a revolutionary new housing concept for farrowing sows and weaned piglets in moveable pens. This enables to place the pen always in an optimal environment, both for the animals as the animal care taker. In the Hy-Care® system 5 different rooms are distinguished.
Good care is the base for success in the farrowing period. That is why this farrowing room is designedto make the work for the animal carer as nice and easy as possible, for example because it is easy to reach all animals because there is a work platform along 3 sides of each pen. By focussing on this room, Hy-Care®guarantees a high quality of care during farrowing until piglets are 5 days.
Once the piglets are five days old, the pens are moved to the nursing and piglet rearing rooms where less intensive care is necessary. The animals are checked daily in these rooms, but if work in a pen is necessary, for example for vaccinations, this pen comes to a specially designed workspace area automatically by a rail and lift system. Necessary work can be carried out here. At this workplace theanimal carer can walk around the pen, with all tools within reach for an optimal care.
Additionally there is a toilet, where all pens are brought each week to remove all the manure from the pen. Finally there is a washing machine that cleans all pens between rounds resulting in 100% germ free pens.
The Hy-Care® system is characterized by the avoidance of cross-contamination between pens and groups of animals, which leads to a significantly improved state of health, a reduction in the use of medication and optimal production results.
The corresponding movie is available by clicking on the Hy-Care® banner on www.msschippers.co.uk
Research farm
To show the world the Hy-Care® system, Schippers has developed a prototype of the Hy-Care® System, which is currently being tested. In the stable there is a farrowing room for 6 moveable pens, and there are 3 nursing/rearing rooms with each place for 12 moveable pens. There are 2 workplaces and one toilet where manure is removed from the pens. This toilet is also equipped with a weight sensor so pen weight, manure weight and animal weight can easily and frequently be determined. And there is a internal transport system in operation. During the test with the prototype until now 48 sows have farrowed, and the results are promising.
The behaviour of both sows and piglets is not negatively influenced by the transport of pens. The mortality rate in the farrowing phase is 20% lower than the Dutch average (lower than 10%) and the piglets reach at 60 days of age on average 25 kg, circa 20% heavier than under regular conditions. The Eurotier jury awarded the Hy-Care® concept with a gold medal in 2014!
MS Schippers is very pleased with the Gold Medal award of the Eurotier commission. This underlines the innovative strength of Schippers in the modern pig industry. Maximum success for farmers with a minimal use of antibiotics remains the goal of MS Schippers.
We look forward to welcome you at our stand H25 during Eurotier in Hall 09 to watch along with you live at the Hy-Care® system.
