Low-input sustainable sow housing for Iowa

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1996
Authors
Honeyman, Mark
Hoff, Steven
McKean, James
Bundy, Dwaine
Stevermer, Emmett
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Hoff, Steven
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Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture
The Leopold Center is a research and education center on the campus of Iowa State University created to identify and reduce negative environmental and social impacts of farming and develop new ways to farm profitably while conserving natural resources.
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Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture
Abstract

This project developed a low-cost, innovative sow housing and feeding system that is currently under consideration for a patent. A quasi ad libitum (free feeding of a controlled diet) electronic feeding system for gestating sows was housed in a 9.1 X 18.3 meter steel-hooped structure covered with an aluminized plastic tarp. A feeder served as a partition between high-energy and low-energy diet feeding areas. After weighing, hogs were directed to the appropriate diet by means of a tag number read by a computer. Such farm size-neutral housing can help producers raise lean market pigs. Other advantages include improved sow welfare, better worker environment, and less odor than confinement.

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