Non-Gated Stall Feeders
Encourage undisturbed feeding time with partitions
Stall feeding is an economically efficient way to re-use materials from existing gestation stalls in a conversion scenario. The front portion of the gestation stall can be used as a feeding stall. This is achieved by removing the stall gate and shortening the stall to “shoulder length”, or leaving it longer if sufficient space is available; short stalls may also be referred to as shoulder stalls or stanchions. Each sow then has a trough and a barrier from neighbouring sows, giving some degree of undisturbed feeding. However, the stall remains open and can allow faster-eating, dominant sows, to push submissive sows away from their feed. The quantity of feed dispensed to feed troughs will be the same for the entire group.
Non-gated stall management
- Social management is important for this system, grouping by size/age/parity/ is suggested. Body condition should also be considered.
- Short stalls generally work best for smaller, static groups (6-12 animals, but up to 25 may be manageable).
- Feeding 2-3 times a day is suggested.
- If delivering feed in a trickle, set the rate at the eating speed of the slowest animals to minimize aggression and feed stealing. Feeding rate should also be adjusted based on season and stage of gestation.
- Wait 28-35 days before moving sows from breeding stalls into this style of group sow housing to ensure implantation.
- Ensure animals are in good body condition before adding into a competitive feeding system.
Managing short stall feeding systems depends on good husbandry and fostering a good social environment for the group-housed sows. Paying careful attention to how animals consume their feed is important to ensure that feed is delivered in an appropriate manner. Feeding using single drops may be used if all animals eat at a similar rate, but trickle feeding can be advantageous to keep sows busy and avoid feed stealing. Maintaining animals in smaller groups is important in competitive systems as a hierarchy will be formed early on. Having shorter stalls allows for a greater amount of loafing space, and space to provide other partitions that may allow subordinate sows some refuge. With a competitive system, careful observation of body condition, lameness, and other injury must be made.
Training
Training is not required for sows to use short stall feeders. This style of feeder is highly accessible and does not necessitate preemptive exposure. Sows can easily choose a spot to feed from with no barrier to entry or exit.
After moving sows into a pen with short stall feeders, consider watching the rate at which each sow eats so feed let-down rates can be adjusted. Feed let-down rate should also be adjusted according to season and stage of gestation.
Design Considerations
- If completing a barn retrofit to transition to group housing, choosing a short stall feeding system means that existing stalls can be altered to a chosen length. This is also advantageous as the existing feed lines can remain intact. Converting a stalled gestation barn into short stall group housing is likely to reduce the number of sows that can be housed within a barn.
- If your barn runs single feed drops, it may be wise to convert to a trickle feed system to reduce competition for feed. It must be noted that trickle feeding requires additional augers to drop feed in a continuous manner, which will require additional upkeep.
- The suggested length of a short stall partition is 24-36 inches.
- Floors may be completely slatted, or partially slatted with a solid slab under the trough to reduce food wastage.
- In competitive feeding systems, it is suggested to provide the upper limit of the space recommendation per animal.
- Provision of solid dividing walls is another important consideration, as it gives animals reprieve if needed.
BENEFITS
- All animals can feed at the same time.
- Partitions provided by the stalls reduce feed aggression if the food delivery system is properly programmed.
- Sows have freedom to roam the pen and choose where they feed.
- No training is required.
- Liquid feeding can be used.
- Altering existing gestation stalls can reduce the cost of a barn conversion.
- The system can be made central within several pens, increasing the amount of free space for sows to use.
- Short stalls take up less space in the pen than free-access stalls.
CONSTRAINTS
- Individual rationing is difficult as sows can enter any stall; feeding extra to a specific sow can lead to displacement or aggression.
- Controlling body condition is difficult.
- The instance of aggression may be greater than what is seen in free-access or full-length stalls.
- Slower eating sows may be displaced more often.
- Faster eating sows may become frustrated with the rate of trickle feed delivery.
- Aggression and feed stealing may increase if using a single-drop feeding system.
- Group sizing is important and should be kept small.
- Sows must be kept in static groups.
