LITTER-BED PIG HOUSE SYSTEM: CARING FOR BOTH THE ANIMAL AND THE ENVIRONMENT
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LITTER-BED PIG HOUSE SYSTEM: CARING FOR BOTH
THE ANIMAL AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Shao-Yi Sheen
Division of Livestock Management
Livestock Research Institute (LRI), Council of Agriculture (COA)
112 Muchan, Hsinhua, Tainan, Taiwan ROC
ABSTRACT
The litter-bed pig house, made up of a conventional concrete floor and a litter-bed area, serves a
dual purpose: pig raising and pig waste treatment. It was developed by the Taiwan Livestock
Research Institute (TLRI) to make full use of animal manure and exempt it from wastewater
treatment. In the study conducted on the growth performance of pigs in the litter-bed pigpen, the
pigs’ growth was as good as those in the conventional concrete floor, be it for piglets or for
growing-finishing pigs. As long as the litter was kept dry, the temperature of the litter-bed was
maintained and the odor of the pig farms was controlled. The management of the litter-bed pig
farm also paid great attention to animal and environment welfare.
Key words: litter-bed pig pen, Taiwan, animal waste disposal, pig waste treatment, litter
INTRODUCTION Water Management Act, Air Pollution Control
Act, and their implementation rules. The animal
Taiwan was first known to the western world producers, especially the pig farmers, have to
as “Formosa,” which meant beautiful island, put great effort into animal waste treatment or
rich in natural resources and abundant with they may be charged with a stiff penalty.
varieties of plants and animals. However, since Therefore, it is better for pig farmers to shift
its people and their activities increased during their management strategy from efficient and
the country’s development, the harmonious profitable management to an environmentally
relationship between man and the environment friendly management.
declined. The same has been true in the case Generally speaking, the choice of disposal
of Taiwan’s animal industry. It developed of animal wastes is highly dependent on the
rapidly the past few decades, was transformed housing design and the method of waste
from backyard farming to sideline profession, cleaning used. Therefore, planning for the
and has transformed into intensive waste treatment scheme before constructing the
management-run mass production business. At animal house is advised. Through reduction,
the end of 2004, the number of animals raised recycle, and recovery of the animal wastes, the
in farms were as follows: cattle, 145 thousand management of animal farms can be more
head; pigs, 6.82 million head; goats, 249 economical and pollution can be kept at a
thousand head; chicken, 108 million birds; state of low or zero discharge. By doing so,
ducks, 9.8 million birds; etc. (COA 2005). Such the animal industry can be accepted as a
dense populations of animals inevitably healthy and environmentally friendly industry.
resulted in the occurrence of pollution
problems. LITTER-BED ANIMAL HOUSES
In Taiwan, the implemented environmental
laws and regulations concerning animal waste The litter-bed pigpen has a normal,
disposal include the following: Environmental conventional concrete floor where pigs can eat
Impact Assessment Act, Water Pollution and rest and another part is covered with a
Control Act, Waste Disposal Act, Drinking bedding material to absorb pig manure. The pig
1house is constructed for dual purpose: pig LAYOUT OF A LITTER-BED PIG FARM
raising and pig waste treatment. Such a layout
can produce a manure-litter mixture that retains TLRI researchers have been conducting studies
feces and urine in the confined area in the on manure-bed pig houses since 1987 (Hong et
pigpen for a period of time. Once the pigs are al. 1989; Hong et al. 1990; Hong et al. 1994;
sold, the manure-litter mixture is removed from Hong et al. 1995). The results showed that the
the confined area and is composted to make average daily body weight gain, feed
organic fertilizer. This pig house is especially conversion ratio, and the survival rate of the
suitable for small pig farms, where wastewater piglets raised in the manure-bed pigpens were
treatment investment is not economical. all superior to those raised in the conventional
In brief, the litter-bed pigpen has two concrete-floor pig houses. In 1997, five
parts: 1) a 30-40 cm deep pit floor covered conventional pig houses were remodeled to set
with a bedding to absorb the pig manure, and up a complete litter-bed pig farm, including one
2) a concrete floor for feeding and other breeding pig house, one farrowing pig house,
activities. Rice husk and dry compost are the two growing-finishing pig houses and one
common bedding materials. The addition of composting house (Fig. 1).
probiotics or microbial products as bedding The pig houses are situated on an east-
supplement is not required at all. Neither west alignment to receive proper sunshine in
wastewater nor annoying odor is generated southern Taiwan. The litter-bed pigpens can be
when enough litter-bed area is provided. simplified into two kinds: 1) ordinary litter-bed
Generally speaking, each finishing pig requires pig pens for boars, gilts/dry sows, and
about 0.4-0.6 m2 x 40 cm (deep) of litter-bed growers/finishers, though the required spaces
space. for different pigs varied (Table 1); and 2)
farrowing litter-bed pigpens for farrowing pigs
and weaners.
In the ordinary litter-bed pigpen, the
concrete floor with a concrete wall is located
on the northern side and the litter-bed with
tubular fronts is on the southern side (Fig. 2).
Fig. 1. A full view of the
litter-bed pig farm.
2Table 1. Space requirements for different types of pigs in litter-bed houses
Pig Concrete floor Litter-bed
m2/pig m2 x m/pig
(area x depth)
Boar 7.0–9.0 0.6–0.8 x 0.4
Sow 2.0–2.4 0.6–0.8 x 0.4
Grower 0.8–1.0 0.3–0.5 x 0.25
Finisher 1.0–1.2 0.5–0.6 x 0.4
Farrowing 4.0–5.0 2.0 x 0.1
Fig. 2. A litter-bed pigpen for breeding and growing-finishing pigs.
The drinker is installed on the tubular fronts, newborn piglets warmer for them to grow
while the feed trough is placed on the healthier. The sow is moved to the farrowing
concrete floor. This layout helps train the pigs house one week before delivery. At weaning,
to dung on the litter-bed. The beddings are the sow is moved back to the breeding house.
added to keep the water content of the litter at The weaned pigs stay in the farrowing house
less than 40%. The dry beddings provide until six to eight weeks of age and then
comfortable and clean air environment for the moved to the growing-finishing houses. This
pigs. No daily wash is required. The rainwater arrangement can prevent the weaned pigs from
and the spilled drinking water are collected the multiple stresses of weaning, moving, and
separately from the pig wastewater. The tubular regrouping at the same time.
fronts can be rolled backward to the concrete This type of pig house has many
floor when the dung-litter mixture needs to be advantages. Its simple structure entails low
cleaned out (Fig. 3). The liquid waste from the construction and labor cost and no wastewater
farrowing house is collected in the storage discharge. It is suggested that the operation
tank and added to the litter mixture during of litter-bed pig farms be divided into three
composting. Therefore, this farm generates no stages: dry and pregnant sows, farrowing pigs,
wastewater. and growing-finishing pigs.
The major difference between the litter-bed Since a litter-bed pig farm needs no
farrowing house and the conventional one is regular washing, sanitation and disinfection are
that two 10-cm-deep litter-beds are located on particularly important. A routine, once-a-week
both sides of the farrowing crate (Fig. 4). The parasiticide application for disinfection is
beddings in the litter-bed can keep the needed.
3Fig. 3. The tubular front is moved Fig. 4. A farrowing pigpen.
backward for litter cleaning.
GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF PIGS THE IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT
IN THE LITTER-BED PIG HOUSES
The high temperature and the offensive odor
To investigate the growth performance of pigs, generated from the litter-bed during the hot
257 hogs from 28 litters, produced by 14 sows season are the frequent complaints on the
sired by a Duroc (D) boar, were evaluated. litter-bed system. Controlling the water content
Sows used in the study included five Landrace of litter at less than 40% can solve both
(L) females and nine offspring of Landrace problems. The dry litter does not allow the
sows crossed with Yorkshire boars (LY). The microbes to carry out fermentation in the litter-
average daily gains of barrows and gilts from bed. Fig. 5 shows the temperatures of the
70 to 150 days of age were 0.73-0.75 kg and top, center, and bottom litter compared with
0.73-0.74 kg, respectively (Table 2) (Sheen et al. the ambient temperature. It was found that
2001). Littering performances of sows were during the pig-raising period, the room
also evaluated. Litter size born alive, temperatures were always higher than the litter
percentages of preweaning (3-4 weeks of age) temperatures, while the temperature of the top
survival, and percentages of piglet survival litter was the lowest. Thus, the pigs will not
from 3-4 weeks to 70 days of age were 9.18 suffer from heat stress in the hot season.
piglets/sow/litter, 97.7%, and 98.4%, The odor at the boundary of the litter-bed
respectively. pig farm was also monitored for successive 10
Hong et al. (1995) carried out pig-raising months. The results showed that under proper
field tests in a farm located in Ur-Lueen management, the odor measurements at the
Township, Yunglin County, starting from boundary met the legal restriction, which is 50
October 1994 to May 1995. The performance of for the agriculture and animal husbandry area
the conventional slatted farrowing pens and (Table 4). Regardless of the big varied
manure-bed (filled with rice husks) farrowing background data, the odor-monitored results
pens were compared. Table 3 shows that, when throughout the year were satisfied.
the piglets were five weeks of age, the average The relationship between odor emission
gain of live weight and percentages of piglet and nitrification of litter material was also
survival in the manure-bed farrowing pens were studied in litter-bed pigpens paved with rice
higher than those in the conventional farrowing husk and mature compost for bedding, and in
pens, but they were not significantly different. an empty pigpen as control. The odor
This finding was similar to that of Hong et al. measurements of the bedding surface were 17-
(1994). 30, 167 ± 117, and 203 ± 145 for the control,
4Table 2. Performances of piglets and hogs raised in the litter-bed pig housesa, b, c
Item Survival Barrow Gilt
% Breed Breed
LD LYD LD LYD
Body weight,
kg
1.73± 1.76± 1.60±
At Birth -- 1.87±0.059(49)
0.04(84) 0.05(53) 0.04(71)
5.86± 5.48± 5.46±
3 weeks -- 5.82±0.14(49)
0.10(81) 0.13(52) 0.11(71)
21.0± 20.1± 20.2±
70 days -- 20.7±0.7(26)
0.6(43) 0.6(34) 0.6(34)
80.0± 80.0± 78.7±
150 days -- 82.8±3.0(10)
2.0(20) 3.1(9) 2.1(16)
12.1± 102.2± 105.6±
At marketing -- 104.8±2.3(27)
1.9(41) 2.6(22) 2.1(34)
Age of 199.6± 198.1± 197.8±
marketing -- 197.7±2.5(27)
days 2.0(41) 2.8(22) 2.2(34)
Daily gain, kg 0.20± 0.18± 0.18±
Birth -3/4 97.7% 0.19±0.01(49)
weeks 0.00(81) 0.01(52) 0.00(71)
3/4 weeks - 0.31± 0.29± 0.30±
70 days 98.4% 0.30±0.01(26)
0.01(43) 0.01(34) 0.01(34)
70 days - -- 0.73± 0.73± 0.74±
150 days 0.75±0.03(10)
0.02(20) 0.03(9) 0.02(16)
a
The experiments were conducted from March 1999 to July 2000.
b
Mean± SD.
c
The numbers shown in the parentheses are the numbers of the tested pigs.
Source: Sheen et al. 2001.
compost, and rice husk group, respectively, related to the nitrification of the bedding in
while concentrations of NH3, H2S, and (CH3)3N litter-bed pigpen. The measured pH, EC, TN, P,
in the center of the compost group’s bedding K, Cu, Zn of the compost group were higher
were higher than those of the rice husk group. than those of the rice husk group, even
Monitoring the distribution of TN, NO 3- and though the variation trends during the
NO2- among different layers of litter bedding, experiment period of the two experimental
the highest concentration was found in the groups were similar. The concentrations of the
bottom layer, the center layer next, and the rice husk group were higher than those of the
bedding surface, the lowest for both compost group. Therefore, in addition to the
experimental groups. Therefore, it was expected rice husks, the mature and dry compost can be
that the odor emission of the litter bed was used as good beddings.
5Table 3. Performances of the manure-bed and the conventional farrowing pens
Litter-bed Conventional floor
No. of litters 21 21
After farrowing
Piglets survival per litter (head) 10.3±1.3 9.5±1.3
Live weight (kg) 1.43±0.26 1.48±0.28
Three-week-old
Piglets survival per litter (head) 10.1±1.2 9.3±1.1
Survival (%) 98.1 97.9
Live weight (kg) 5.37±0.43 5.55±0.53
Five-week-old
Piglets survival per litter (head) 10.0±1.2 9.1±1.1
Survival (%) 97.1 95.8
Live weight (kg) 9.46±0.63 9.16±0.69
Source: Hong et al. 1995.
35
Te mpe rature (C)
30
25
Top Center
Bottom Ambient
20
6 24 50 69 88 105 125 144
Days
Fig. 5. The temperature changes of rice-husk litter in the litter-bed pig house
Table 4. The odor monitoring of the litter-bed pig farm
Odor
Date Upwind Downwind
background boundary
0306 71 36
0331 10 24
0425 10 21
0522 10 30
0620Table 5. Changes of the constituents of the litter during composting
Com- pH Moisture Organic TN NH4+-N NO2--N NO3--N TKN
posting matter
time
days % ppm
0 6.4 62.6 77.7 2.8 95 0.77 689 796
15 5.7 62.7 77.2 3.1 137 0.40 129 510
20 5.1 60.6 76.7 3.6 199 0.56 120 538
29 6.4 59.4 75.3 3.8 221 0.69 151 577
37 6.7 54.7 74.0 3.5 289 1.13 87 650
44 6.7 50.0 72.6 3.7 233 29.38 78 443
51 6.7 47.7 70.6 3.6 188 46.88 120 359
70 6.6 28.6 69.8 4.1 216 7.30 118 381
COMPOSTING THE LITTER house help to keep the newborn piglets warm.
The not-so-humid environment in the farrowing
After the pigs are sold or when the litter-bed house will contribute to the microbe control
needs to be emptied of its litter, the tubular and healthy growth of the pigs.
fronts are rolled backward to the concrete
floor. The emptied litter mixture is then CONCLUSION
stacked for composting. The wind rows are
turned once a week to supply air to the The animal industry in Taiwan is faced with
compost and to mix the compost more the double stresses of improving profit
homogeneously. efficiency and ensuring environmental
In the study, from 45 days to marketing protection. To maintain the competitiveness of
age, each growing-finishing pig consumed the business, animal farmers have to adjust
44.9 kg of rice husks for bedding and their management strategy from being product-
generated 180 kg litter (contained 40.8% directed to creating the environment-efficiency
moisture). After 70 days of composting, the balance and to build up a business that is
litter ripened into mature compost with 28.6% cost-effective and low-discharge. The best
moisture, 69.8% organic matter, and 4.1% total strategy for this challenge is to follow the 4R
nitrogen (Table 5) (Sheen 2001). This compost principle – reduction, recycle, recovery, and
is a good organic fertilizer. reuse. The litter-bed pig system was developed
according to this principle. The results proved
ANIMAL WELFARE that it is not only about caring for good
animal production, but also for the welfare of
In the litter-bed pig farm, daily washing is the animal and the environment. By this we
omitted. Thus the construction of wastewater can achieve a harmonious and sustainable
treatment facilities is consequently not animal business.
necessary. The pigs will not be bothered by
the washing, enjoying the extra litter-bed area REFERENCES
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