Authors: Alvarado, Alvin, Predicala, Bernardo, Baah, Richard, Cabahug, Jingjing
Identifier: CSBE17160
Download file: https://library.csbe-scgab.ca/docs/meetings/2017/CSBE17160.pdf
Published in: CSBE-SCGAB Technical Conferences » AGM Winnipeg 2017 (with CIGR VI Technical Symposium)

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Description: Most gestation farms in Canada are currently facing a challenge of converting traditional stalls to a more welfare-friendly group housing system to meet regulatory and societal demands for improved animal welfare in pig production. In the barn conversion process, most pig farmers focus mainly on remodeling the penning and floor layout, while the ventilation system is frequently neglected or overlooked. In this project, a new ventilation system design determined from our previous computer simulation work was implemented in an actual gestation room. In-barn evaluation of its impact on energy costs, indoor air quality, and sow productivity showed that the room with the new ventilation system was more effective in removing heat and contaminants (CO2) from the animal occupied zone during both summer and winter seasons compared to the room with the unmodified ventilation system. The new ventilation system achieved about 14% reduction in natural gas consumption during the heating season and 13% reduction in electricity consumption to ventilate the fans during the cooling season. Animal performance was not adversely or beneficially impacted with the installation of the new ventilation system. Cost analysis showed that energy savings from this modified ventilation system can readily offset the capital and operating costs for installing the system, with estimated payback period of about 1.8 years. The results from this project will be used together with existing knowledge on gestation barn floor lay-out options to ensure converted facility operates efficiently both in terms of improved sow welfare and performance as well as energy efficiency.

Keywords: barn conversion, ventilation, group sow housing, energy, air quality
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Date: 2017-08-07
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Conference name: CSBE/SCGAB 2017 Annual Conference, Canad Inns Polo Park, Winnipeg, Manitoba, 6-10 August 2017.
Session name: Session 6A: Animal Housing

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Type: Text.Article
Format: PDF
Publication type: Technical conference
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Coverage: Canada
Language 1: en
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Rights: Canadian Society for Bioengineering
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