With profits and prospects improving, producers are ploughing some serious money into accommodation. Those that have pleased the planners and have the financial means are investing in new buildings. But for many – particularly those that have survived the past decade with basic maintenance and repairs – refurbishment is the way forward.
By using innovative design, ingenious adaptation and the installation of new equipment, existing premises can be “upcycled” into efficient pig production systems. The abundance of high quality, low maintenance materials now available means older buildings can be successfully modernised to a standard that compares favourably with new build accommodation. The significant savings, along with minimal paperwork, also make refurbishing an existing structure very attractive.
Before decommissioning marginal accommodation it’s a good idea to compartmentalise the actual costs of putting up an equivalent new building. As a rough guide, between 30% and 40% of the cost will be for groundwork, with a further third taken up with external construction. The rest (and often more) is usually spent on internal structures, penning, fixtures/fittings and equipment.
By salvaging key elements, such as foundations, external frames, walls and roofs, and choosing to refit a building, budgets can go further, which may offer more flexibility when deciding on what equipment and technology to install. And by carefully redesigning internal configurations, a refurbished building can successfully accommodate more pigs and yield better performance.
Another advantage is there’s no planning permission required, as upgraded buildings rarely require applications because there’s no change of use – they continue to rear pigs.
“We’ve seen a growth in refurbishment projects during the past few years as it’s often easier and less costly for pig producers to upgrade their facilities than investing in new accommodation”
The tax incentives available to farm businesses for capital investments in new equipment, combined with difficult planning regulations, are also encouraging pig farmers to make more use of their resources.
Currently, a significant proportion of old, but useful buildings are being overhauled with the installation of modern components and new high tech equipment. Subsequently, performance and profits are benefiting from penny-wise investments.
For example, savings can be expected from refitting a building with composite materials and equipment that improves hygiene, cuts feed waste and reduce labour requirements. A project might only involve the replacement of pen divisions and gates and the installation of new feeders, but this simple upgrade can have a considerable impact on overall productivity.
Cleaning and disinfection between batches are simple and quicker, pig movements and the visibility of stock in the building are easier and there’s less feed waste. Overall, the system becomes easier to manage, provides a more favourable working environment and pig performance improves; simple solutions and positive outcomes are possible without spending a fortune.
QE’s bespoke engineering, construction and manufacturing service works with refurbishment and new build projects. The technical team’s vast experience, comprehensive design skills and sound, practical knowledge of pig production is a valuable resource. The company works alongside its customers to find cost-effective workable solutions that suit their individual requirements.
A number of recent QE projects show how diverse refurbishment can be. Innovative design, combined with new equipment and the use of precision manufactured and composite materials have enabled a number of units to upgrade their buildings and improve productivity.
“We like problem-solving, it’s very satisfying to see ideas come to fruition and benefit farm businesses. It can be a challenge transforming existing buildings into contemporary production systems, but it’s worthwhile and the results speak for themselves”
These businesses have also preserved key elements of their production systems; features that work well for them in terms of pig flow, the ratio of pigs to people, manure handling and so on.
An established unit in southern England revamped its traditional, wooden-clad nurseries to accommodate a Micron ventilation system and improve thermal efficiency. Outside, the buildings look the same, but inside they are very high-tech and up-to-date.
The big pen design allows for some increased capacity, while better insulation and the ‘intelligent’ computer-controlled environmental management system afford precise control and more efficient energy use.
The temperature and airflow are controlled using a growth curve. As the pigs grow the ventilation increases, while heat input is reduced gradually to zero. The heaters are linked to the controller and the building achieves a consistent and optimum environment for the pigs throughout this phase of the production cycle.
The ventilation system delivers fresh air into the room via a clever technique that uses a ‘false’ insulated, perforated ceiling. Air enters the building above this ceiling through an opening in the gable end and is drawn gently through the perforations into the pen. A central exhaust fan extracts air from the room.
Within this outlet, duct is a ‘measuring’ fan that monitors the volume of expelled air. This information is relayed to the computer and the fan speed is either increased or decreased to maintain the airflow requirements set by the controller. It’s an innovative, efficient and very economical installation that’s powered using three-phase electricity and a frequency control unit to allow minimum energy use.
Feedback from farm staff is that these rooms are much easier to manage than the previous accommodation, and the pens are simple and quick to clean between batches. Performance has improved, with growth significantly better than that achieved by the original weaner house. Similar benefits are being seen in FCR, due to more precise environmental control and less feed waste.
Another recent notable conversion involved Trobridge-type grower, finishing housing. The monopitch buildings were upgraded using insulated composite panels for the back end walls and 51mm Paneltim panels for the pen divisions.
The roof was replaced with insulated box profile sheets and all supporting steelwork was specifically manufactured using hot-dipped galvanised mild steel and stainless steel fixtures. The life expectancy of these buildings has been extended for at least another 10-15 years; they’re now much easier to clean and maintain, and pig performance is as good, if not better than it was before.
The refurbishment of a 25-year-old Beacon weaner/grower house, meanwhile showed how new fittings can be used to replace original structures. Here, a new steel building was erected over existing kennels, while the slurry tanks, most of the slats and concrete base were retained.
The interior housing was upgraded using insulated composite panels (lids) and Paneltim pen divisions, and again all fixtures and fittings were replaced with stainless steel components.
The investment was a fraction of the cost of a new build, and the business is now seeing production benefits from a rearing system that suits its management logistics.
Quality Equipment, or QE, was founded by Glynn Baker in 1965. Based in Woolpit, the small Suffolk village, QE is a third-generation family business, and its family nature is an integral part of its culture and a major attraction for many customers.
At Quality Equipment we pride ourselves on our excellent bespoke designs and customer service. Below are a few of our recently designed and tested products, which have been crucial pieces of equipment for reducing manual labour on farm and improving efficiency and accuracy.
The Mini Transition Feeder (MTF) is an innovative solution designed to support early gastrointestinal tract development of piglets, consequently producing healthy and uniform litters with greater vitality and high weaning weights.
