Chris Leamon's Slat Insert Story
A clever invention has saved an Essex pig farmer thousands of pounds, much hassle and enabled him to continue to produce pigs under the Red Tractor Farm Assurance scheme.
Chris Leamon runs a 320-sow herd on the family farm near Harlow. All the pigs are taken through to finishing at an average of 76kg deadweight and are liquid-fed using a variety of co-products. Slats are virtually a pre-requisite with wet feeding but wear and tear and the corrosive effects of some ingredients caused damage to the slats, enlarging the gaps.