Both Danish and EU legislature requires a transition to loose sow systems. In the pork industry, the goal is that 10 percent of all farrowing sows are loose by 2020.
Over the past 5 years, the SWAP pen has been developed to help the farmers meet the legislative demand for loose sows in the farrowing pen without increasing the mortality rate among the piglets. Simultaneously, the goal is to improve animal welfare without reducing the pig producers’ chances of staying competitive.
How the Innovation Started
The idea for developing the SWAP pen (the so-called Sow Welfare and Piglet protection) arose in 2011 from the Danish Pig Research Centre. They collaborated with researchers from the University of Copenhagen and a private company in housing equipment, JYDEN. The first drawing was completed the next year and the first pen was built in 2013. Several farmers were involved as test hosts and the local advisory service also participated. By the end of 2013, 72 SWAP pens had been completed and by 2014 this number had grown to 300 pens.
The Pen Does Improve Animal Welfare
The approach to constructing the pen for loose sows is to build some of the advantages of the crate into the pen and to make sure that the sow is only tethered when necessary. And it works. A test done by researchers at the University of Copenhagen showed that the SWAP pen reduces piglet mortality and lowers the stress level of the sows.
“For a few days, the sows’ free movement is ‘swapped’ with improved piglet survival.”
What Are the Prospects?
The current status of the SWAP pen is that it is recommended to farmers who are investing in new buildings or renovations. The production level is promising but not yet quite at the same level as the systems of tethered sows.
Also, the system generates more work and no additional income. Therefore, the Danish pig producers are not yet completely won over.
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