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Fad or Future? Hoop Barns and Gestating Sows
by Mark Meuer
Hula hoops…fad. Hoop earrings…funky. Hula dancing…forget it. Hoop barns…the future?
Stan Grecian has first-hand knowledge that hoop barns are not a fad. They may be the future of sow gestation.
Grecian, who owns a 300 sow breeding stock operation near Palco, Kansas, had a goal of economically getting his sows off dirt lots and moving them inside.
As Grecian investigated his possibilities for sow housing, he discovered the cost of hoop gestation was one-third the price of a conventional gestation facility. With the money he could save and the lack of “red tape” required to permit hoop structures, Grecian broke ground nearly three years ago on his innovative gestation barn.
Today, the gestation unit consists of twin barns that are 120’ x 50’ wide structures.
Inside each gestation barn there are six, 46’ wide pens that hold approximately 20-25 sows. A common alley runs the length of each building for sow movement.
At the front of every pen is a 16’ wide cement slab that serves as a feeding floor. The remaining 30’ of pen space is bedded with straw.
Running above the feeding floor is a drop system that delivers five pounds of feed per sow in the winter and four pounds during the remaining year. Grecian calculates that his hoop-gestated sows eat a pound less per day than outside fed females. Not only does he save feed, but Grecian notes that the sows are staying in better condition.
According to Grecian his hoop-gestated sows stay in good condition because there is very little fighting. He believes that the sows occupy themselves with rooting in the bedding and have no desire to scrap. “We actually cull more sows for high parity levels than for any other reason. In fact, since moving into the hoops, our cull rates have gone down,” states Grecian. “Death loss has also been reduced. I have lost only two sows in the past three years,” he adds.
When confronted with breeding inside the hoop barns, Grecian made the decision to build a smaller hoop structure that sits perpendicular to the main gestation barns. Inside this smaller facility, Grecian houses and collects his herd boars.
To detect heat, Grecian runs his boars the length of the gestation hoop and “draws” sows in heat to the front gate. Once detected and sorted, the sows are moved in groups of four to six and walked to the breeding facility where they are inseminated.
Pig Champ records indicate that Grecian’s move to hoop structures has actually increased his conception rates. “Because we have more control over breeding, conception rates have increased 15% since moving into the hoops. We now have the ability to breed sows day or night,” says Grecian.
An added benefit to hoop gestation has been the ability to maintain a constant health status. Grecian believes that the “bug” level of his herd has stabilized because the sows are living in their own manure. By allowing exposure to the waste, Grecian speculates that the sows are actually building immunity. According to recent blood tests, Grecian’s speculation may be warranted as his herd continues to be negative for mycoplasma pneumonia, PRRS and swine influenza.
Not without challenges, hoops do present some difficulties. “Without question, the biggest concern for hoop gestation is obtaining quality bedding in a dry year. With 250 sows in pen gestation, we need a lot of straw. When straw is not available, we use corn staloffering an economical, comfortable, and healthy option for hogs, hoop barns are generating interest as the future of sow housing. ks or bean stubble,” Grecian explains.
Labor can also be a concern. Grecian emphasizes that there is plenty of manure to spread when cleaning hoops. He also notes that it takes more time move sows to the breeding barn than if breeding in gestation crates.
So, have the negatives of hoop gestation outweighed the positives for Grecian? “I have no reservations about building this type of gestation unit. In fact, it has met all my expectations. Besides, with the animal rights groups trying to eliminate gestation crates, this type of facility becomes less threatening to those concerned about animal welfare.”
Fads come and go like tax dollars through a politician’s hand. However, hoop gestation may be a fad that has staying power.
Additional information regarding hoop barn designs, research results, profitability analysis and suppliers can be accessed at http://www.abe.iastate.edu/hoop_structures/ or contact Dr. Mark Honeyman, Associate Animal Science Professor, Iowa State University at honeyman@iastate.edu or (515) 294-4621.
Also, MidWest Plan Service offers two publications for purchase: AED-41 Hoop Structures for Grow-Finish Swine and AED-44 Hoop Structures for Gestating Swine. MidWest Plan Service can be reached at (515) 294-5247.
