One of the most interesting sessions at the recent PIC Farm Manager Boot Camp in Danville, Indiana was the one entitled “Environmental Requirements for Optimum Wean Finish Performance.”

Ron Rush, who works in health and technical services for PIC, talked to the group of hog farm managers about the importance of the environment … the buildings… that they’ll be raising those pigs in. Rush said that while he can’t give any specific advice without actually seeing an operation’s barns, maintenance is key.

“I’m just trying to get them some basic general rules for ventilation,” he said. Some of the areas he covered was set points for heating and cooling systems, what pigs’ comfort zones are for optimum performance, and areas of concern, such as maintenance and controller errors. He said some of the most common mistakes are dirty fans, louvres and intakes. Plus, most people don’t understand that pigs can handle cooler temperatures.

“People generally under-ventilate pigs to try to conserve heat, but if you understand that pigs can take cooler temperatures you can bring more air to them without having to run your heat.” Rush added that too many managers either set their temperatures and never touch the controls again or they fidget with them every time they walk by a controller. “It’s important to look at those pigs every day and do want they’re telling you to do.”

You can hear more of my conversation with Ron here: