Hybrid units and high feed conversion among finishers

Published: 2020-10-25

Vilomix was fortunate enough to take photos of finishers at Peder Rasmussen’s farm in Denmark. Apart from getting some great photos, it turned out that Peder’s hybrid unit had a truly exciting story to tell.

A story of a hybrid unit built 3 years ago, equipped with innovative solutions to reduce ammonia and the unit’s impact on its surroundings. Chemical aircleaning removes more than 80% of the ammonia. The reduction of ammonia in the system is done by using only 0,7kg sulfuric acid/finisher. It is accomplished by combining floor extraction with computer controlled natural ventilation.

Peder’s finisher unit has 4975 pen spaces, giving an annual production of around 20,000 finishers. Then there’s a 350 m2 feed barn, first-class personnel facilities and a large despatch section.

Air filtering reduces the impact of the unit on the environment, and is dimensioned to allow Peder to double production in the future.

Hybrid ventilation gives a better indoor climate with lower energy consumption, and high pressure cooling keeps the unit cool. There is automatic slurry removal and cooling to provide heat in the building – including underfloor and spatial heating. The energy consumption is at a level of 60% compared to a traditional finisher farm. The automatic slurry removal is done once a week, where the slurry is being delivered to the local biogas plant and hereby secures a very low methane emission.

The wide passages ensure rapid movement when the pigs are being despatched.