Most Producers are Amazed At How Quickly Pigs Learn

Farmweld is committed to helping FAST™ (Farmweld Automatic Sorting Technology) users develop best-practice protocols for managing their systems. Owner Frank Brummer and FAST Specialist Patti Uhrich are constantly on the go to meet with producers, provide design consultation and help get systems up and running.

Uhrich says most producers are amazed at how quickly pigs learn to use the scale. And many new FAST users say they simply enjoy watching the barns in action. “It is really fascinating to observe the pigs going through the scale,” Uhrich says.

Here are a couple of key areas that Uhrich covers during her FAST training sessions:

What To Do When Pigs First Enter The Barn

Let the pigs walk through the scale to get to the food courts, but also open additional gates near the scale for more access. The entrance chute to the scale should be flush with the gates that separate the loafing area from the food courts. Uhrich recommends that gates immediately next to the entrance be opened as access gates. This helps the pigs locate the scale entrance and keeps them circulating near the scale.

The scale’s entrance and exit (sort) gates should be in the open positions so pigs can freely walk through the scale without any gates moving. Uhrich suggests opening the exit gate to the heavy side of the food court first, then to the light side periodically. Air pressure and power are needed in order for the gates to remain open manually. Uhrich suggests the gates should remain open for ten to 14 days into the feedinag period.

Day 15

The next phase of managing the FAST facility is to activate the scale and allow the pigs to get used to the moving gates. This should begin at about Day 15 after entry. In activating the scale, the operator must indicate the opening/closing speed of the entrance gates. At first, the gates should open and close fairly slowly so small pigs remain calm. The entrance gate pressure must also be set so gates close gently. Later on when pigs are heavier, gate speed and pressure can be increased.

The operator also must indicate what Uhrich calls the desired “gate trigger.” This is the load on the scale that triggers the pneumatic entrance gates to close behind the pig. Uhrich recommends setting this at a low weight (such as 40 pounds) during the initial feeding period. As pigs get larger, the gate trigger should be adjusted to accommodate heavier pigs.

Set points must also be indicated. The scale requires a basic Set Point #1 as a starting point for the scale to collect data. Uhrich recommends this be set at a low number such as 40 pounds for the duration of the feeding period.

Set Point #2 is more critical for sorting pigs. This is the weight cut-off between light pigs and heavy pigs, and it signals the sorting gate to do its job. When the scale is first turned on, Set Point #2 is typically set as close to the current median weight as possible. If it is set at 80 pounds, a 79-pounder will be sorted to the light side and an 85-pounder will go to the heavy side. A week later when the smaller pig has gained a few pounds, he’ll then be recognized as a heavy pig. As pigs grow, Set Point #2 should be adjusted upward. The scale should remain on for the remainder of the growing period.

Training Sessions

Training sessions are mock sorting sessions started during the first few weeks of the feeding period. Pigs are manually moved out of the food court and the access gates are closed so the scale is the only route for the pigs to enter the food court. Access gates remain closed for about 24-48 hours. Pigs can circulate back to the loafing area via the one-way gates. Uhrich suggests producers conduct training sessions at least three times during the feeding period. It is recommended that the barn be divided into two sections, training half the pigs at one time. Farmweld offers a simple gate configuration for this method.

Uhrich stresses the importance of allowing the pigs to have access to the scale from the day they enter the barn and beginning formal training early.

(Note: Farmweld strives to provide the latest information in effective management of the FAST system and all its products. As the application of this technology evolves, it is expected theunderstanding of training will also evolve.)