Limitations of Swine Facility Design
Facility Design Limitations:
- Too much air exchange can be as bad as not enough.
- Segregation mechanisms (such as solid pen partitions) may interfere with air distribution.
- Animal Flow Strategies all involve tradeoffs:
- Continuous flow compromises disease control, but maximizes space utilization- pig size can be matched to pen size.
- AIAO maximizes disease control, but compromises space utilization. Space is wasted because pigs are placed in pens according to space needs at mature size, which are much greater than space needs at placement.
- Cost. Buildings are "fully depreciated" after 10 years. Higher fixed costs drive the industry toward larger farms.
Copyright ©1997 by the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary
Medicine
Faculty: Dr. Paul Pitcher
Student: Sandra Springer,'99