Document type : article published in Pig Progress
Author: Anne-Marie van der Linde
Preview: A modular barn with many welfare aspects - that, in short, is the concept of "Het Familievarken" (The Family Pig). Built on the premises of pig farmer Ivo Bekkers, in Venhorst, the Netherlands, the barn has a special feature: pig toilets.
Above the finisher pen, the feed mount starts to move, and the pigs search the ground for chunks. Ivo Bekkers says, "In the beginning, the sows followed the mount through the barn. They have figured out now that enough falls down in the 20 minutes the system is moving, so they are much calmer."
The Familievarken' innovation barn was built in 2019 behind Bekkers' finisher barns. Innovators Tjacko Sijpkens and Frank Wind are the driving forces behind the initiative that searches for a different style of housing. They have cooperated with Wageningen University & Research, Hypor, Coppens Diervoeders, as well as construction companies and equipment manufacturers.
