Design and performance of a swine finishing barn for production and manure research

The objective of this paper is to describe the 1000 head grower/finisher swine research unit and how it addresses the research needs associated with the growing and finishing phases of pork production, including integration of manure studies with studies of other production variables. The facility utilizes an all in/all out production system, cycling approximately every four months. The design of the facility allows for manure collection and feed delivery on an individual pen basis. Feed is delivered via a cart utilizing electronic scales to measure feed allocation to each pen. In the slatted portion of the barn, a separate manure cell is located under each pen. In the deep bedded portion of the barn, solid manure can be collected from each pen using a front end loader. Results to-date indicate that the design and location of the barn facilitates research into aspects of nutrition and manure management in pork production..