Sows Like Round Farrowing Crate

Sows like round farrowing crate HOG EQUIPMENT & IDEAS Hog Equipment & Ideas (351) 16-6-27 New round farrowing crate lets sows get up and turn around yet makes it easy for pigs to get out of the way when she lays down, says Lou Mfg., Austin, Minn. The "FarroSphere" is 5 1/2 ft. in diameter at the bottom but has a 4 1/2 ft. diameter top ring to keep sows from trying to escape. Each crate is equipped with a stainless steel feeder that also doubles as a swing-open gate. The feeder has a sow waterer inside the crate and a baby pig waterer outside. The bottom ring is 8 in. off the ground so pigs can get out into the corners cf the stall area for feed, water and safety. The extra room in the crate allows sows to lay down naturally, rather than half-falling down as in conventional crates. Sows can't slide down the curved sides of the crates the way they do in rectangular crates, so they tend to lie down more slowly and carefully. Another advantage is that the sow's udder is always exposed with no steel bars or fingers to limit access. Because the circular setup does take more room than conventional crates, Loren Loucks, manufacturer, says the company is also experimenting with an oblong crate that would adapt to existing farrowing set-ups yet provide the advantages of a circular design. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Lou Mfg., Inc., Rt. 2, Box 295, Austin, Minn. 55912 ph 507 433-1678).

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