More Ontario producers are turning to the batch system to help them improve their time management, concentrate the work on a few days a week and better control disease in the barn
by KATE PROCTER
Batch farrowing is catching on with Ontario producers. It can give smaller producers an opportunity to enjoy some of the advantages of a larger herd, while still maintaining the benefits of staying small. But there are also advantages for both health and labour.
Batch farrowing differs from a continuous flow system in that it concentrates the breeding and farrowing of sows into groups. Producers can choose two-, three-, four- or five-week batches depending on the goals and objectives in their herd.