Studies Indicate Advantages of Pig Heating Pads in Farrowing Facilities

OSBORNE, KS, November 29, 2012 (Press-News.org) Heat placement for young pigs is a critical component for getting animals started quickly and maintaining optimal health. Heat mats more consistently fulfill industry recommendations that sustain piglet growth and health, when compared to heat lamps.

Pig heating pads prevent drafts and create a zone of uniformly warm air for piglets, which provides important advantages, such as:

- Ease of cleaning and maintenance
- Energy savings
- 14-month payback
- Pre-wean mortality reduction

For pigs up to 21 days, heating pads are the preferred choice for many reasons:

- Mats logically fit the rectangular shape of farrowing stalls.
- Pig heating pads provide constant, reliable heat, unlike lamps that run the risk of blowing a bulb and endangering piglet health.
- Heating mats maintain a larger, more spread-out heat source in the creep area.

When centered, pig heating pads keep the piglets near the teat they're nursing from, thus encouraging increased lactation. Because the heat is contained to the piglets' area, properly placed heating pads help the sow stay cooler. This, in turn, encourages the sow to eat more and be more comfortable. A comfortable sow is a less fidgety sow, which helps to avoid crush-losses.

"Controlled studies by producers at commercial farms indicate that heat pads provide a 0.5 pig per litter increase due to diminished crush loss,'' said Brian Strobel, North American Sales Representative, of Osborne Industries, Inc. "Assuming 14 litters per year, the annual savings equals 7 pigs. Fewer crush losses mean more marketable animals and more producer-profits in the end."

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Strobel has extensive experience in swine management, construction, maintenance, and sales. His degrees include a BS in Agricultural Systems from The Ohio State University, a Certificate of Civil Engineering Technology from Edison State College, an MS in Agriculture Engineering from Purdue University, and an MBA in Business Administration from Ohio University. He is also a certified professional engineer.

Located in Osborne, Kansas, USA, Osborne Industries is a 100% employee-owned company that manufactures and develops advanced livestock management equipment. Osborne's Stanfield Heat Pads, developed nearly 40 years ago, were the very first heat mats used in livestock production applications.

Website: http://www.osbornelivestockequipment.com