Pig farming and production are important assets in every community. Many families rely on pig farming for the majority of their meat intake. However, one of the biggest problems when it comes to pig production is the lack of highly-trained laborers.
And when it comes to pig farming and production, it's essential that the pigs are treated with respect and care. You want your pigs to be as healthy as possible throughout all stages of their lives, but without the proper labor, it's a difficult task to complete.
Luckily, there are modern pig farming advances that are here to make things a bit easier for you. With these advances in technology, pig farming has huge potential in the 21st century. It's time to read up on these new technologies and techniques to increase quality and efficiency on your pig farm!
Continue reading below to learn more!
1. Automated Individual Feedings
The outcome of production and cost relies greatly on the feedings you give your pigs. They'll need to be fed the right amount of food at the right times to give you the best results. This can get a bit tricky.
Automated individual feedings, however, make things simpler for you. This technique takes the animals' weight and factors it into the equation. It then monitors the weight over time, while managing the pigs in large pen gestation.
The end result is optimal reproductive performance!
2. Temperature and Environment Control
Another important factor in pig farming is keeping the juvenile pigs warm. That's where temperature and environment control come into play. Technological advances in pig farming have made it possible to provide optimal environmental conditions for the pigs as they grow.
There are specific temperatures required for farming pigs. These ideal temperatures ensure that the pigs grow happily and healthy. However, the temperature of the pigs' environments is most important for farrowing and managing the nursery.
When farrowing, the pigs need to stay warm to ensure that they grow strong. These advances in climate control also have systems that create mist while regulating temperatures. This creates a comfortable environment for all the pigs and piglets!
3. Artificial Intelligence and Robots
As crazy as this might sound, the use of artificial intelligence and robots in the pig farming industry is a great help! This technology uses algorithms to create human-like decision making. These systems are equipped with facial recognition features to identify each individual pig.
They then keep track of each pig's eating habits, water intake, movement, and more. It's even a great tool for preventing sows from smothering their piglets. When the system catches a sow suffocating her babies, the technology will actually prompt the mother to move off of them.
The system can also alert you of this activity as well. 3D cameras and machine visions are other technologies that are used to detect different tail postures. The reasoning behind this is to prevent tail biting from happening.
With this technology in place, you'll be able to detect issues in the early stages and take preventative measures before it's too late. Robots are another great help because they can do a lot of heavy work and labor without ever getting tired. Some robots help check the sows for heat, while others are made to ensure that the housing is kept clean at all times.
4. Sensors Placed on the Pig
Sensors are booming in the pig industry. They're similar to sensors that we would wear such as "Fitbits." They're great for collecting all of the important pig data that you need to farm them properly.
Farmers will now be able to keep track of their pigs' health in real-time. These sensors are also great tools for alerting you when there might be a health concern with one of your pigs. Some other things that they keep track of are your pigs' heat cycles, plus their food and water intake, and anything else that's deemed important for healthy productivity.
There are other types of sensors to help you out as well. Fix sensors will record the temperatures, dust levels, humidity levels, and more for you!
5. Pig Housing Systems
Pig housing systems play a vital part in raising healthy pigs. A healthy and well-kept home is going to produce healthy and well-kept livestock. However, keeping up with a task such as this can become overwhelming.
But with advances in modern pig farming technologies, there's help for you. Indoor, temperature-control environments are ideal for your pigs as they prevent injuries from happening, keep predators and illnesses away, and create consistent comfortable temperatures.
There have also been some advances in the flooring that's used in the pig housing systems. The flooring materials and designs are created to make cleaning easy, which ultimately provides a healthier environment for them.
What Modern Pig Farming Technologies Grabbed Your Attention the Most?
Out of all of the modern pig farming technologies listed above, which one or ones grabbed your attention the most? Is there one that seems would be more helpful for you are your pig farm? Perhaps they all seem interesting to you!
When needing to make some updates on your pig farm, it's important to keep these 5 advances in technology in mind. Incorporate them into your own farm and begin to feel the weight being lifted off of your shoulders.
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