Providing straw as a distraction material for piglets and fattening pigs is, and remains, a challenge. Sometimes too much straw falls out of the feeder, whilst at other times too little comes out, or the feeder even gets blocked.
For straw pellets, we have our ZVAC37 dispenser which can dispense a wide range of straw pellet sizes, both large and small. For long straw, we can make a customised straw rack from round bar and strip. But we didn’t yet have a solution for chopped straw.
The question
Two Dutch pig farmers were in discussions with a major customer about feeding chopped straw to their piglets and fattening pigs. They were experiencing problems with the amount of straw being dispensed – sometimes too much, sometimes too little – and asked if we had any ideas on how to regulate this more effectively. The requirements were that the straw bin should be adjustable to various positions, that it should be durable, and that filling the bins should be straightforward, should this be automated. We were happy to get to work on this.
The idea
We wanted to create a feed trough that closely resembled our existing feeding systems, as these have proven their worth. We set ourselves the challenge of using our standard recycled PE sheets in combination with stainless steel and our VERBA adjustment mechanism. We built a prototype consisting of two stainless steel grids that can be slid over one another. Together with the adjustment mechanism, we can make the holes in these stainless steel grids larger or smaller, depending on the length of the chopped straw. In our factory, the prototype looked very good and neat; we were pleased with it. Now it’s time to test it.
The straw bale in practice
We had the pig straw bins tested by the two pig farmers, and they were very pleased with them. There isn’t too little chopped straw, but certainly not too much either. The piglets and fattening pigs play with the straw bin and pull the straw out themselves, without the straw feeder getting blocked. They are really playing with it and clearly enjoying themselves. What’s more, no straw is wasted unnecessarily, but there is certainly enough coming out. Furthermore, the straw feeder can be adjusted as required if the length of the straw changes or if the straw ration needs altering. Because the top of the straw bin is so large, the straw feeders can also be easily filled automatically using pipe systems when dealing with larger numbers and where labour savings are desired. We were very satisfied with how it worked. The dimensions of the straw bin are 600 mm high x 400 mm wide x 270 mm deep (at the top).
The sequel
Now that we know the straw pen works very well in practice for piglets and fattening pigs, we would also like to introduce it to the public. The straw pen is available at Eurotier It has been registered as an innovation, which means the Strobak is also featured on the Innovation Trail and can be seen at our stand 16G05. We have now also distributed 50 units of the strobak to pig farmers who wish to test it, and we have supplied it to our partners. We have also come up with a name for it: the FunFeeder. An international name that perfectly captures its purpose: fun for the pigs.
