Fit for the future with the construction of a new farrowing barn featuring BeFree motion farrowing pens

The Gruber family's pig breeding and training farm already set the course for piglet production on the farm in 2020 with the conversion of the mating and waiting barn – simultaneously increasing the number of sows from 150 to 280. This year, in 2025, Hans Gruber and his wife Kati rebuilt the farrowing barn with 88 BeFree movement pens to make the pig breeding farm fit for the future for the next 20 years. The planning took into account the requirements of federal funding and the guidelines of BayProTier Standard. 

Farm manager Hans Gruber is in his mid-30s and wanted to plan as far ahead and as securely as possible for himself and his family with the investment in the pig breeding barn. He therefore decided to make the pen area larger than required, with an internal dimension of 7.8 m². In addition, the 11 rows of farrowing pens were equipped with underfloor scrapers to reduce ammonia emissions in the barn. Although the barn has only been in operation for a few weeks, there is already a noticeable improvement in air quality compared to the old farrowing barn. The BeFree movable farrowing pens are equipped with a MIK full slatted floor system. For technical reasons, Johann Gruber decided against a 50 per cent closed floor, which would have been required for Bay-Pro-Tier Premium.

For Kati and Hans Gruber, the patented and now 1,000-fold proven design of the BeFree farrowing pen with its closed piglet nest and trough in the aisle was an important factor in their decision to choose this system. To make weaning easier, the piglets from two pens can be brought together through a small passage door. A particularly important detail for promoting the rapid and healthy growth of the piglets is the new mother-child trough in conjunction with the MamaDos sow dry feeding system. This ensures optimal feed intake and thus best milk production for the sow via a feed curve and trough sensor, as well as lower weight losses. The piglets can eat with the sow at an early stage and consume the pre-chewed feed. This makes them more resilient, healthier and helps them grow faster. Other reference farms have already impressively proven this in practice.

After an open day for interested trade visitors at the beginning of November, the first sows soon arrived at the farrowing barn. We wish the Gruber family good luck and success in their new barn.