Sensible Sow System

Sensible sow system HOG EQUIPMENT & IDEAS Hog Equipment & Ideas (351) 9-3-6 Billed as "the newest approach to farrowing in 40 years," it allows you to put more pigs into a given space for less cost, according to John Lawson, Leesbury, Ind., inventor-manufacturer. Instead of creep areas on both sides, small pigs are confined to a single one-side creep area. They nurse when and if the sow is laying on her "nursing" side. And, instead of round tubular steel, the crate's side rails are made of flat steel slates. The configuration of side by side Lawson crates can be a creep-sow-creep-sow, etc., or it can be double sow, double creep, etc. "With a heat lamp in the single creep area, pigs instinctively know where to go as soon as they're born. There's no confusion or hesitation," notes Lawson. "Conventional crates generally have an 18 in. wide creep on each side of a 24 in. wide crate. By going to a single sided creep 24 in. wide, we give the pigs more space in the occupied creep and, at the same time, allow you to put 20% more sows into a given size nursery," he points out. "We've discovered that sows lay on the wrong side about four times to one. They seem to appreciate the opportunity to take a nursing break." Lawson feels flat steel slats are less subject to corrosion and to bacteria buildup since there are no hidden inside-the-pipe spaces for germs to hide. For more information on Lawson's "Sensible Sow System," contact: FARM SHOW Followup, J. D. Lawson Inc., Rt. 1, Box 83, Leesburg, Ind. 46538 (ph 219 453-3735).

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