Visit to Hogenkamp hog farm and Nedap
Our visit to the morning meeting was organized by Hypor, a farm Mr Jong Hogenkamp. The family farm, now in its third generation, was acquired by Mr. Hogenkamp in 1988. This farm has 1600 sows multiplication. Given the current size of the farm, there are 6 to 7 employees who work full time. The farm has room for 7,000 piglets. These are weaned at 3 weeks has a weight of 6.5 kg and adoptions at birth must be done within the first 24 hours.
Food is automated and this is possible because the sows are in the park. Indeed, the regulation on animal welfare, which comes into force on 1 January 2012, require producers to leave their animals in the park, except at insemination and calving. Gilts to accustom to the system of food and cages, they are placed in a park during a week of training when they are 7-8 months.
All animals present at the farm there are ties, which keeps a higher health status. However, the animal density per km edge of the country is high, no firm can maintain a health status free from major diseases. At the farm Hogenkamp, vaccination is used to prevent major diseases (Mycoplasma pneumonia, mysterious).
At the hog industry, the country produces 25 million pigs per year and has 1 million sow inventory. If we compare our country to theirs, we can say that this production is very intensive, because we produce 33 million pigs and 1.3 million have sows and this in a much larger country. In the Netherlands there are 7,000 hog farms, but 60% of the production is done by only 2,000 farms in this group.
The activation is not regulated: there is no quota system production. The hog producer is not dealing with a specific abattoir: it negotiates price directly with the abattoir or a broker and it is the Friday before the slaughter that the slaughterhouse should be warned. Producers have no associations so they can establish a balance of power and negotiate prices.
The day continued at the company Nedap, which operates in several areas, including agriculture. It is this company that automates the feeding system that we have seen a farm Hogenkamp. The technology food is made with the aid of a computer which controls food distribution and the opening / closing shafts power. Operation is simple: each chip has a sow's ear, which is detected by a sensor at the entrance of the power sector. Then, power is given to the needs of the sow (there are 6 curves supply available). The system takes 25 minutes to feed the sows and gives food to them fractionally. When the sow is liberated, it may return in the rest area or be redirected to a pen for further care. This system allows you to concentrate on sick animals, because the computer can detect when a sow is not eating. This system is time saving food to the producer and helps to better control the individual feeding of sows.
Our morning visit to the Hogenkamp farm, owned by Mr. Jong Hogenkamp, was organized by Hypor. This family farm has been in operation since 1988 and has 1600 sows producing multiplication stock. The farm has 6 to 7 full time employees and space for 7000 piglets. The piglets are weaned at 3 weeks at an average wight of 6,5 kg.
Due to the new laws on animal welfare, which will come into effect in 2012 and require all sows to be held in free range housing, the sows are now organized in this type of housing unit with automated feeding systems. Producers will still be allowed to keep the sows in cages during the insemination period and during the farrowing period (a total of about 4 weeks). Young gilts are trained to use the free range feeding and housing system when they are 7 or 8 weeks old.
This farm does not purchase any animals from outside farms in order to maintain the highest possible sanitary status and to prevent various infections and diseases. Due to the high hog denisty in Holland, the farm has to take all the necessary precautions to prevent infection of the herd.
Holland produces 25 million hogs per year and has 1 million reproductive sows in inventory. In comparison to Canada, this production is very intensive since we have 33 million hogs and 1,3 million sows on a much larger territory. There are 7000 hog farms in Holland, but 60% of the hog production is covered by 2000 large farms.
There is no quota system in place in Holland and the producers do not do business with a specific slaughter house. Instead, the farmer negociates a price directly with a buying slaughter house or through a broker. There is no producer organization that unites producers in terms of marketing and publicity strategies to try and get the best possible price for the farmers.
Our day continued with a visit to Nedap industry, specializing in electronic and automated systems for various sectors including the agricultural sector. Nedap is behind the development and design of the automated feeding system, which we saw at the Hogenkamp farm. Each sow is equipped with a chip that is read by a computer. This allows the sow to enter the feeding alley and to receive a personalized individual ration each day. Each sow is monitored during her time in the feeding alley, and if any problems are detected she is Automatically directed Into a holding pen Where the farmer Canon expects to Her. The Farmer allow this to save a lot of time, historical time Concentrates sincere he is only the sick animals or Problematic. The system has simplified Offers Producers management system for large herds in open housing setting year.
Food is automated and this is possible because the sows are in the park. Indeed, the regulation on animal welfare, which comes into force on 1 January 2012, require producers to leave their animals in the park, except at insemination and calving. Gilts to accustom to the system of food and cages, they are placed in a park during a week of training when they are 7-8 months.
All animals present at the farm there are ties, which keeps a higher health status. However, the animal density per km edge of the country is high, no firm can maintain a health status free from major diseases. At the farm Hogenkamp, vaccination is used to prevent major diseases (Mycoplasma pneumonia, mysterious). At the hog industry, the country produces 25 million pigs per year and has 1 million sow inventory. If we compare our country to theirs, we can say that this production is very intensive, because we produce 33 million pigs and 1.3 million have sows and this in a much larger country. In the Netherlands there are 7,000 hog farms, but 60% of the production is done by only 2,000 farms in this group.
The activation is not regulated: there is no quota system production. The hog producer is not dealing with a specific abattoir: it negotiates price directly with the abattoir or a broker and it is the Friday before the slaughter that the slaughterhouse should be warned. Producers have no associations so they can establish a balance of power and negotiate prices.
The day continued at the company Nedap, which operates in several areas, including agriculture. It is this company that automates the feeding system that we have seen a farm Hogenkamp. The technology food is made with the aid of a computer which controls food distribution and the opening / closing shafts power. Operation is simple: each chip has a sow's ear, which is detected by a sensor at the entrance of the power sector. Then, power is given to the needs of the sow (there are 6 curves supply available). The system takes 25 minutes to feed the sows and gives food to them fractionally. When the sow is liberated, it may return in the rest area or be redirected to a pen for further care. This system allows you to concentrate on sick animals, because the computer can detect when a sow is not eating. This system is time saving food to the producer and helps to better control the individual feeding of sows.
Our morning visit to the Hogenkamp farm, owned by Mr. Jong Hogenkamp, was organized by Hypor. This family farm has been in operation since 1988 and has 1600 sows producing multiplication stock. The farm has 6 to 7 full time employees and space for 7000 piglets. The piglets are weaned at 3 weeks at an average wight of 6,5 kg.
Due to the new laws on animal welfare, which will come into effect in 2012 and require all sows to be held in free range housing, the sows are now organized in this type of housing unit with automated feeding systems. Producers will still be allowed to keep the sows in cages during the insemination period and during the farrowing period (a total of about 4 weeks). Young gilts are trained to use the free range feeding and housing system when they are 7 or 8 weeks old.
This farm does not purchase any animals from outside farms in order to maintain the highest possible sanitary status and to prevent various infections and diseases. Due to the high hog denisty in Holland, the farm has to take all the necessary precautions to prevent infection of the herd.
Holland produces 25 million hogs per year and has 1 million reproductive sows in inventory. In comparison to Canada, this production is very intensive since we have 33 million hogs and 1,3 million sows on a much larger territory. There are 7000 hog farms in Holland, but 60% of the hog production is covered by 2000 large farms.
There is no quota system in place in Holland and the producers do not do business with a specific slaughter house. Instead, the farmer negociates a price directly with a buying slaughter house or through a broker. There is no producer organization that unites producers in terms of marketing and publicity strategies to try and get the best possible price for the farmers.
Our day continued with a visit to Nedap industry, specializing in electronic and automated systems for various sectors including the agricultural sector. Nedap is behind the development and design of the automated feeding system, which we saw at the Hogenkamp farm. Each sow is equipped with a chip that is read by a computer. This allows the sow to enter the feeding alley and to receive a personalized individual ration each day. Each sow is monitored during her time in the feeding alley, and if any problems are detected she is Automatically directed Into a holding pen Where the farmer Canon expects to Her. The Farmer allow this to save a lot of time, historical time Concentrates sincere he is only the sick animals or Problematic. The system has simplified Offers Producers management system for large herds in open housing setting year. 
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