Big Dutchman: Rebuilding of Fire Ravaged Sow Farm
FRANCE - Paul, David and Vincent Pelletier from La Chapelle Thémer in the west French departement Vendée have not given up: just one year after a fire almost completely destroyed the sow farm of the Pelletier family, the system for 300 sows was taken into operation already at the end of September 2007.
28 July 2008
4 minute read
This story of success was worth an extensive report for the two renowned French expert magazines "Réussir Porcs“ as well as "Porc Magazine".
Amongst others, the articles also talked about the innovative Big Dutchman housing equipment which was once again installed after the fire.
Proven equipment from Big Dutchman
Paul Pelletier and his sons Vincent and David, whose agricultural cooperative operates under the name Gaec* l’Ercault, have opted for well-proven equipment for the furnishing of their system: the Pelletier-trio, who were awarded several prizes at the French agricultural trade fair SPACE for their farming success in the last couple of years, once again equipped their barn with solutions from the German housing equipment supplier. The entire barn is equipped with Big Dutchman feeding systems. That means the weaners are once again fed by the accurate and hygienic liquid feeding system Hydrojet.
“If the piglets get used to the liquid feeding system already during the rearing phase, there is almost no additional work to be expected during the finishing phase and a changed eating habit can be compensated without any problems” summarize the Pelletier trio their positive experience with this system. For the waiting, farrowing and finishing area the system of choice is the sensor-controlled liquid feeding system Hydromix. Among others, the system has the following advantages: fully automatic preparation of recipes from single components according to individual requirements, the use of low-cost by-products helps to reduce feed costs, feed mixes are prepared according to the individual nutrient requirements of each pig. The entire liquid feeding system is controlled by the easy-to-use and highly functional Big Dutchman-liquid feeding computer MC 99 NT2.
The central exhaust air system is also supplied by Big Dutchman. The sophisticated technology sucks the exhaust air from all compartments into a central channel beneath the floor. “This technology, already a classic in Germany, has been installed on French soil for the first time and works so accurately that the house temperature can be determined with an accuracy of one degree Celsius“, as Martin Grund from Big Dutchman points out the advantages of this system. As the Pelletier trio planned their new farm system with a certain foresight, there is enough space for the subsequent installation of an exhaust air washer.
The entire exhaust air system is controlled by the two climate computers MC 135 and MC 235, both well-proven technologies from Big Dutchman. The MC 135 controls the exhaust air removal in each compartment while the MC 235 controls the complete air in the central channel by means of a negative pressure sensor. Both systems are characterized by accurate control, safety and excellent user-friendliness.
*(Gaec, Groupement Agricole d’Exploitation en Commun: French, form of company owned by natural persons)
