Ensuring a good climate inside the sty is essential for animal health and performance, as well as for creating a comfortable working environment. Moreover, with the move to long tails on the horizon, it’s important to ensure sty conditions are right. And yet, many climate systems still focus primarily on temperature, even though factors like CO2, humidity, ammonia, airborne dust and light have just as much influence on how animals feel and behave.  

Veterinarian Josine Gelauf noticed significant differences between pig farms. ‘As vets, we mainly assess the animals themselves, but it’s also important to be aware of what’s happening in their environment.’ This understanding prompted her to develop the Healthy Climate Monitor (HCM), a tool that simultaneously monitors multiple climate parameters around the clock. Pig farmer Berton van de Ven used the tool to monitor his new climate control system and found that more was at play than he’d thought.

UNEXPECTED CO₂ LEVELS

Berton runs a closed pig farm in Uden and recently installed a new climate control system. Everything seemed to be working well, but one thing still nagged at him. ‘I wanted to be sure there was still enough ventilation, especially with the move to long tails coming up. So I borrowed the Healthy Climate Monitor from KDV.’ He hung the monitor in a weanedpiglet section for two months. By combining sensor data with camera images, the system provides a complete picture of what’s happening in the sty. It didn’t take long for the data to reveal an issue. ‘I was shocked at how high the CO₂ levels were,’ says Berton. ‘Obviously, you don’t want the weaned piglets to get cold or be exposed to draughts, so we often slightly reduce the ventilation. But I hadn’t expected the CO₂ levels to be that high.’

MONITORING AS STANDARD PRACTICE

Berton also installed the monitor in other housing sections, giving him a much clearer picture of where adjustments were needed. He gradually increased the ventilation, using the monitor to track the effect. ‘When you tweak the settings, you can see what that does straight away. It makes it much easier to precisely determine how much ventilation is needed.’ Since then, he’s found it easier to tell when the climate isn’t quite right. ‘If I’m in a section and the air feels stuffy, now I know exactly what I need to change.’ The experience convinced Berton to monitor the climate on a permanent basis. He returned the HCM to KDV but has now installed 15 sensors in his weaned-piglet sections. ‘They’re linked to a system I can log into, so I can see if the CO2 is elevated, for example, and whether the ventilation is working properly. It’s given me much more control.’ He’s noticed a difference in the animals, too. ‘They’re more active, and their eyes are brighter.’

RECALIBRATING YOUR SENSES

In Josine’s opinion, Berton’s experience shows exactly why monitoring is so important. ‘A good sty climate is essential to the health and welfare of both the animals and the people who work there. But many factors involved in that are difficult to see with the naked eye, and you aren’t always aware of what’s happening in the sty, especially at night. Many climate systems focus primarily on temperature, even though CO₂ is a good indicator of ventilation. Levels below 1,200 ppm are comfortable for humans. It’s not uncommon to see sty CO₂ levels of 4,000 ppm or more during the winter, simply because there isn’t enough ventilation. Livestock farmers also tend to rely on their own observations. ‘But you get used to certain conditions very quickly,’ says Gelauf. ‘Take ammonia, for example. Your nose grows less sensitive to it, and you develop a new normal. Accurately monitoring the climate helps you recalibrate your senses.’  

A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF YOUR STY  

The Healthy Climate Monitor pairs a camera with multiple sensors. Once a minute, the sensors take readings of several conditions, including temperature, humidity, CO₂, ammonia, air pressure, light intensity, movement and airborne dust. Meanwhile, the camera continuously analyses the animals’ behaviour. ‘Pairing sensor data with camera images gives you a better understanding of what’s happening,’ says Josine. ‘Are the pigs lying where you want them to? How often are they at the trough or the drinker? And does that change if the climate changes?’ As well as helping the farmer identify climate-related issues, it gives them a better understanding of behaviour, feed intake, and signs of agitation. Josine advises pig farmers to try hanging the monitor in their own sty – in the first few weeks after transfer, for example, in a section with recurring problems, or during periods when there are large temperature fluctuations. ‘It’s small, light and easy to move, so you can see exactly what’s going on in different sections.’ Berton agrees. ‘Just borrow one. You’ll find out far more than you’d expect.’