Con-tented Products has begun supplying pig arks to Denmark at a time when the nation’s pig sector is going through significant upheaval.
The first test batch of specifically-designed Danish-regulation farrowing arks was recently delivered to an outdoor pig farm run by Emil Madsen with 550 sows producing 16,000 weaners annually in Northern Jutland, weaning at 7-8 weeks under organic guidelines.
Emil contacted Con-tented back in 2023 via a Google search, asking to work alongside the farm team for a few days that summer, after finishing his agricultural degree training in order to take on succession of his family’s livestock farm in Northern Jutland.
“Emil, much like myself, has an engineering mind and he was keen to see some of the equipment innovations that Contented Products had been introducing to the UK outdoor sector,” Con-tented’s Rob McGregor explained.
“I have witnessed myself the wide variety of equipment, especially farrowing arks, being used in Denmark. Some have quite radical features aimed at staff and piglet safety, but the most common ark being used were the flat topped John Booth type, which since the company’s closure had become unavailable.”
During Emil’s time in the UK his father joined him, and they visited Con-tented’s factory in Cambridgeshire. “Emil was excited by what he saw and the idea was suggested that having him as an agent in Denmark would be an interesting development for all involved. Shortly after Fonager Frilandsudstyr (Fonager free-range equipment) was established, and the first of a range of products was shipped across for Emil to demonstrate and trial,” Rob added.
The first test batch of specifically designed Danish regulation farrowing arksdelivered to Emil features a floor area of 5.7sq.m, which is ‘vast’ but necessary to accommodate litter sizes as big as 16 piglets reared, and weaning ages in excess of seven weeks, he explained. The biggest difference to Con-tented’s conventional hut is a large rear door, rather than a just a vent, designed for stockperson safety and to provide shade in the summer.
“This has been a detailed process of making sure the full requirement of the country’s rules and regulations have been satisfied, while producing an ark which will perform to exceptional standards in a country that can present some extreme weather challenges,” Rob said.
“Early feedback from Emil is very positive, with only minor adjustments being discussed and a few individual preferences being accommodated.”
Danish reforms
Denmark’s pig sector has been rocked by reforms proposed by Denmark’s new coalition government that could lead to a huge reduction in indoor pig production, if implemented.
“As with all political reform there will be winners and losers, and one sector which must find itself in a strong position is the country’s current small, yet highly motivated, outdoor pig sector,” Mr McGregor said.
“The majority are running organic production systems, in the most part to obtain a financially vital premium for what they produce. A Danish outdoor unit run without organic status would, due to stringent environmental regulations, have a considerably higher production cost, yet attract no reliable added value at market over pigs produced indoors, hence the strong organic allegiance.”
Rob said the opportunities for such a generously proportioned ark have become apparent, alongside boar accommodation, dry sow huts for the smaller scale producers, ‘and those who might just welcome a bit of hygge on their farm’.