Smeenk Farm in Haarle, Overijssel, the Netherlands, expanded greatly in 2008, from 250 to 1,000 sows. Ever since, the breeding farm has also been a test farm for De Heus Feeds.

Prior to this, owner Hennie Smeenk, 50, and his wife Yvonne had been considering to move to Canada after Foot-and-Mouth struck the whole of the Netherlands, including their farm. Eventually, personal reasons made the couple decide to stay and expand.

The new facility is characterised by high biosecurity. Gestating sows, farrowing crates and weaners, each part has a different colour – and hence e.g. footwear needs constant changing.

The colour ‘blue’ is for the breeding section.

Smeenk reaches impressive figures with 31.2 weaned piglets/sow/year...

…with liveborn piglets/sow/year amounting to 35.8.

Average litter size is 14.4.

Pre-weaning mortality is 12.3%, with an aim to bring it down to 10%.

Sows farrow 2.48 litters per year.

Ambition can be seen from the targets on the wall. Figures in red indicate where the farm’s challenges are, figures in blue are targets that are met. “When there is too much blue, we simple adjust the targets,” Smeenk explains.

When sows come in from group housing to the farrowing shed, they can be cleaned within five to ten minutes in this corridor. There is space for 12 sows at the time.

Smeenk uses Topigs 20 gilts with a Piétrain sire line. Gestating sows are not kept in crates, according to new EU regulations, but in groups of approximately 50 sows.

One of the most striking features of the farm is the fact that sows go back into group housing within days after insemination, mostly two to three days. They will stay for two insemination rounds after which they are released back into group housing.

Results seem to prove the strategy is right. Recent research in the Netherlands also indicates that contrary to common belief it does not harm pig embryos when the sows may get involved in some initial fighting when released into groups again.

Feeding in the group housing is carried out by use of the Nedap Velos feeding stations. Some sows choose to go in straightaway whereas others choose to wait outside the feeding stations.

This department is the ‘learning pen’, where young gilts are being trained to get used to ESF stations. It’s what Smeenk calls ‘the most important pen of the farm’.

Some gilts have to learn that boots may not be as nutritious.

Smeenk does not need too many waiting areas as the sows are released from the insemination zone within three to five days after service.

Weaners stay on Smeenk farm until they are on average 23 kg.

The new facility also complies with modern-day environmental legislation as it has modern air filtration equipment at the outside.