Automatic adjustment
leads to more precise temperature
Since September 2019, Store Vognsbæk, a pig farm in Denmark, has used SKOV’s new and improved floor heating system in 176 farrowing pens and plans to implement the heating system in another 176 farrowing pens.
Danni Sørensen, the owner of Store Vognsbæk, is very pleased with the new floor heating system that has caused a more precise floor temperature and removed any need for temperature adjustments throughout the batch. Store Vognsbæk is a modern pig farm with 2,700 sows, producing 75,000 piglets, 25,000 weaner pigs, and 16,000 finishers a year. The farm is run by the brothers Danni and Jonas Møller Sørensen, the fifth generation on the farm. Besides pig production, the farm also manages 470 ha of fields (1,160 acres).
The benefits
The new floor heating unit is fully automated and follows a preset curve for the batch. Hence, you only need to set the temperature once. Danni Sørensen is pleased that the new system lets you pick a temperature and then sticks to it. Previously, they had to adjust the temperature between batches and whenever the heat from the boiler was unstable. “It has shown to be very precise and removed the need for manual adjustments,” says Danni Sørensen.
The floor heating system can only be controlled through the farm controller, FarmOnline, or Remote Access. It has eliminated the risk that anyone walking the hallway can adjust the floor temperature. "It's a great comfort that the temperature can only be adjusted through the controller – although it hasn't been necessary for us to adjust anything because the temperature now automatically follows the same curve from batch to batch," says Danni Sørensen.
Field tests
New DA 4100 floor heating unit
This field test shows the floor temperature of two batches of weaning pigs. As shown in the blue boxes, there is minimal temperature fluctuation, and the temperature is very similar during both batches.
Regular manual floor heating unit
This field test shows the floor temperature for four batches of weaning pigs. The blue boxes indicate a high temperature fluctuation, and the temperature varies a lot between batches. This is often caused by the inaccuracy of the thermostat and thermometer, which are used to measure the incoming and return water. Therefore, even if the user has set the temperature level to the same degree, the temperature differs.
Spot the difference
Optimal floor temperature
An optimal floor temperature is essential for good health. Here you see piglets and weaners laying comfortably and evenly distributed on a dry floor with the correct temperature.
Floor temperature too hot:
If the floor is too hot, the pigs will move away from the solid floor and rest on the slats instead. It increases the risk of diarrhea, lung diseases, etc.
Floor temperature too cold:
If the floor is too cold, the pigs will huddle up to get warmer. Just like with a hot floor, a cold floor can increase the risk of diseases.
How it works
The DA 4100 floor heating unit measures the water temperature going in and coming out of the system with two DOL 12 sensors. It enables the farm controller to precisely adjust the hot water needed to maintain the preset temperature.
The controller follows a curve and automatically adjusts the temperature according to the age of the batch. If you use a batch curve, the floor heat supply can be turned off automatically on a predefined day, so the user does not have to remember to do this manually.
It assures an even temperature throughout the batch and makes sure that the temperature setting for each batch is the same.
With the new floor heating unit, you rarely have to adjust the temperature. If, however, the temperature needs adjustments, it can be done through the farm controller screen or remotely through FarmOnline or Remote Access.
You can read more about DA 4100 floor heating here.