J. Anim Sci.
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

J. Anim Sci. 1989. 67:2627-2632.
© 1989 American Society of Animal Science
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Hurst, R. J.
Right arrow Articles by Kesler, R. P.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Hurst, R. J.
Right arrow Articles by Kesler, R. P.

Ergonomic Evaluation of Catching and Removing Piglets from Farrowing Units Having Different Sow Crates

Robert J. Hurst1, Stanley E. Curtis1,2,, Ian A. Taylor1, James M. McFarlane1, Aldon H. Jensen1, Harold W. Gonyou1, Arthur J. Muehling3 and Richard P. Kesler4,5,

University of Illinois, Urbana 61801

Abstract

The work performed when a person catches and removes all piglets in a litter was evaluated. Sow crates were designed with one of 16 combinations (2 x 2 x 4 factorial) of three features: sow zone width (55 or 64 cm), length (183 or 198 cm) and type of lower side ("fingered," "bowed" or straight bottom bar either 20 or 25 cm above floor). A total of 172 litters was used in the experiment. Five work parameters were evaluated: 1) total time to catch all piglets in a litter and transfer them to a crate in the alley and numbers of 2) bends performed by catcher-remover in the process, 3) times catcher-remover stepped into unit with at least one foot, 4) bends that resulted in a failed catching attempt and 5) times two piglets were caught in a single bend. All data were adjusted for covariance in litter size (mean = 8.39, SD = 2.536). Several factors influenced the work parameters: breed of dam's sire influenced time required for the standard task, number of failed attempts decreased by .045/litter for every 1-cm increase in sow length and litters that had been caught and weighed 1 to 3 d prior to the test took longer times (90.3 vs 78.2 s) and had more failed catching attempts (1.5/litter vs .8) and fewer double catches (.7/litter vs 1.2). No cow-crate design variable affected any work parameter evaluated, except that fewer steps were taken with wider sow crates (and thus narrower piglet zones) (3.5 vs 4.1).

Footnotes

1 Anim. Sci. Dept.

2 Address reprint requests to: 126 Anim. Sci. Lab., 1207 W. Gregory Dr., Urbana, IL 61801.

3 Agric. Eng. Dept.

4 Agric. Econ. Dept.

5 Supported in part by National Pork Producers Council and Illinois Agric. Exp. Sta.






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1989 by the American Society of Animal Science.