Are you facing the choice to build or renovate a new pig farm? But you still have doubts about the pig feeders or the feeding system? Then read our buying tips about pig feeders and drinkers. Of course you can also fill out our online advice request and we will gladly think along with you about the best pig feeding system in your situation. The best choice is often not the most expensive. Benefit from our 50 years of experience in the field of piglet covers, piglet cabins, piglet nests, floor heating systems, drinking troughs, feed troughs for piglets, piglets, fattening pigs and sows. We can answer almost all your questions.
Feed trough pigs: pig troughs, dry feeders, or liquid feeders?
Which one do you choose and why?
The feeding troughs for pigs that we produce and supply ourselves have all been created and further developed on sequential feeding. Whether they are dry fowl feeders for pigs, dry fowl feeders for piglets, feeders with integrated drinking bowls, liquid feeders, plate feeders, variomix liquid feeders (automatic feeding machine), farrowing crate feeders or sow feeders for group housing as a replacement for sow eating places, they are all designed for ad libitum feeding. This means that the pigs can eat and drink their feed in peace 24 hours a day. This ensures peace and quiet in the pens and no stress for the pigs, which benefits the pigs' growth considerably. Rest, cleanliness and regularity is important for pigs, this fits perfectly with Verba feeders.
Type of pig feed
Which type of feed trough or drinking trough we recommend depends on the type of feed the pig farmer wants to use. We classify feed types into five categories. Pellet, crumb, meal, meal mixed with up to 35% CCM and/or wheat barley and liquid feed. In addition, it is of course important whether you are dealing with newborn piglets, piglets, fattening pigs, rearing gilts or sows. Not every feeder is suitable for meal and not every feeder is suitable for pellets. There is a big difference in these areas. We have a suitable feeder with matching drinkers for every pig in every stage of life and for every type of feed. Because of these many possible combinations we can say that we have the largest range of feeders in the world. We have the right solution for every situation.
Number of pigs
In addition, the group size of the pigs plays a role. Each trough on our website states the ideal number of pigs per trough. By country, legislation or farmer this number of pigs per feeding place can differ, but we know after 50 years that these numbers of pigs per trough give the best results.
Supply feed at the same time
If you dispense feed at the same time, for example with liquid feed for pigs, we can also make a stainless steel pig trough for you. We also make high quality troughs in our own factory with an indestructible stainless steel bead edge at the front which is extremely stable and perfectly closed so that no liquid feed can creep in. In short, there is almost no stable situation where we cannot provide you with a feeding system.
Automatic feed dispenser: don't waste pig feed
Our pig and piglet feeders are basically all automatic feeding systems. With a feeding machine all troughs are easy to fill and the pigs themselves dose their food easily throughout the day. Verba has always paid a lot of attention to animal friendliness and welfare of the pig troughs. The troughs are finished with extra care, so the pigs can't hurt themselves on sharp parts and can't get wounds or ear marks. This is a very important basis for preventing infections and reducing the use of medication or antibiotics.
Feed Spill
In addition, we pay a great deal of attention to preventing feed spillage. Almost every trough has an ingenious anti spillage edge on the front or anti spillage arrows on the side to go against feed spillage. This way no feed falls into the manure pit and you get the best feed conversion. This saves you feed costs but also contributes to a lower CO2 load.
All our feeders are easy and very accurate to adjust. It is impossible for the pigs to adjust the feeders themselves, so when the feeders are set, the pig itself does the work and you rarely need to readjust a feeder. The adjustments are very easy and quick to operate that saves on labor costs. Our advice is not to over-adjust the feeders. After all, the pigs can eat all day and can do this in peace. It is good that they have to work a little for their food without being noticed. Because the pig pushes against a clapper with its forehead in this way, or because there is a portion of feed in front of its nose, our feeders mimic the scratching of the pig in nature. This greatly benefits feed intake and feed conversion. In the trough itself or in the vicinity of the trough we always recommend a drinking nipple with a drinking bowl for fresh water. If a pig can drink fresh water while eating, the feed intake is better because they also eat more appetizingly. In addition, the feed is better absorbed while the pig can remain at the feeding spot instead of having to walk away to drink while eating.
Color and light: advantages
Finally, the color of the feeder is important. Our feeders are all white or stainless steel inside. This allows a lot of light to enter which has many advantages over dark or black troughs. First of all, pigs see the food lying around better. In addition, a pig does not like to put its head in a dark area as it is an escape animal. A light trough invites them to eat much more quickly. Moreover, our troughs are open as much as possible, because seeing food makes you want to eat.
This also applies to drinking troughs, seeing a pig drink makes it want to drink. That is why the duo drinkers which can be built into the wall next to dry feeders for piglets and fattening pigs are so popular. The pigs see each other drinking.Pigs prefer to eat from a light rather than a dark trough for these reasons.
Finally, a light feeder greatly improves hygiene in the pig stable. If a feeder, trough or flap is black or dark, it's more difficult for a pig farmer or his employee to see if the farrowing pen is dirty or if food is sticking to it. This also offers many advantages when spraying the stable clean, because it is easier to see what is clean or dirty. This saves a lot of time and money.
Used feeders pigs? Why we do not recommend it
For 50 years we have been manufacturing, developing and supplying professional feeders for piglets, pigs and sows with high ease of use every day. The development of troughs never stands still. After all, situations are always changing, as are the requirements for them, and farmers often have very good ideas from practice as well.
If a question or comment is asked more frequently or a justified complaint occurs more frequently, we immediately adjust our product accordingly and change our range. Feeders as they are now are different from feeders of several years old. This is not always visible but is usually in details such as spill edges, adjustments or thickness of the material used.
When buying used feeders, keep in mind that they already comply with future laws and regulations so that it can last for several years. Also, when reusing fixtures, ask people who have worked with them how they liked them. After all, choosing cheap material should not be at the expense of labor efficiency and job satisfaction.
In addition, make sure that when purchasing used materials, these materials have also been properly cleaned so that no unnoticed entry of viruses or diseases can be possible, as the NVWA also advises in this article.
Cheap can become expensive with this, try to avoid that.
Daily investments in pig feed
A fortune in pig feed goes through a feed trough on an annual basis. Feed is by far the biggest cost of a pig farmer. By keeping these costs in check every day with the best pig feeder and by choosing a feeder that will last for a very long time, the feeder will pay for itself in a very short time. No feed spillage, proper feed conversion and no feed in the manure pit provide the lowest fixed costs returning to the pig stable daily and contribute to a lower carbon footprint. We dare to say that the right feeder in the stable is the best and most important investment in your pig pens. This is not something you should want to skimp on. If you see used liquid feeders for sale or used dry feeders for sale, think carefully about what you choose. For example, buy a new sample feeder from Verba and compare it to a used feeder or a feeder from another brand. You will soon be convinced.
Equipment for pigs
In addition to producing pig feeders and drinkers, we also supply professional piglet covers, piglet nests and floor heating systems for piglet nests. Here too, we single choose the best European materials. For piglet covers, for example, we use impact-resistant UV-resistant plexiglass, which does not yellow and therefore does not tear easily. This in combination with a stainless steel frame ensures the strongest construction available. We also make piglet covers in HDPE 10mm plate. For piglet heaters, we use indestructible plastic plates with excellent grip that are highly wear-resistant. Often these heating plates are used in renovation of farrowing pens because the existing heating plates are leaking or the top layer is worn out. The hot water hose contained in our heating plates is 75% tightly incorporated into the top layer and makes no contact with the bottom plate. Because of this stagnant air insulation, this plate insulates itself and insulation on the bottom of the plate is completely unnecessary. The underfloor heating systems and the couplings we use are completely oxygen-tight/diffusion-proof so that no incoming air enters the beds to prevent them from heating up. We have the underfloor heating systems, piglet covers and piglet nests in fixed sizes, but we can also make non-standard sizes or shapes in our own factory in The Netherlands.
A-quality, made in Western Europe
For our feeding troughs, floor heating systems and piglet nests we use high quality pig farm parts that are made with our own molds in Western Europe and are of the best quality. Verba has an online shop where many of these items, such as drinking nipples and pig knobs, are sold as spare parts or replacement of an existing part. With this web shop we would like you to benefit from the favorable prices we have because we process these A-quality pig farm accessories in large numbers each year in our pig farm products. You can easily order these parts and they will be delivered as soon as possible.
