Two ways to keep the resting area clean:

  • Encourage resting or playing behavior in the area of the pen with solid flooring:
    • Provide small amounts of straw daily.
    • Adjust the available space so that the animals can only rest there.
    • Make this area darker than the rest of the pen.
  • Redirect defecation behavior to another area of the pen:
    • Create an uncomfortable situation in the slatted area:
      • Moisten the area at the start of the finishing period using a sprinkler or a drip irrigation system.
      • Place the waterers in the outdoor yard (in open-air barns).
      • Create a flow of fresh air using the ventilation system.
Left: An angled partition to facilitate movement and increase resistance to animals pushing against it. Right: The size of the resting area can be adjusted to accommodate the size of the animals by moving a partition.

Left: An angled partition to facilitate movement and increase resistance to animals pushing against it. Right: The size of the resting area can be adjusted to accommodate the size of the animals by moving a partition.

Points to consider for implementation

  • In enclosed barns with partially slatted floors, the resting area must not exceed 30% of the pen's floor area.
    ➔ Above this percentage, the risk of animals defecating in the resting area increases.
  • Always have a solution available that allows the rest area's size to be adjusted.
    ➔ If it becomes dirty, it will be necessary to reduce the available area again for a few days to force the animals to change their habits, and then expand it again.
  • The cleanliness of the resting area varies greatly: it depends on the batch, the season, the pen, and even the animals' individual characteristics.
Example of a pen with a partially slatted floor. Adapted from the BâtiPorc C4E guide, 2024.

Example of a pen with a partially slatted floor. Adapted from the BâtiPorc C4E guide, 2024.

Advantages

  • Provides the animals with two types of flooring and allows them to choose how to use the pen.
  • Better distinguishes the three functional areas of the pen: resting, defecation, and enrichment.
  • Encourages rooting behavior by placing straw on the solid floor.

Limitations

  • Partitions are repositioned manually.
  • Poor animal hygiene when the resting area becomes soiled.
  • The manure removal system must be adapted to the amount of straw distributed:
    gravity flow < manure with a flotation system < mechanical scraper.