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Abstract
Inexpensive energy (fossil fuel and feed), plentiful water, and limited concern of air
emissions has resulted in few incentives to critically evaluate, modify, or significantly change pig
housing designs. However, recent global trends have forced the pork industry (both in Midwest and
throughout the U.S.) to reduce the environmental impact of swine production systems. This could
partially be accomplished through the development and use of smarter and/or “greener” housing
designs and management that reduces both fossil and feed energy use as well as air emissions
including hazardous (ammonia and hydrogen sulfide) and greenhouse (carbon dioxide, methane,
and nitrous oxide) gases plus odor and particulate matter. A new pig finishing housing design is
proposed in this paper which is referred to as the “Greener Pig Barn” or GPB. This report includes
four GPB design variations. All GPB design versions use shallow gutters with mechanical scrapers
and an in-ground, covered, concrete manure storage tank so a reduction in air emissions are
expected due to the lack of long term manure storage inside/under the barn and to barn cooling.
Building construction costs per pig space, which includes an outside, covered, in-ground concrete
manure storage tank, are expected to be 1.3 to 2 times higher than typical construction of the
baseline double wide, fully slatted, tunnel ventilated (TV) barn. These costs are offset by a 3-7%
increase in average daily gain and 5-10% decrease in feed consumption per pound of pork
produced. Using these assumptions in a standard economic projection, annualized net present value
per pig space is between $2.43 and $9.03 with 6.0 to 12.8 years to payback over the TV facility.