The different temperature requirements of newborn piglets and sows necessitate a strict separation of the sow's lying area from the piglets' lying area. The sow's feeding area inevitably leads to a greater or lesser degree of contamination of the surrounding area with feed and water, posing a hygiene risk to the piglets.
These reasons lead to the consideration of structurally separating functional areas more effectively. The Wels farrowing pen also implements the so-called "total area rule." This allows organic farms, under certain conditions, to design barn and outdoor run areas more flexibly than stipulated by the EU organic regulation.
