It gives us a lot of flexibility. We used to have a stationary mill, but with the higher feed costs, this is just much more accurate and much more efficient. He farrows and weans on a weekly basis, weaning between 21 and 23 days. He has five farrowing rooms, each capable of holding six sows. His six nursery rooms each are capable of holding a week's worth of farrowing.
Pigs stay in the nursery about nine weeks before heading to the grower.
They are about 21 weeks old when they enter the finishing building. Janssen has collected boar semen, and is hoping to do more artificial insemination in the future. He keeps eight boars in the breeding area. Janssen uses Chester White and Landrace boars for his maternal line, and Hampshire boars for his terminal line. Things just seem to go much more smoothly with everything inside,'' Janssen says.