HOUSING
PIH-53
COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE • PURDUE UNIVERSITY • WEST LAFAYETTE, INDIANA
Slotted Floors for Swine
Authors
R. D. Fritschen, University of Nebraska
A. J. Muehling, University of Illinois
Reviewers
Albert Gehlbach, Lincoln, Illinois
John Mayer, Cox's Creek, Kentucky
The development of slotted floors has been the dominant factor in making confinement swine production practical. Slotted or partially slotted floors make pens selfcleaning, leaving them clean and dry. The reduction of labor associated with clean, dry pens accounts largely for the feasibility of confinement production.

The question as to what type of floor to install in a confinement building depends somewhat upon how management intends to handle the waste. For example, if wastes are to be handled as a solid or semi-solid product, the floor will usually be solid. But if wastes are to be handled as a liquid, the floor will usually be at least partially slotted. Since slotted floors materially reduce the labor associated with most non-slotted floors, many existing confinement buildings, and perhaps most of the buildings of the future, will have slotted floors.

How Much Slotted Floor
Studies have generally shown no difference in performance when comparing partial versus total slats during summer. During winter, Nebraska studies showed an increase in feed requirement per unit gain with increasing amounts of slotted floor. For this reason, and because the initial floor cost increases slightly as the amount of slotted area increases, many floors for growingfinishing (G-F) pigs are from one-third to one-half slotted. This amount of slotted floor works well where the pen length is 24-26 ft., with about 10 ft. of this being slotted. Pen widths, in this case, are usually 8-10 ft. Wider or squarer buildings, with a center or off-center alley and pens on both sides with partially slotted floors, require pinpoint management to train pigs to dung on the slotted area. Buildings with a single row of pens, with the alley along the front or back with partially slotted floors, generally result in good dunging patterns. Thus, building dimension or arrangement may be a factor in deciding how much of the floor should be slotted

Injuries to the claws have been shown to be greater on total slats as compared to partial slats. However, the effect of claw injuries on growth rate appears to be slight. Claw injuries to breeding swine, however, often lead to more
significant problems. Studies have shown that wider slats (8 in.) reduce claw injuries and clean as well as narrower slats.
Since partially slotted floors are also partially solid floors, it is important for labor reduction and pig performance that pigs develop a desirable dunging pattern. As stated earlier, a long and narrow pen 8 or 10 ft. wide and 22 or 24 ft. long is preferred when floors are partially slotted. Pen shape is not important to dunging patterns on fully slotted floors. Assuming a long, narrow pen, there are
Cooperative Extension Work in Agriculture and Home Economics, State of Indiana, Purdue University and U.S. Department of Agriculture Cooperating. Director, West Lafayette, IN. Issued in furtherance of the Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914. It is the policy of the Cooperative Extension Service of Purdue University that all persons shall have equal opportunity and access to its programs and facilities without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age or handicap.