J. Ferradas: "Plastic panels are the best option"

After six years working in construction with his father, in 2020 Jorge Ferradas decided to join the family beef farm, managed by his mother, and diversify livestock activity, investing in the construction of two fattening warehouses with capacity for 2,000 animals in Rodeiro (Pontevedra).

Guided by the equipment that other ranchers in the area installed on their farms and their knowledge of the different materials thanks to their construction experience, Jorge bet for Rotecna's products, of which the plastic panels' advantages compared to other models stand out significantly.

General view of one of the areas with Rotecna products. Photo: Rotecna.

The farm

Head of a milk beef farm in the same town, in 2020 Jorge decided to invest in constructing a fattening farm to diversify his livestock activity.

The new facilities consist of two areas measuring 96 meters long, with 75 pens each, four of which are for nursing. As usual in the Galicia area, they work with small pens of about 14 animals, so each section has the capacity for a thousand pigs.

Plastic panels

To enter the sector, when choosing which equipment to install on the farm, Jorge decided to visit different facilities and see what products other professionals in the industry worked with. "During these visits, I saw Rotecna's plastic dividers mounted and liked them, so I decided to try them out", Jorge explains, which adds: "The truth is that, from my construction experience, I think plastic panels are the best option for their ease of assembly and washing. Concrete is a porous material and difficult to clean; instead, plastic is smooth, so the dirt comes out better and more easily.". "On the other hand, in terms of assembly, if there is any repair to be made in the pens, with the plastic panels it is as simple as loosening a screw, removing the board, making the repair and placing the panel again. Instead, working with other materials requires more effort and is more expensive and laborious, "he says.

In addition to the plastic panels, another element that convinced Jorge by this separator model was Rotecna's door closing system, Fast Door Kit. "There are many models on the market that have a rod that fits into one door guide, but they move a lot. The Fast Door Kit is an easy to use, comfortable system, the doors do not move, and it is very quiet", explains Jorge, so he was eventually convinced by the closing system.

TR2 hopper

Other products installed on this farm are related to the feeding distribution system, falls and hoppers. He bet on following other ranchers' advice in the area and installing the TR2 hopper, a very comfortable handling model for small pens. "Here, most farmers put this hopper model. It is a hopper that works well, the regulation is comfortable, and the closure is good since no feed is poured", he emphasizes.

Image of a pen with the TR2 hopper installed. Photo: Jorge Ferradas.

Future

At an uncertain time before the threat of the advance of the African Swine Fever (ASF) in Europe and the fear that it will arrive in Spain due to the consequences it would have on exports, investment in biosecurity measures, a good perimeter fence of the farm and insisting on an optimal cleaning and disinfection of the facilities are key elements to prevent the entry of any disease.

As for the farm's future, Jorge hopes that it will give an excellent economic performance and that, over time, the animal capacity can increase depending on how the pig sector evolves in Spain.