Air quality and reduction of slatted floor in growing-finishing pig units

This study was carried out to establish the influence of partially slatted floors combined with the pen size on the air quality in growing-finishing rooms. Three rooms were compared: the control room with totally slatted concrete floor had six pens each with ten pigs. The second room with partially slatted concrete floor had six pens each with eight pigs, and the room with partially slatted concrete floor had two pens each with twenty four pigs. During the study, the ammonia concentrations in the ambience, the ammonia and the odour emissions were measured every 15 days between pig entry and first pig slaughterings, 96 days later. The type of floor appears to have a notable effect. Whatever the pen size, the ammonia concentration was multiplied by two in the partially slatted floor room compared to the control room. The average ammonia emission was 20% higher, and the odour emission was 80% higher. Whatever the pen size, the dirtiness of the solid floor appears to be the main source of ammonia and odour.