Individual feeding was the main reason Benjamin Kastner chose Nedap Electronic Sow Feeding (ESF) stations. Kastner runs the farm with its 350 sows with his father, Josef.

More than a year into the transition, the sows are producing more consistently.

Prior to using ESF, the Kastners averaged 23 piglets per sow per year. Since building the new shed with ESF feeding stations, this number has continued to increase. Kastner expects his results to further improve in the future.

Individual sow feed consumption

The Nedap ESF system collects and stores data about sow activity, including rate and amount of feed intake. The system notifies Kastner when individual sows have not eaten or are slow to finish their feed. This alerts Kastner to check on the sow in case her lack of appetite is an early sign of illness.

Feed quality is a top priority for the Kastners. They grow maize, barley, wheat and sugar beets on almost 300 acres. Apart from the sugar beets, the whole harvest is used to make feed for the pigs. And that all happens on the farm too; the grain is milled and then mixed with brought-in raw materials such as soybean meal.