PigFree Group Housing for Pregnant Sows: How It Works in Practice

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The short answer

Since 2016, Van Osch B.V. has manufactured the patented PigFree® system in house in Uden. It is a group housing solution for pregnant sows in which every animal can enter and leave its own pen independently. This gives sows a quiet place to eat and rest without permanent confinement. The system combines individual feed intake, without competition from dominant animals, with open access to a shared walking and dunging area. It can also be tailored to the dimensions of an existing barn. Good gilt rearing and careful day to day management remain essential to success. Below, we cover the legal requirements and the practical factors that matter most.

Key takeaways

• Since 1 January 2013, group housing has been legally required for pregnant sows and gilts. Animals must be moved into the group no later than 4 days after mating and remain there until one week before farrowing (RVO).
• The legal minimum is 2.25 m² per sow, including at least 1.3 m² of continuous solid flooring (RVO).
• In groups of 6 animals or more, each side of the pen must be longer than 2.8 metres (RVO).
• Research by Wageningen UR concludes that the farmer’s management has a greater impact on results than the group housing system selected (WUR).
• In systems with a shared resting area and no straw, a sow uses an average of around 1.0 m² of solid-floor resting space (WUR).

Why is switching to group housing in an existing barn often difficult?

You may have a sow barn built around an older layout, with columns at fixed intervals and a slurry pit that cannot realistically be moved. You want to switch to group housing, but the supplier’s standard pen dimensions are just a little too large for the space between your existing concrete walls. This is where many projects start to become complicated.

Van Osch B.V. sees this regularly in renovation projects. The real challenge is not choosing a system, but adapting that system to a barn built for a different purpose twenty years ago. A difference of fifteen centimetres in pen width can completely change the layout of a section housing forty sows.

There is also a second concern that sow farmers often raise: will this investment still work in ten years’ time? Barn equipment is usually expected to last two decades, while housing requirements continue to evolve. Anyone investing today wants a layout that can be adapted later without having to rebuild the entire section.

That is the starting point for understanding PigFree group housing. It is not an off the shelf pen package, but a pen concept designed around the actual dimensions of your existing barn.

What does the law require for group housing of pregnant sows?

The figures are fixed, and they shape the entire layout. According to RVO, pregnant sows and gilts have had to be housed in groups since 1 January 2013. They must be introduced to the group no later than 4 days after mating and remain there until one week before farrowing.

The space requirement is at least 2.25 m² of available area per sow, including 1.3 m² of continuous solid flooring. Lower figures apply to gilts. For groups of 6 animals or more, every side of the pen must be longer than 2.8 metres. In narrow existing sections, that requirement can quickly become the limiting factor.

In renovation projects, the 2.8 metre rule is often more challenging than the total number of square metres. A section that is 5.4 metres wide cannot simply be divided into two 2.8 metre pen rows, as there would be no room left for a usable passageway.

Bear in mind that pig housing regulations are still developing. A layout that complies today may require different choices in a new build project. It is therefore also worth reviewing what the requirements from 2028 mean for your farrowing barn, because the farrowing and gestation sections should be considered as part of one investment plan.

What you can do now:

• Measure the clear internal dimensions of the section, not the external dimensions. Columns and finishing profiles can take up valuable centimetres.
• Calculate your current stocking level in m² per sow and check whether it falls below or above 2.25 m².
• Check whether the solid-floor area is continuous. Separate solid-floor sections are assessed differently.
• For groups of 6 animals or more, confirm that both sides of the pen exceed 2.8 metres.

How does the PigFree system work? Group housing explained

Consider a sow farm with around 400 sows that is converting its gestation section to a pen system. The daily routine changes in three main areas: feeding, inspection and treatment.

Feeding without competition

Every sow has her own feeding place. That is the central principle. In an open group with feeding and resting stalls, dominant animals can push quieter sows away from the trough, resulting in uneven body condition across the group. With an individual pen for each animal, every sow can eat her own ration. In practice, farmers tend to notice less variation in body condition within the group, making farrowing outcomes more predictable.

Resting and lying down

The pen also serves as a resting area. According to Wageningen UR, a sow in a system with a shared straw-free resting area uses an average of around 1.0 m² of solid-floor lying space. This figure underpins pen sizing. If the pen is too small, the sow will rest elsewhere. If it is too large, the number of animals that can be housed in the section falls.

Inspection and treatment

This is where the labour savings come in. A sow in her own pen can be secured without removing her from the group. For pregnancy checks or injections, you can work your way along the row instead of separating animals first. On a one-person farm, this can save a significant share of treatment time in each round, although the exact benefit depends on group size and section layout.

Dunging and walking area

The area outside the pens is shared space for dunging, movement and social contact. The balance between pen space and open space affects pen hygiene. If the free area is too small, the pens can become soiled, creating extra cleaning work every cycle.

What you can do now:

• Spend a week observing feeding and record how many sows are pushed away from the trough.
• Assess body condition variation within one group at two points during gestation.
• Count how many animals need to be separated for treatment each round. If that number exceeds ten per week, the value of pen restraint becomes much more significant.
• Check where animals are dunging and whether it matches the intended dunging area.

Which group housing system suits your farm?

The honest conclusion from the research is that there is no single system that wins in every situation. Wageningen UR states that the farmer’s management has more influence on successful group housing than the system itself. That may be uncomfortable news for anyone hoping that the right purchase alone will solve existing problems.

What does vary is how each system fits your barn dimensions, labour availability and gilt rearing approach.

The second-to-last row is the one sow farmers most often underestimate: vulnerability to faults. A mechanical pen system has no software that can fail on a Sunday morning. That makes it particularly appealing for farms with limited labour capacity.

For a closer look at space requirements when expanding, how much space group housing requires as your herd grows is a useful next read.

What should you consider when designing a PigFree section?

Best practice checklist for group housing barn equipment:

• Measure the barn before selecting a system: Clear internal dimensions, column locations and slurry pit layout determine what will fit, not the other way around.
• Calculate the solid-floor area separately: 1.3 m² of continuous flooring per sow is the legal minimum, and continuous means exactly that.
• Select materials by zone: Stainless steel is suitable for areas exposed to intensive cleaning and slurry, while galvanised steel is often used where structural strength and heavy loading are the priority.
• Design for one-person operation: Any task requiring two people adds labour time to every working round.
• Plan the dunging area deliberately: Where sows choose to dung is influenced by draughts, light and resting comfort, not simply by the drawing.
• Take gilt rearing into account: Gilts that have never lived in a group will take longer to adapt to the system.
• Confirm spare parts availability: Ask in advance which wearing parts are held in stock and how quickly they can be supplied.
• Keep the layout adaptable: Pens that can be moved later can save you from a major rebuild when regulations change again.

Van Osch B.V. works through these points in a design phase where the barn is measured first and the layout is drawn afterwards. Engineering and production are handled in house in Uden. This avoids the coordination issues that can arise when flooring, pens and troughs are sourced from separate suppliers. Learn more about how custom barn equipment is developed and what the design process involves.

What you can do now:

• Ask every supplier for a drawing based on your actual barn dimensions, not standard catalogue dimensions.
• Ask the supplier to identify the wearing parts and state their delivery times.
• Check whether one person can operate the section during the busiest task of the week.
• Agree in writing who is responsible if dimensions prove incorrect after delivery.

Which mistakes are most costly when switching to group housing?

The most expensive mistake is not choosing the wrong system. It is introducing a gilt to group life too late.

Alongside management, Wageningen UR identifies gilt rearing as a key factor in successful group housing. Gilts raised individually and introduced to a group for the first time only after mating often struggle more with establishing their place in the hierarchy. This can lead to hoof problems, losses and unrest during the first weeks.

The second mistake is designing too tightly around the legal minimum. 2.25 m² per sow is a lower limit, not a design target. If you work exactly to the limit, there is no flexibility when a group is slightly heavier than expected.

A third mistake is sourcing flooring, pens, troughs and drinkers from different suppliers. On paper, this can look like the lowest-cost option. In practice, it creates coordination work, and when connections do not fit, suppliers can point the finger at each other. A manufacturer that supplies and produces the complete system takes responsibility for the whole installation.

Finally, do not choose on purchase price alone. A pen structure that starts to deform after eight years can cost more than the initial premium for stronger materials. The trade-off between price and lifespan is covered in why PigFree barn equipment costs more than second-hand equipment.

Frequently asked questions

What exactly is PigFree group housing?

PigFree® is a pen system for pregnant sows where each animal has its own independently accessible pen for feeding and resting, alongside a shared walking and dunging area. Van Osch B.V. has owned the PigFree® patent since 2016. The system combines individual feed intake with the group housing required for pregnant sows and gilts since 1 January 2013.

How much space do I need per sow in group housing?

You need at least 2.25 m² of available space per sow, including 1.3 m² of continuous solid flooring, according to RVO. Lower requirements apply to gilts. Build in a margin above the legal minimum, as a group of heavier sows cannot simply be squeezed into the lower limit. For the resting area itself, Wageningen UR recommends around 1.0 m² of solid flooring per sow in systems without straw.

Can a pen system fit in an existing narrow sow section?

Often it can, but only with a custom design based on the actual internal dimensions. The key restriction is that, for groups of 6 animals or more, every side of the pen must be longer than 2.8 metres. In sections with less than around 6 metres of clear width, fitting two pen rows and a practical passageway becomes tight. Have the section measured before committing to a system. A drawing based on catalogue dimensions says very little about your barn.

Who can help develop a group housing plan for an existing barn?

A manufacturer that designs and produces its own equipment keeps the process from drawing to installation straightforward. Van Osch B.V. handles engineering and production in house in Uden. The barn is measured first, then the pen layout is developed to fit. The company sets out its service commitments in the Five O’s, including a call-back guarantee within one working day. This matters when something needs resolving during construction or after installation.

Which material is best for pen structures in a gestation section?

The right choice depends on cleaning routines and the load on each component, not on a universal ranking of materials. Stainless steel generally performs well in areas exposed to intensive cleaning and prolonged slurry contact. Galvanised steel and steel are often used where structural strength is most important. Consider the total cost over the expected lifespan of the barn equipment, which is generally planned for twenty years. Ask which material is used for every component and why.

Conclusion

PigFree group housing comes down to one design question: how do you give every sow her own place to eat and rest within a group, while respecting both legal space requirements and the physical limits of your existing barn? The legal framework is clear: 2.25 m² per sow, including 1.3 m² of continuous solid flooring, plus pen sides longer than 2.8 metres for groups of six animals or more.

But Wageningen UR is equally clear on what matters most: management and gilt rearing have a greater influence on the outcome than the housing system itself. If you are considering a change, review your own rearing approach and daily working routines before finalising the layout.

Three practical next steps are simple: measure the clear internal dimensions of your section, calculate your current stocking level in m² per sow, and request every quotation using your actual barn dimensions. With a manufacturer such as Van Osch B.V., which keeps design, production and delivery under one roof, the link between practical needs and the final drawing stays in one pair of hands.

About Van Osch B.V.

Van Osch B.V. is a Dutch family business based in Uden and founded in 1939. The company develops, manufactures and supplies complete custom barn equipment for pig farming. Its in-house engineering and production facility in Uden produces pen equipment for sows, farrowing sows, piglets and finishing pigs in stainless steel, plastic and steel. Van Osch serves pig farmers directly and through an international dealer network.

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