Dispensing Chopped Straw with the VERBA FunFeeder
Providing straw as enrichment material for piglets and finishing pigs is an ongoing challenge. Sometimes too much straw falls out of the rack, sometimes too little, and sometimes the rack even gets clogged. For straw pellets, we have the ZVAC37 dispenser, which can dose different sizes of straw pellets. For long straw, we can make custom straw racks from round bar and strip steel. But for chopped straw, we didn’t have a solution… until now!
The Request
Two Dutch pig farmers, in consultation with a large buyer, wanted to provide chopped straw to their piglets and finishing pigs. They encountered problems: either too much or too little straw would fall out. They asked us if we could come up with a solution to regulate this better. The requirements were that the straw feeder had to be adjustable in different settings, durable, and easy to fill, potentially even automatically.
The Idea
We wanted to develop a straw feeder that would align with our proven feeding systems. Using our standard recycled PE plates in combination with stainless steel and our VERBA adjustment mechanism was a must. The prototype consists of two stainless steel grids that can slide over each other. With the adjustment, we can make the holes in the stainless steel grids larger or smaller, depending on the length of the chopped straw.
The Results
We had the straw feeders tested by the two pig farmers, and the feedback was very positive. The chopped straw now falls in the correct amount, and the piglets and finishing pigs enjoy playing with the straw feeder, pulling out the straw without the rack getting clogged.
The Future
We have now sold over 750 units of the straw feeder. The name “FunFeeder” fits perfectly: an international name that clearly conveys its purpose – fun for the pigs.
