F. Gutiérrez: "Working with Dositronic G gives you a lot of peace of mind"

Coming from the transport sector, Francesc Gutiérrez had the opportunity a few months ago to invest in the recovery and start-up of a closed-cycle farm in Benavent (Lleida), with a capacity for 300 sows. Convinced that the Spanish pork sector has a future, he has already been at the helm of the farm for four months. In the first phase of its new management, they installed the Dositronic G system in gestation with group pens for automated feeding.

Why did you decide to commit yourself to livestock?
I was a feed truck driver, but a few months ago, talking to Marc Prat, who has other farms, he encouraged me to invest with him and acquire this farm in Benavent (Lleida), owned by some retiring farmers. So, I started a new professional project as a farmer. Counting the sale and the transformation of the facilities, the farm has operated for about four months.

How is the farm distributed?
It is a closed-loop farm with a capacity for 300 breeding sows. Because of this, we have a maternity shed, two gestation sheds, a weaning house with a capacity for 800 piglets and two fattening houses with 400 places each.

How many people work on the farm, and what are their tasks?
We are two people. Lola, who takes care of the farrowing and weaning, and I, who takes care of the gestation and fattening, as well as the maintenance of the farm.

Dositronic G installed in the gestation ships. Photo: Rotecna.

In confirmed gestation, you have the Dositronic G. Why did you decide on this system?
My partner Marc has other farms with more traditional feeding systems in gestation. We considered that the commissioning of this installation was a good opportunity to test Rotecna's electronic feeding system, so we installed the Dositronic G. The truth is that it works very well for us because it is a fully automated system, which allows you to see what the sows are eating, detect if any sows have not eaten, and quickly modify the feeding curves if necessary, etc.

What would you highlight about the Dositronic program?
This is a very intuitive and easy-to-use system. You don't need any computer training to understand and use the program. On the other hand, I want to highlight the peace of mind it gives you on the farm. The device works very well once you adjust it, and the sows know how to enter the box to eat.

How do you work with the Dositronic G?
Every day, when we arrive, we first look at the sows that have eaten on the computer and easily detect those that have not. Then we move to the gestation shed to locate the sows that have not eaten, see why, and make them take their ration. Sometimes, especially now that we are just starting, they do not know how to enter. However, once we show them, they learn quickly and enter independently. The truth is that working with the Dositronic G in gestation gives you a lot of peace of mind because the system works without problems.

Francesc consulting the Dositronic program. Photo: Rotecna.

How many feeding curves do you work with?
As we started a few months ago and recommended by the farm's veterinarian, we are working with a single curve of 2.6 kilos of feed per sow per day throughout the gestation period. However, later on, when we have more running with the farm, we plan to work with more curves so that the feed is as efficient as possible and adjusted to the needs of each animal.

What other Rotecna products have you installed on the farm?
We have Grow Feeder hoppers for fattening, TR5 hoppers for weaning, PVC fences and slats for weaning, and doses for gestation.

In general, what do you value about Rotecna?
It is a brand that offers a wide range of products with good value for money, but what I would highlight most about Rotecna is its technical service. In the case of the Dositronic G, any doubt or incident is answered quickly and always resolved and query.

On the other hand, what are your main health concerns?
We have not had any health problems, although it is scary that something could come from outside, such as an ASF or PRRS outbreak.

What biosecurity measures do you adopt to reduce the risk of disease contagion?
In addition to the perimeter fencing, we are picky about people's entry into the farm. Anyone coming from outside has to shower and change clothes before entering, and the same goes for anyone leaving. 

What future challenges do you have for the farm?
For now, start up all the phases of the farm and continue investing to improve the facilities and grow. We have just started, so we have much to do and work on to succeed in this sector.