JM. Cajal: “The Swing R3 Tube helps to get the piglets off to an excellent start"

In 2017, José Manuel Cajal and his father opted to expand the family business by constructing a new fattening farm, first with 1,900 places, which were soon developed to 4,200. In all of them, they have the Rotecna Swing R3 Tube, a hopper that stands out for the easy adaptation of the animals and the improvement of their conversion rate.

José Manuel with his father at the Pucero fattening farm. Photo: Rotecna.

When and why did you decide to go into pig farming?
When I decided to stay home in the family business, my father saw an opportunity to expand our company. We already had a farm with two fattening houses, so we decided to build a new one with two more houses. Little by little, we grew and consolidated what we already had and decided to make two more warehouses to grow the company.

How has this farm grown since its inception?
The farm is relatively new, as we started it in 2017. We built two sheds that had a capacity for 1,900 animals. Then, in 2022, we decided to expand again and made two more warehouses, reaching a capacity of 4,200 places.

How is it distributed?
The farm consists of four halls, three of which are precisely the same and have a capacity for 1,152 places. The fourth warehouse is somewhat smaller, with a capacity of 799 seats. In all of them, the pens are designed to house around 17 pigs (pens of 3.8 x 3.5 m).

How many people work on it?
We are three people—a farmer who works with us, my father and I.

In fattening, they work with the Swing R3 Tube. Why did you decide on this hopper?
We decided on this hopper because, on another farm we have, we installed the Rotecna Grow Feeder. We haven’t had any problems in over 20 years. This year we have renewed them, after all this time, without having changed a single piece, which shows the quality of their products. For this reason, when we built the first two warehouses of the Pucero farm, we considered different possibilities for Rotecna hoppers. We finally decided on the Swing R3 Tube because its design caught my attention. Being transparent, you can see the volume of feed and what the animals have eaten during the day, and that was what made me decide to go for this hopper in the first place.

What benefits would you highlight in terms of its use?
Working with the Swing R3 Tube allows us to control feed consumption very well. In addition, when it comes to plucking the piglets when they reach fattening, it helps us to do it very well, especially when they are small. Here, we start with piglets from 6 kilograms, and the truth is that they have adapted spectacularly with this hopper. In addition, the fact that we have a constant level of water in the dish’s side drinkers helps us get the animals off to an excellent start. On the other hand, the handling of the hopper is straightforward. The regulation mechanism is precise and resistant since we have used these hoppers for six years in the first warehouses and have not changed a single part. In short, it’s a simple hopper but very well-designed and works well.

Does the Swing R3 allow them to achieve a reasonable conversion rate?
Yes. Our conversion ratio is outstanding, and so is the growth of the animals. When the pigs are larger, the hopper allows two animals to eat simultaneously, giving us a suitable feed conversion ratio. We currently have it at 2.25.

How do animals adapt?
When the pigs arrived at these sheds from weaning, we always had to give them some feed from a can on the floor so that they could learn to eat. With the Swing R3 Tube, we have been able to relax because, when the pig reaches fattening, the food in the hopper plate is very accessible. It only has to activate the mechanism to access the feed and eat. The feed drop system is straightforward for the animal, and just by giving the dispenser a little nudge with its nose, the feed goes down without any problem. Therefore, access to feed is effortless and comfortable for the animal, making them adapt very well. Another good thing is that the pens are not usually uneven; the animals are always the same.

Image of the Swing R3 installed on the farm. Photo: Rotecna.

Is the hopper easy to clean?
Regarding cleanliness, it should be noted that the hopper has no corner where dirt can remain when we wash the warehouses. Therefore, it is a hopper that cleans very well and stays as if it were new.

In addition to the Swing R3, what other Rotecna products have you installed?
We have the Grow Feeder in the older warehouses. We also have the drop manholes and the feed distribution system.

Overall, what do you value about Rotecna?
I appreciate that it is a brand that offers outstanding products, is very durable, which is the most important thing, and has a very efficient staff.

In the face of health threats, what biosecurity measures do you adopt on the farm?
We have defined dirty and clean zones on this farm. So, whenever someone outside the farm team comes in, they have to shower, change their clothes, and also on the way out. We also have a perimeter fence so no outside animal can enter.

On a health level, what are your main concerns?
PRRS is doing a lot of damage on farms, especially to sows. This worries us because it means a reduction in the number of piglets and, therefore, in the number of pigs to fatten. Together, we are weathering the storm. On the other hand, we are also concerned about the regulations that the administrations make us comply with, for example, in matters of slurry management, since they represent a substantial investment.

What challenges will you face in the future?
We recently completed the last extension, so, for now, what we are considering is to consolidate this growth and see where the new regulations I mentioned take us.