Energy and nutrient cycling in pig production systems

As global populations and affluence rise, there is increasing demand for energy, animal protein, and construction materials. In many cases, available resource pools are insufficient to meet growing market demands, resulting in increased prices and competition for limited resources. This study evaluates key construction resources needed to build different types and scales of Iowa swine production facilities. Two types of facilities— conventional confinement and hoop barn-based—within farrow-to-finish pig production systems scaled to produce either 5,200 or 15,600 market pigs annually are examined. Conventional confinement facilities are typical of pork industry practice in the United States and are characterized by individual gestation stalls and 1,200 head grow-finish buildings with slatted concrete floors and liquid manure systems. The hoop barn-based alternative uses bedded group pens in hoop barns for gestation and finishing. Five building materials: concrete, steel, lumber, thermoplastics, insulation, as well as crushed rock and diesel fuel used for building site preparation are considered. Land surface area required for buildings 1 The authors are Peter J. Lammers, Research Assistant, Department of Animal Science, Mark S. Honeyman, Professor, Department of Animal Science, Jay D. Harmon, ASABE Member Engineer, Professor, Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, James B. Kliebenstein, Professor, Department of Economics, and Matt J. Helmers, ASABE Member Engineer, Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa. Corresponding author: Mark S. Honeyman, Department of Animal Science, 32 Curtiss Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011; phone: 515-294-4621, fax: 515-294-6210; email: honeyman@iastate.edu.