I was passing by a neighborhood with a neighbor when the stench coming from a small pig farm almost sent us back to where we were coming from, it was so bad that I wondered how the residents of the area survived.
Expressing my concern, my neighbor mentioned that not all pig farms smell this bad. I used to hear about pig farms always having a terrible smell but I didn't know it depended on several other factors.
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What makes a pig pen smell?
Pigs are non-ruminant animals which means they have only a single stomach, this makes their ability to digest food lower than that of ruminant animals. Remember that, ruminant animals have their stomachs partitioned into four chambers.
Due to the nature of their stomach, the feces passed out would contain undigested organic matter that would attract bacteria to feast on it. The impact of bacteria on the organic matter present in the feces is what produces the serious stench that comes from there.
There are times when the bacterial reaction begins even within the intestine, so at the time feces comes out, it already has a foul smell.
I know that stables where goats and other ruminant animals are raised also come with their unique smell, but we know that of pigs to be worse. The smell of urine in combination with the feces of pigs makes the smell almost unbearable.
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The decomposing of manure and urine releases a range of gases, NH3, CH4, and H2S. These gases have a strong odor and can be harmful to the respiratory system of both humans and pigs.
A pig's home is usually always moist, and this only worsens the odor problem as the breakdown of waste products happens rapidly as a result.
I tried to also read on the possibility of having a pig farm that would not smell, for the sake of people who live around those areas.
Creating proper ventilation in the pig house will help maintain a fresh environment, and in the same vein, eliminate odor.
Consistent cleaning and hygienic display is essential for the regulation of bad odor in a pig farm. Properly dispose of waste and let the garbage region be distant from the pig farm.
A pig farm is not ideal in a residential region and many owners must bear that in mind while creating their farms.
Away from all these usual traditional methods of having a pig farm with a reduced smell, I found two interesting improved methods that seemed to have worked better and more conveniently for pig farmers.
The first is, through the creation of an inoculated deep litter floor which actively compost manure and processes toxins under the feet of the pig.
This way, the floor is kept clean without having to worry about manure and its cleaning, in this case, the pigs do the work for the farmer.
Pressure fans mounted on the wall is the second option I found to be helping farmers, the fans are designed in a way that pressure is differential between the inside and outside of the building.
With air expelled from the pig's house, the fans can create a negative pressure zone, this way fresh air is drawn in through designated inlets.
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With air being exchanged continuously in this manner, there is a dilution and removal of odor-causing gases, improving the quality of air in the pig's house.
The strategic positioning of these fans is important, the fan aims to expel stale air, while fresh air is drawn inside, therefore creating a type of consistent airflow that prevents the buildup of harmful gases.
A magical result can be created if owners of pig farms combine the great effect of negative pressure fans with cooling pads.
These cooling pads are made of cellulose or other absorbent materials that have previously been treated to enhance the properties of deodorization.
The way the pads are designed is to make room for air to pass through while it is been cooled and treated with water on the other hand.
As air is moving through the pads, the odor gets absorbed, and simultaneously cooled, giving room for a comfortable space for the pigs to stay.
The large surface of the cooling pads is where the odor gets absorbed while water constantly flowing will help to rinse the particles causing odor away, ensuring they are not recirculated into the air.
References
bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/technologies-for-odor
exhaustfanchina.com/how-to-effectively-remove-odor