Energy and greenhouse gases linked to the building of pig barns

An environmental assessment of farm buildings was made based on the available reference documents. The methodology was derived from a Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) that evaluated the environmental impacts of the construction materials used. Group systems were chosen for sow houses. The measurements also factored in the storage of slurry and feedstuffs. Farrow-to-finish was the only direction assessed. Average energy consumption was recorded as 49.6 MJ1/m²/year. Sow house designs with automatic pig feeders were shown to be less energy-intensive. Energy consumption reaches 58.6 MJ/m²/year for plastic slatted floors against 50.4 for their concrete counterparts. The chosen wall material also has an effect on energy consumption: 52.6 MJ m²/year for brick against 56.9 for concrete. However, the buildings' impact on energy-use and greenhouse gases is very low in terms of a full farm assessment that covers feedstuffs, direct energy consumption, and the management of slurry and all farming inputs. This overall assessment reveals that the buildings' contribution represents less than 3% of total energy consumption and less than 1% of total greenhouse gas emissions.