Improving the cleaning and disinfecting process in pig farms: incidence of soaking mode on efficiency, water requirement, labour time and costs

Poster. Different protocols are assessed in IFIP’s experimental farm, aiming to improve cleaning and disinfecting processes. Following previous publications, attention is here paid to soaking mode : length of application, use or not of detergent, in different types of housing (for farrowing sows, weaners, finishers). Each process is compared to a standard in the same conditions, ie comparable rooms, by a single operator. The efficiency of each protocol regarding the final bacteriological status is assessed by measurements of TPA and Total bacteria counts in Petri dishes. Extra cost is also calculated with respect to labour time, water and chemical additive consumptions.In every case, TPA and Total bacteria count values keep similar. A higher length of the soaking phase leads to a minor global labour time, reduces the heavy tasks and finally the cost, but at the same time water consumption is higher. Adding an additif makes possible to reduce both the time needed for this soaking phase and the water consumption. It is also more consistent with the farmer’s planning constraints which require short delay between two pig batches. Whereas a one hour exposure seems too short, a two hours delay appears like the best technical and economic compromise, needing less labour time and water and leading consequently to lower cost.