Breeding and gestation facilities for swine. Matching biology to facility design.

The rate-limiting phase of commercial swine production is breeding. The design of the breeding/gestation facilities influences the capacity of the producer to efficiently manage the breeding stock around the time of service and during the postservice period. Thus, breeding design potentially affects total born litter size and farrowing rates. In general, with original construction and facility renovation, the three principal activities of the breeding/gestation phase of production, (1) boar exposure/estrus detection, (2) breeding, and (3) gestation and pregnancy detection, should be independently considered.