HyCare lands in Spanish Coren integration

The first pig farms in Spain have been selected to implement the HyCare method.

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The first pig farms in Spain have been selected to implement the HyCare method. The Coren integration in Galicia is starting it off. This company leads the way and gives a boost to healthy thinking and hygienic actions in the Spanish pig farming industry.

The Spanish pig farming industry is increasingly focused on export and is moving into the Dutch pig sector. Working on improving animal health and reducing the use of antibiotics. "As the first Spanish integration, Coren is convinced that optimal hygiene on the pig farms is the basis for success," says MS Schippers HyCare specialist, Arjan Wermink. "They indicate a need for knowledge about hygiene management. The integration wants to move forward step by step. But Coren also wants to experience what the integrated approach in the field of barn hygiene, cleaning and disinfection, drinking water quality and pest control will deliver to their pig chain. In other words: they want to put the HyCare method into practice under Spanish conditions."

Two HyCare companies

In September, Wermink visited several pig farms of the Coren integration in the coastal region in Northwestern Spain. In total, Coren comprises 3,200 farms (cattle farms) throughout Spain. In addition to pigs, Coren also focuses on broilers, laying hens, cattle, and rabbits. The hygiene specialist was asked to select two suitable companies where the full HyCare method can be integrated. A breeding company and a pig farm caught his eye. The company with 6,800 places to rear piglets from 7 to 35 kilos has two interconnected barns. "Much of the barn equipment consists of plastic and iron, but exterior walls and paths must be coated. The other farm has 4,700 fattening pig spots in three interconnected stables. Piglets and fattening pigs are delivered in one point. All feed silos can be supplied from the dirt road and the complex is fenced. "On the outside, the barns are in good shape, but in the concrete-rich buildings a lot can still be achieved in terms of walking routes and hygiene", says Wermink. "Grids, closed floors, pen partitions, paths and walls must all be pore-free and impermeable. Securely coating is a big job, but the effect will be astonishing. And effective."

At both HyCare locations, other matters must also be taken care of in the coming months. The hygiene locks must be optimally set up and the disinfection of hands and footwear must be made easier for each department. Installations to treat the company's well drinking water must also be installed. Drinking water pipes must be clean and free of biofilm. Professional pest control in and around the barns must be organised. "In the course of 2020, the two companies will be operating entirely according to the HyCare method.

Increasing the hygiene level

Meanwhile, all other pig farms within the integration are also working on improving basic hygiene. Coren and MS Schippers have hired a professional together to implement the cleaning and disinfection protocols for the integration. MS Schippers provides the equipment, the products, and the knowledge and the Spanish expert trains the employees at the Coren companies. "This way, Coren takes the hygiene management in its entire chain to a higher level," says Wermink. "But I am pleased that HyCare is also gaining a foothold in Spain. If things go the way we have in mind, then Coren will generate a lot of extra profit."