The swine facility and the swine herd are managed by student resident
managers, under the supervision of Dr. Allen Pettey. Gestating sows
are kept outside in pasture lots until farrowing. The farrowing barn
is equipped with 10 stalls and sows are brought into the barn as
a group. Piglets are weaned at three to four weeks of age and moved
into the enclosed, temperature-controlled nursery. Sows are rebred
using artificial insemination and returned to the pasture lots. After
four weeks in the nursery the pigs can then be moved into the grower
barn, and eventually into the finisher barn when they
reach 100 pounds.
The Cal Poly Swine Facility also includes a 12-pen, concrete-floor
grower barn, which is used for research studies designed by Cal Poly
faculty or students.
A recent addition to the swine facility is a nursery-grower
building with two rooms, each equipped with 14 pens, nipple waterers
and stainless steel feeders. Pigs stay in the nursery / grower up to
75 lbs, and then move to the finisher.
