Animal Virus Filtration / Alcet Nederland B.V.

The brothers Maartin and Leon van der Velden together with their father Rien turned an existing farm they bought in 2013 into a beautiful GGP and GP nucleos farm. From this farm they supply SPF gilts to their own multipier farms (with 4.750 sows) on several locations in The Netherlands and Germany. 

They are proving that is is possible to stay SPF in the pig dense area in the south of The Netherlands. ClarCor air filters play an crucial part in keeping out PRRSv, Mycoplasma and influenza. Click on below pictures to see how filters have been applied and which other bio-security measures where taken.

DVM Gerrit Bronsvoort who has been involved as consultant in the steps taken bij Van der Velden explained recently during a presentation in Italy that there are two main strategies to become SPF:

- Depopulation / Repopulation

- Herd closure and rollover:

He explained how within an existing herd with good vaccination scheme it is possible to starvate the PRRS virus, not entering with new animals for 4 months after the second vaccination in 4 week time of all animals and sending away any piglet older than 21 days, regardless what the weight is of the piglets. 

After Depop/Repop or Herd Closure it is important to impost a good diagnostic and monitoring system using sentinels (SPF gilts) to check the status of the herd.

In the opinion of DVM Gerrit Bronsvoort the external bio-secutrity is the most important aspect to work on once PRRS free.

- Sperm, make sure the AI station you work with is PRRSv free

- Gilts, watch out introducing animals and adopt them before bringing them in the groep.

- Transport of living and dead animal, make sure non external truck of person has to come in to your farm to load of pick up these animals. Avoid animals once outside can return into the farm (using slide once they pass the treshold).

- Manure transport, if possible create a central slurry draining system and make an pump location dislocated well away from the buildings. Air from the slurry tank could potentially contain virus from the previous location where the tank loaded and you do not want this blown out of the tank underneath your air intake

- Air, in dense area’s air filters are a must have and are effective in keeping out humidity (aerosol) and dust particles that could potentially cary virus from one farm to the other. On the question what DVM Bronsvoort considers a dense area, he responded any farm with an other farm within 3 kilometer is at risk. He mentioned that you not only should think of other farms, but also about manure being spread in the neighborhood and trucks transporting pigs. Trucks trasporting SPF gilts need to be filtered

- Rodent control, obviously a severe protocol is needed to keep any rodent from entering the farm. 

Key to an successful approach to become and to stay SPF nevertheless is the MOTIVATION  of the owner and manager of location. The example function of them towards the people working on the farm is very big and therefor only if they act with the right mentality the coworkers will adopt it too.

Nevertheless DVM Bronsvoort is very clear: who worked with an SPF herd that for what ever reason gets infected does usually not have to think twice and will return to the SPF status as soon as possible adopting on of the above mentioned strategies. Motivations are simple: less vet cost, more stable production without surprices which is especially important when working with many employees and finally up to € 8,00 / piglet more money.

For further information please call on +31.6.20407187 or write us and we will be more than happy to help you becoming SPF with your farm too.   

Front view of SPF GGP/GP farm of Vevar in Asten/The Netherlands.

Air flow principle gilt developer barn with corridors and ceiling on positive pressure.

Outside view of filterbank on gilt developer barn, tube of static pressure sensor on the right hand side.

Fly screen on the left and ClarCor prefilters on the right hand side.

Back side of the Clarcor main filters on the left and one of the two fans that put the corridors in positive pressure at the end.

Static pressure controller and frequency drive in the corridor.

Gilt developer room on positive pressure.

Air flow principle of gestation barn at Vevar farm in negative pressure.

Sandwich panel gestation barn is sufficient air tight to be filtered in negative pressure.

Fly screens and Clarcor filters sets on the outside of the gestation barn.

Fly screens and Clarcor filters sets on the outside of the gestation barn.

Rodent control around the barns is of utmost important to stay SPF. Escape door on this negative pressure barn is sealed air tight, but allows to be used as escape route when necessary.

Air inlets on the inside the gestation barn bringing in 100% filtered air.

Exhaust fans on filtered gestation barn.

Air flow principle on farrowing barn at Vevar Farm

Fans are build into the attic to pressurize it with filtered air

Extention is added to barn in which Clarcor filters are placed

Fly screens and filters in the extention added on to farrowing barn.

Clarcor filters in the extention added on to farrowing barn, tube of pressure sensor placed on outside side to assure positive pressure is maintained at all time.

In the back ground the farrowing barn with below the house extension pad cooling in place to cool down the air to be filtered. In the front on the left the loading place for the slurry tank and on the right the refrigarated storage place for death animals. Both slurry tank and rendering truck do not enter the premises of the farm.

Fourth barn at Vevar farm for piglets also filtered.

On the left the filterbank of filtered piglet barn. On the right filtered bank of gilt developer barn. In the back the connecting corridor on positive pressure.

Fly screen, metal frames to hold the Clarcor filters sets and one of the two fans to put the corridor on positive pressure.

Corridor on filtered piglet barn in positive pressure tanks to pressure sensor and frequency drive.

Piglets room in filtered barn. On the left the exhaust fans that assures the correct distribution and exchance of air per room.

Loading ramp for gilts and piglets leaving the farm.

Loading ramp for gilts and piglets leaving the farm.

Half doors to avoid man to enter the holding area for animals from outside.

High pressure devise to clean the loading ramp after loading.

Slide immediately on outside of barn to avoid animals can reenter the barn once they left the barn. Stainless steel sheets not yet on picture, but added afterwards.

One central loading place for slurry tank. All slurry is pumped to this central point.

Central corridor with slide for placenta bags. At the end of the day these bags can be brought outside without the need to open the big door. Before the farm managers goes home he brings these bags to the refrigarated container at the outside of the premises.

Two storages that can be opened from the outside to bring in feed bags and any other farm requirements. These storages are on positive pressure and only after it has been in for a week they are opened from the inside for use in the farm.

Detail of the refrigarated storage on the outside of the premises.