Ammonia and greenhouse gas emissions from a straw flow system for fattening pigs

Animal welfare and environmental protection are increasingly important. Housing systems must be found that offer animal welfare and emit little ammonia, and greenhouse gases. The straw flow system is an animal friendly housing system for fattening pigs. The pen is separated into a lying area and an excre-tion area. In the lying area, straw is used. The pigs keep the lying area dry and clean and excrete on slats in the rear of the pen. The system can be operated economically efficient on commercial farms. It was to be investigated, if this animal friendly housing system offered environmental benefits and if it emitted less ammonia and greenhouse gases than a conventional fully or partly slatted system. Emissions of NH3, N2O, and CH4 were measured at a commercial farm. The animal house consisted of three fully separated com-partments. Each compartment was forced ventilated by a central exhaust fan. The compartments were sepa-rated into 16 pens that held 10 – 12 pigs. Gas concentrations were measured with high resolution FTIR spectrometry. Ventilation rate was recorded in the central exhaust fan. Measurements coverd all seasons and all stages of fattening. Emissions from slurry storage were quantified, as well. Full data evaluation is currently ongoing