PAL Care Products is dedicated to the intensive care of piglets. We feature the popular and dependable products that you need to help maximize the growth and uniformity of your piglets. We continue to evaluate concepts and products to grant the opportunity for increased growth and well being of newly weaned piglets.

Pigs prefer pink!
The products and programs developed by PAL Care are specifically designed to help piglets up to eight weeks of age. The program that is the 'best fit' for any situation can be determined through discussions between you the producer and a Veterinary Health Specialist. Please contact Mackay Equipment Sales Ltd. for any advice or assistance you may require.

Products

Booster Box or Piggy Barrel
In Western Canada, many pork producers use a tool that is commonly called a piggy barrel. The term refers to any number of structures used to enclose and wean pigs at an early age. PAL Care Products manufactures the Cozy Wean Booster Box. The Booster Box is a special care unit designed to provide comfort to young piglets during the critical two to five week stage. Used correctly it can prove to be a versatile piece of equipment that can be applied in several ways to help small and disadvantaged piglets catch up with their fortunate brothers and sisters.

Comfort Tray
Use this tray as an initial feed tray in the nursery rooms until the piglets become more familiar with the self-feeder.

Cozi-Tray
This 12 inch by 24 inch tray is a miniature of the regular 'Comfort Tray'. Use it in the farrowing crates or our 'Booster Box' as an initial feed tray.

Eeze Flush System
An easy tool to add water or help flush out the 'Booster Box'.

PAL Water Meter
The water meter functions as an effective measuring tool. How do we know what comes out if we don't know what goes in? It is available in three sizes.

Roll Out The Barrels
Article courtesy of the Ontario Hog Farmer Magazine

A Western Canada piglet weaning system may soon become more visible in Ontario. A Wellesley, Ont. company is importing 'piggy barrels', a unique approach to housing freshly weaned piglets, while giving those which have fallen behind more time with the sow so they can thrive without the competition of the stronger piglets.

Dave Griffiths, of Progressive Farming Automation Inc., says the system has proved popular in Western Canada, where it was invented. There are two types of the system in use in Western Canada, one made in Lacombe, Alberta and the other made in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Griffiths is distributing the PAL Care Products Cozy Wean Booster Box from the company in Saskatoon.

He says he read about the use of piggy barrels in the Canadian Swine Forum, inquired about them and then decided he'd heard enough to become a distributor of the product.

Piggy barrels are another tool for hog producers to use to enhance neo-natal care. It allows earlier weaning of the piglets, if desired, and keeps them in the nursery, lessening the trauma of weaning.

'They're still in the nursery, near mom,' says Griffith.

In fact, they're right over top of mom. The barrels are attached to the top of the farrowing crate, either parallel to the crate, or across it. That allows the young pigs to hear and smell the sow and that is supposed to make them more comfortable as they start on other feed and learn to drink from the waterer. Each barrel holds up to 11 piglets.

While the healthier piglets are being weaned and learning to eat on their own, the others which have fallen behind can continue to suckle the sow and their weaning weight is increased. Runts from other litters can be moved in with runts from that litter when needed, so there's less need for a nurse sow, or in effect, a sow becomes the nurse sow for her own litter.

The end goal is to have more pigs weaned per sow per year. And that is taken as an important measure of good management and profitability. The pigs in the barrel stand on slatted floors, under which the manure is collected and drained to the farrowing room pit to keep the barrel dry.

Vent holes can be adjusted depending on the age of the pigs and how much warmth is needed. Also along that vein, a heat lamp can be attached to the barrel if that's deemed necessary.

The farrowing room can't be too cluttered with the barrels to make sure ventilation isn't compromised, so they can be installed at a rate of about one per 12 farrowing crates. Advance planning can be done so that sows with known problems, such as being poor milkers, or having larger litters can be placed with the barrel.

It is suggested that piglets should be 10 days of age and doing well when they go into the barrel. Good milking sows could have all of their piglets moved to the barrel, as it can hold up to 11, then have piglets moved to her from other poorly milking sows in the room.

Weaning piglets and putting them into the barrel on Monday of week two works, if Thursday is weaning day, Tuesday and Wednesday are heavy breeding days and Thursday and Friday are heavy farrowing days. Like other hog penning and housing, the barrels do need to be cleaned regularly.

The unit costs about $520 (Canadian), says Griffith, with the final price depending on shipping costs.

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