Put a pork in it: How to repurpose your barn for a non-dairy enterprise

Stepping out of the dairy business doesn’t mean your barn has to sit idle. In the “From Dairy to Pork: Barn Conversion in Action” video series on YouTube, the New York Pork Producers teamed up with Strategic Planning Specialist Tim Terry of Cornell University’s Pro‑Dairy program to show how former dairy facilities can be transformed into efficient, profitable pork barns.

Barn Raising or Barn Razing?

What should be done with the old barn? It may be time to knock it down and build a new one. But we tend to overestimate the value of what we have and underestimate the cost of building anew.

In general, if the remodel or retrofit is more than 50% the cost of a new barn, it might be best to start fresh. You can even get a little kickback by contacting companies that recycle the old wood as furniture and other items (like strongoakwoodshop.com).

Many also forget the problems faced when trying to remodel or retrofit old structures. Will modifications compromise the old barn? Will 21st century tech operate safely and efficiently in a 19th or even 18th century structure? Will DIY work cost you more in time and frustration than hiring a pro? Are there inefficiencies and time wasters in the old structure that will compound over time? Does the old structure compromise animal performance or frustrate staff performance?

Structure

Pigs dig. They root. They test every surface. That means solid, non‑slick concrete floors are essential. Slatted floors built for cattle often pose injury risks for pigs.

How will your farm operate? Would the old milkhouse make a good office? Will the pig stalls be free access, gated, large and open? Will they be fed on the floor, electronically, trickle or with feed drops? Will water be provided in tubs, troughs or trickle? How will waste be managed?

Where will the animals’ metrics (keep performance indicators, or KPIs) be taken to make sure they’re growing properly? Be sure to answer all the questions for yourself before designing or retrofitting the structure.

Space Requirements

Most dairy barns in the Northeast are about 36 to 42 feet wide and 80 to 100 feet long. Be sure to consider the pen size based on how many animals will be in it and their size and weight. Will animal groupings be dynamic or static?

Future-proof your farm by building in room to expand with your herd as well as being able to comply with changing animal welfare codes and customer demands.

Getting in and out of the pens, the type of bedding to be used, how animals will be moved and how the pens will be cleaned are all important when designing a structure. Retrofitting a wide barn leaves ample room on the sides for feeding, veterinary work and a walkway so you can inspect the animals.

Ventilation

Especially in pig farming, adequate ventilation for your facility and animals is a must to regulate pathogens, gases and temperature. The complete interior volume of air should be changing constantly. In winter, all of the air in the barn should be changed about every 10 or 15 minutes; in spring and autumn, every three to five minutes; and in summer, about every minute.

Animal size and feed type also influence ventilation requirements. If visitors can smell the pigs when kneeling down at the same level as the pigs, your system needs attention.

Natural ventilation uses wind and openings in the barn walls and roof to vent air without fans. Fans can be used to create a negative pressure system where the stale air is blown out – or a positive pressure system where fresh air is blown in. Both of these mechanical systems utilize properly sized air vents on opposite sides of the structure.

Old barns are often ventilated best with natural airflow; a mechanical pressure-based system will lose a lot of its efficiency due to drafts.

Supplemental heat will be needed as the weather gets colder. Keeping the temperature consistently in the animals’ comfort zone helps reduce cold stress and keep your livestock thriving. Smaller pigs have a lower mass-to-surface ratio and will require more heat. Consider the cost, service life and coverage of the heating source you choose.

Lighting

Many older barns rely on dim yellow bulbs – or have no lighting at all. Modern task lighting should deliver 40- to 50 foot‑candles of bright, slightly cool illumination across every area where animals are housed or handled.

LED fixtures are the clear choice. They’re efficient, long‑lasting and perform reliably in cold weather, making them ideal for retrofitted pig facilities.

Waste Handling

Consider designing your pen system to be skid loader or bucket tractor accessible.

Pressure washing pens is not recommended since it volatizes pathogens and waste into the air. A garden hose with house pressure and a scrub brush on a mop handle is more than sufficient.

Leveling the floor of the barn and pouring a new slab at a slight 2% to 3% slope toward an existing cow gutter may be the best fit for the farrowing pen setup.

For more information, watch the entire video series at tinyurl.com/wms6hczp. You can also contact Tim Terry at txt@cornell.edu or 585.689.9163.

by Joseph Armstrong