Close
0
You have no items in your shopping cart.
Search
Filters
RSS

Blog posts of '2015' 'May'

How Complicated Does Feeding a Sow Need to Be?

Ever notice how some people or companies try to make a job more difficult than it has to be?

Today I read an article about a show case farm with an  integrated computer system including electronic sow feeding.  There is a picture showing a hand held computer programming in the amount of feed that a sow will receive according to its body condition score.

Looks like a complicated and expensive system that isn’t any more effective than hand feeding.  If the computer based delivery system puts more feed in front of the sow than she can eat then it spoils and if the system puts in too little she doesn’t get the nutrients she needs for full milk production.

Compare this to feeding with a SowMAX.

You fill the hopper.  The sow activates the lever and eats as much or as little as she wants….whenever she wants……night or day.

No guess work.  No wasted feed.  No under fed animals.

In the same e-mag there was also an advertisement describing an ad lib sow feeder that looked a lot like the SowMAX.  One crucial difference though, it described the product as having a “timer that dispenses food at desired intervals over a 24 hour period”

Who’s desired time, yours or the sow’s?   Why would you use a timer and motor instead of a lever?   Most importantly this feeding dispenser still requires the operator to make a decision on the amount of feed that is metered out in 24 hours.

Again, same story. Feed too much and you’ll get spoilage or feed too little and the sows produce less milk.   The SowMAX system lets the sow make the decision instead of a human operator.

SowMAX is the best Ad Lib Feeder on the market today.

  • All stainless steel construction instead of plastic or nylon which means it lasts longer.
  • Simple mechanical activation instead motor and switches which means no parts to replace.
  • Eliminates guess work in determining the amount of feed which means the sows are always feed correctly.

To learn more about SowMAX go to http://hogslat.com/sowmax-feed-dispenser

Comments (0)
Ad Lib Sow Feeder That Saves Feed?

SowMAX ad lib dispenser

Claiming an Ad Lib Sow Feeder can save feed may seem like a contradiction of terms.  How can allowing a sow unlimited access to feed save money on feed?

It’s simple really…sows are individuals with different eating and consumption patterns.  Some days they’re extra hungry, some days they’re not. Sows also prefer to eat at different times of day.

It’s hard to guess right when feeding lactating sows.  Feed them too much and they don’t eat it all…it spoils in the feeder and you end up dumping it out and wasting feed.

That’s the beauty of the SowMAX ad lib dispenser.  The hopper is filled, either by hand or from an overhead auger system, and the sow decides how much she will eat.  She eats to appetite without wasting feed…..you’ll see heavier litters; sows stay in better condition coming out of lactation and reduced feed waste.

To learn more go to http://hogslat.com/sowmax-feed-dispenser

Comments (0)
SowMAX and Weaned Sows

A couple of weeks ago I received a call from Fritz Richards, Hog Slat’s national sales manager. Next time you are in North Carolina we need to run out to TDM #29 and take a look at the way they are utilizing a SowMAX feeder for feeding weaned sows.” It just so happened I was going to be in North Carolina the following week so I met Fritz at his office and we set out for the farm.  As we drove he filled me in.   “They have adapted 30 of the breeding row stalls with small bowl feeders and SowMAX dispensers mounted in the front gate.    It’s giving them a chance to compare the results against the other 70 stalls that are fed by the standard method.”   “What is the thinking behind that?" I asked.   “They know that if they can increase the energy intake of a sow from weaning to first service they will get production benefits.  The problem has been it’s tough to increase consumption without over feeding and wasting feed.  With the high cost of feed it’s more important than ever to feed sows correctly without wastage.”   “We have had several industry production advisors through the farm recently and they were very positive about what they saw.”   We showered into the farm and happened to catch the unit manager, Britt Hooper and his staff during their morning break.  Fritz spoke with Britt about his early experiences with the SowMAX test.  To view a video of his observations please go to http://hogslat.com/sowmax-feed-dispenser

Comments (0)
Hog Slat Showcases Swine Equipment at EuroTier 2012

Billed as the world’s top event for animal production, EuroTier was held this past week in Hanover, Germany.  Producers from across the world attend EuroTier and for many it was their first exposure to American style production equipment as exhibited by Hog Slat.

We spoke with Hog Slat’s European sales manager, Kirk Brincks and asked about international producers comments concerning the equipment. He replied, “ Their general reaction is Hog Slat builds durable products that represent a good value.  They like the common sense design and how it is incorporated into the overall building layout.”

We asked Kirk what particular item was most popular, “ I would have to say the SowMAX dispensers.  All producers are facing high feed costs and feed saving equipment is important to them.  A customer, with sow farms in the Ukraine and Poland, has installed over 1,000 SowMAX units and is sold on the feed savings.”

He continued, “Another big item of interest is concrete slats.  We had many producers who see them for the first time and immediately comment on the quality.  I think people tend to view concrete slats as all being kind of the same, but we really do build a slat that will last longer.  Experienced producers seemed to recognize it very quickly.”

“And”, he laughed, “they always ask when are we building a slat plant near them”

Kirk finished up with, “The Grower Select line has caught on quickly. We have several production companies that we work with in identifying their high replacement items, providing them easy order forms and stocking those parts for quick delivery.   Grower Select just fits with Hog Slat’s basic philosophy of providing producers with a better value for their money……. in this case it’s excellent quality replacement parts that are priced right.”

Comments (0)
Better Start for Broilers

One of the steps in adding new items to our product line is on the farm testing.  Mike Lucariello, regional manager for Georgia Poultry in Missouri and Arkansas, did the initial trials using starter feeders vs. feed trays in his broiler houses.  We talked on the phone recently about his experiences.

How did you set up the trial?

Mike: “We took two houses and randomized the birds evenly between the breeder flock sources to eliminate any possible differences.  In one house we fed the chicks on traditional feed trays and in the other we set starter feeders under the feed lines. We then weighted the chicks at 7, 14 and 21 days.  The chickens in the starter feeder house were routinely 8-12% heavier than feed tray house.  We repeated the trial this time, switching the houses between trays and feeders and had almost identical results…..starter feeders are now part of our routine.

 

Describe how you set up the house with starter feeders?

Mike: Each of our houses holds 23,500 birds and we aim to have one supplement feeding station per 75-100 birds.  We can place 150 starter feeders between the pan feeders under the feedline. We also like to remove the pan under the control pan and replace it with a large 3×3 cardboard tray so the chicks will activate the control pan quicker.   We add additional 100 paper trays under the brooders that we feed by hand for 3 days.  After that we pick up the paper trays and replace the pan on the end control and all the supplemental feeding is done in starter feeders.

 

Any ideas why the chickens were heavier in the building using starter feeders?

Mike:   Yes, it is easier to keep supplemental feed in front of the chicks.  Using feed trays requires the grower to manually operate the feed system.  They have to run the feed system several times a day to put feed on the trays.  This becomes increasing difficult, as the chicks get older and more aggressive and start scattering feed as it drops in the trays in the front of the house. The grower has to shut off the front drops as they fill the trays so feed will be delivered equally to the end of the brooder area.   With the starter feeders you simply position the feeders under the feedline and fill them up.  Within a couple of days the control pan is regulating feed delivery automatically and distributing it down the entire length on the house.   Supplemental feed is always available to the birds.

 

Most growers would like to put out supplemental feed for ten days but with feed trays this can be a challenge.  Since the system is manual it’s a little bit of a guessing game to know how much feed to run out.  The chicks lie in the trays, scatter and defecate in the feed.    A real aggressive flock will waste so much feed growers will stop supplement feeding after eight days.

 

With starter feeders the birds can’t lay in the feed, they aren’t scratching feed into the litter and feed is always available.  We can easily keep supplemental feed in front of the chickens for 15-16 days with very minimal wastage.

 

That early feed intake is critical.  The faster we can get their allotment of starter rations into the birds the heavier those chickens will be at settlement.

 

We understand not everyone is proponent of starter feeders?

Mike: Yes that’s true.  Some people will argue feed trays provide more eating space.  Consider this, when there are 100 birds lying in a feed tray, access is very limited.   We think their access to feed is increased vs. trays because birds are not covering up the feed.

 

Do you clean the feeders between flocks?

Mike: No, because the birds can’t mess up a starter feeder like they do a plastic feed tray.  We save quite a bit of labor not having to clean the feeders like we would if we used plastic trays.

 

Georgia Poultry is now offering an even better price on starter feeders than ever before.  Go to www.hogslat.com/hi-grow-pre-starter-chick-feeder.  Run a trial on your own farm.   Start birds faster and gain a competitive advantage at settlement.

Comments (0)
Factors Impacting Feed Conversion

Here’s a thought provoking list of 20 factors that effect feed conversion in swine production. We pulled this information 0ut of Jim Long’s Pork Commentary on Dec 17th which he cited Vern Pearson PhD and Mariela Lachman PhD.   As Jim noted with the cost of feed rising so dramatically, effectively utilization of rations has never been more important. Number one on the list?... feed wastage.

Hog Slat manufacturers feeders that have been proven to save feed for over 25 years.  Hog Slat dry feeders are the industry’s standard in finishing and nurseries barns, our wet/dry and round fiberglass feeder are additional options and we continue to pioneer sow feeding in breeding and farrowing with SowMAX. Choose Hog Slat hog feeders and feed system components for your next replacement, remodel or new construction project.  

Comments (0)
Stop Interior Rust with WMC100

Now that cold weather has set in, you may have noticed some condensation on the metal ceilings in your poultry or swine buildings.  Most noticeably, these areas are around the air inlets and rolled ceiling along the sides of the building. In some cases, the metal may be starting to show rust and even developed holes and cracks.

Although these rust areas may be small now, they will continue until the ceiling “rusts through” and needs to replaced.    This is an expensive job because of the labor required to drop auger, electric and water lines plus remove and replace the steel and fasteners. Also additional down time between groups needs to be allowed.

Hog Slat offers a repair product called WMC100, a Moisture Cured Polyurethane White Coating that is specially designed for metal ceilings in confinement building.  WMC100 is single component epoxy that repairs and protects interior steel surfaces.

Simply remove any loose rust by scraping or wire brushing.   The surface is then treated by brushing on Rust Converterwhich chemically neutralizes rust by converting it to a stable black compound.  As Rust Converter is applied, rust will turn black and a clear acrylic layer is formed over it.  This acrylic layer also prepares the metal surface to bond to the WMC100.  If there are holes or tears in the metal you can cover them with VSC Seam Tape. WMC100 is rolled or brushed on and the repair is complete.

That’s all there is to it!

The great thing is all these repairs can be done in place….no need to remove auger, water and feed lines.   You can do small repairs as they occur and stop them before they become bigger problems.

Hog Slat makes it easy to try WMC100 with a kit, part number WMC100-KThis kit contains 1 quart of WMC100, 1 pint of Rust Converter and four pieces of VSC Seam Tape; everything you need to repair up to 50-60 sq. ft. of ceiling metal. For various sized project needs, Rust Converter is also available in a 13 oz. spray can and WMC100 can be purchased in gallon or 5 gallon sized pails.

 

For exterior metal repair projects, Hog Slat offers AMC100 in various sizes as well as in a kit. Learn more about all our Vanberg Specialized Coatings metal repair products here.

Stop in your local Hog Slat, Georgia Poultry or Eastern Shore Poultry Services store or order the WMC100 kit online at http://www.hogslat.com/venberg-coatings-wmc100-metal-repair-kit

 

Comments (0)
Anchor Bolt Repairs are fast with EPO-SET 400

It’s not news to pork producers that hogs are hard on equipment. Just normal wear and tear will damage even the stoutest equipment.

One tough repair is a loose anchor bolt in concrete walls or floors.   Whether it’s a wall bracket, divider panel or gestation stall leg, they can all work loose with the constant “banging” from large hogs.  This not an easy repair; typically the anchor has to be removed and the hole drilled either larger or deeper to hold a new stud.

The new EPO-SET 400 makes this repair much easier.

EPO-SET 400 is a two-part polymer especially formulated for repairing loose anchor bolt studs. Simply clean the loose debris out of the hole around the anchor.  Place the mixture into the void and it sets up in ten minutes with full strength in two hours.

EPO-SET 400 gun_edited-1

EPO-SET is  easy to use because of the unique dual cartridge system for use in a standard caulking gun.

EPO-SET chambers_edited-1

The standard sized tube contains two separate chambers that mix inside the static mixing nozzle.  No need to buy an expensive two-tube caulking gun or mix the two parts in a tray before using.  Just squeeze the handle and the blended mixture comes out the nozzle.  Makes it easy to direct into holes and cracks in concrete.

Back Camera

You can watch our video at http://hogslat.com/epo-set-400  to learn more.

Comments (0)
Sow Group Housing Conversion Answers Welfare Concerns

MB stanchions_3_edited-Large

Murphy-Brown’s North Division has completed one of the largest stall to group housing conversions in the industry. All the company farms have been converted to group housing over the last four years; 58,000 sows in total.  Keith Allen, General Manager of the North Division, discussed the conversion.

 

Keith, how did you decide on the type of group system?

“Long before we announced our conversion plans, we toured several types of housing systems abroad; ESF (Electronic Sow Feeding), Free-Access stalls and Pens with feeding stations or Stanchions.  We felt stanchions would require the least amount of cost and would be easiest to manage. The results four years post conversion support that decision.”

 

MB stanchions_4_edited-Large

Can you explain that a little further?

“Our production records validate improvements for any metric you can compare, pig/born, pigs weaned, etc.  The company farm production records rank better than most contract growers with stall gestation.  Sow mortally is neutral when compared to traditional stall operations in the system.  Fighting is less than we expected. Although we anticipated higher feed consumption in gestation, it also has remained neutral.”

Do you manage any other types of group housing systems to compare stanchions to?

“We have a large 10,500-sow unit with ESF feeding stations.  The repair and maintenance of the feeding stations requires a full time employee on this operation.  There is extra labor involved with the management of the animals.  Every day the computer system prints a list of animals that didn’t record entry into the ESF from the previous day.  An employee must locate those animals and identify why; Is she sick? Did she lose her tag? Is the feeding station in need of repair? Etc.”

“We just don’t have the extra labor costs or the maintenance in our stanchion type barns.”

“Free access stalls don’t have the same issues, but are more expensive to construct and present an increased opportunity of equipment failure with the gate latching mechanism.  There is also a chance an employee inadvertently or purposely could lock the animals in the stalls, and then we really don’t have loose pen housing anymore.”

How did the transition go on the farms?

“The transition was seamless; our employees now prefer stanchions to the stall system we used before.”

 

MB stanchion floorplan_edited-LARGE 

What are basic design requirements you used?

“We designed the pens to hold six sows with 24 square feet per animal; there is one feeding stanchion per sow.  The stanchions are 24” wide, and the dividers are 18” long.  The length of the divider is important; this divider should be long enough to extend past the shoulders. By extending past her shoulder, she feels more comfortable and secure when eating.”

“The facility design provides breeding stalls to house sows for 35 to 42 days post insemination.  After preg-checking, sows are grouped by size and moved to the pens.”

“An additional 3-5% of stalls have been added in the Group Housed gestation barns to provide critical care space for any animals that may require extra care or must be removed from the pens.”

 

MB stanchions_1_edited-Large

Have you made changes to the design over time since beginning the conversion?

“Yes, our original layouts allowed for 7% extra stalls in the group housed gestation barns…..we have since cut that back to only 3-5%.”

“We have also realized it is unnecessary to have an alleyway between rows in group housed gestation. We simply mount the stanchions and sow feed drops head to head. One of the things you lose with group housing is the ability to regulate individual feed intake…..you manage by pens, so there isn’t a lot of adjustment to the drops.”

“We also have added “Access Doors” to the pen dividers to make it easier to walk from pen to pen.  These consist of two posts set far enough apart that a person can squeeze through with a swinging solid divider on top to prevent the animals from attempting to go over the opening.  We no longer have to climb pen dividers to check sows.”

How have the changes been viewed by Smithfield’s customers?

“I have personally toured many representatives from large food companies through our remodeled facilities.  These companies made public commitments to securing pork from “stall-free” producers by a named date….they are listening to the consumer and committed to their long term Sustainability Programs.  In every case, the reps remarked how well cared for the animals seemed to be and remarked how clean the facilities were.   We think we have answered their concerns with this type of group housing.”

Comments (0)
An Improved Rodent Bait Rotation

Bait rotation is an important strategy for effective control of rodents in livestock and poultry buildings.  Continued use of one active ingredient or bait type may increase the risk for potential resistance problems.  Rodent populations may also prefer the flavor or texture of one type of bait.

 

Liphatech’s recent introduction of the new soft bait Revolver™ gives producers even more choices in their bait rotation program.

 

FastDraw and Hombre both contain the same active ingredient, Difethlalone.  FastDraw is a soft bait and Hombre is available as a mini block or place pak. Revolver and Boot Hill are formulation with the same active ingredient, Bromadiolone.  Revolver is the soft bait version and Boot Hill comes in either a mini block or pellet place pack.

 

New Bait Rotation_edited-1

 

 

 

Now producers can add another element, texture into their bait rotations.  Note the double orange arrows in the rotation diagram illustrating the possible choices.  For example if the first bait used was FastDraw the next choice in the rotation could be either Revolver (soft bait) or Boot Hill (mini blocks) as they both contain a differen active ingredient Bromadiolone.  If Boot Hill was selected the next step in the rotation back to Difethlalone could be either FastDraw (soft bait) or Hombre (mini blocks).

 

Also note on the diagram the rodenticide Gunslinger highlighted with the blue circle.  We highly recommend Gunslinger be inserted into any bait rotation at clean out as it most effective when animals aren’t present and feed sources can be removed. Gunslinger contains a completely different active ingredient, Bromethalin and its “knockdown” on rodent populations is impressive.

 

Shop the entire line of Liphatech® Baits today to compare their features and choose the best options for your operation.

Comments (0)