Blog posts tagged with 'poultry housing'

Last year the Midwest received an abnormal amount of snowfall and rain along with strong winds. The wind piled ice and snow in large drifts on the barns roofs that exceeded the rafters designed load.

Number 1 rule to protect your buildings during the upcoming winter season? PROMPTLY REMOVE THE SNOW AND ICE FROM YOUR BUILDINGS!

A rafter that has a 25 lb snow load is overloaded with only 15 inches of wet/heavy snow or 5 ½” of ice.   Even a snowfall of only a couple inches can cause problems because of drifting snow.  It cannot be stressed enough, remove all snow from roofs immediately to prevent an accumulation that may cause roofs to fail.

In addition to removing the snow and ice promptly you can also protect your building’s roofs by following the guidelines below before the winter season.

Check List and Winter Inspection for Swine Facilities

(A)   Check to see that all trusses are in plane (sitting vertical and not leaning or out of square to the connected walls and lateral braces) and that there are no bowed or broken trusses.

(B)   Check to see that all metal plates are intact and that they do not show any signs of stress (cracks, twisting, or pulling away from the lumber).

(C)   Check to see that all web members are not bowed or broken.

(D)   Make sure that all lateral braces are intact and are not loose and that nails have not pulled away.

(E)    Select areas in the building and rake the insulation back and check the bottom cord lateral braces and make sure that they are intact.

(F)    Look for areas in the barn and attic that may show moisture (inspect ceiling insulation for evidence of roof leaks).

(G)  Check ridge caps and eave inlets for missing closure strips (it is crucial that buildings do not accumulate any snow in the attic).  Close any summer air inlet doors.

(H)  Keep snow from drifting up against the sidewalls of the buildings.

(I)     Remove snow promptly from roofs.

(J)     Do not pile snow under or by eave.

(K)   Check gable end where fans are hung for pulled or broken boards.

Every now and then we stumble across a product or idea from another industry that we can adapt for use in the swine and poultry business.  Chorelite boots are one such product.

Designed for use as a deck boot in the off-shore fishing industry, it’s a unique product with features that will benefit swine producers and poultry growers as a chore boot for use inside of confinement buildings.

The first thing you will notice about the Chorelite is how extremely lightweight it is.  The Chorelite boot is constructed of EVA expanded rubber (similar to the material used in Crocs™ sandals) to create a lightweight but durable boot.

To give you an idea of how lightweight the Chorelite boot is; a typical rubber chore -type boot weights about 2 ½ lbs.  Contrast that to the Chorelite that weighs in at only 10 ozs.!! Less weight equals less fatigue at the end of the day.

The Chorelite boot’s one-piece, molded construction means there are no seams to separate and leak.   The bottom tread is designed to be non-slip (remember the off-shore deck boot?) without being too deep preventing large amounts of muck from accumulating.

You will also notice the Chorelite boot is unlined making them easy to clean and disinfect.  You can wash them up, dunk them in a bucket of disinfectant and hang them upside down to dry.  They will be ready next time you walk back in the barn

When we first received the boots we were skeptical about their durability because they were so lightweight.   We put 10 pairs on the personnel of a local sow farm last July.   In six months of daily use they reported no tears or punctures in the boots…no leaks…..and the tread wear was excellent.

Now don’t get us wrong, even though we introduced this product during the winter, this boot wasn’t designed to keep anybody’s feet warm.  This is un-insulated boot for use inside of a confinement hog barn or chicken house. It is water-proof, lightweight and easy to keep clean.

To order click on http://hogslat.com/chorelite-boot or stop in at your local Hog Slat or Georgia Poultry store and try a pair on for yourself.

The Lein family’s start in the egg business began with 12 hens back in 1999. Those hens provided eggs for the family as well a few neighbors and friends.  Visitors to farm thought the hens had it so good they referred to them as “yuppie chickens”.  When Lynn started direct marketing eggs she adopted the brand name, Yuppie Hill Poultry. As the business grew, Lynn acquired the present farm on Potter Road and converted an existing dairy barn into a laying house for 3,000 hens.

“That first house was a lot of work.  We gathered the eggs, washed them and did the feeding all by hand. The air quality was poor and production never got above 70%” remarked Lynn.

In 2008, the family decided to increase production by constructing a new 50’ x 250’ flat deck house for 9,000 hens. Although the new system saved labor with automated feeding and egg gathering, the family researched other options before their next stage of expansion.

As Jay explained, “We were not totally satisfied with our conventional deck system.  We felt the environment could be better for the chickens.  In addition, we were spending a lot of time cleaning out the building between groups.  The extended down time between groups made it hard for us to supply our customers and reduced our income.”

Their research led them to Potter’s Poultry, one of the leading manufacturers of cage-free production systems.  After contacting Hog Slat rep Jason Billings, the group traveled to England to see firsthand the Potter’s System in use.

“We visited six commercial farms in four days and came away very impressed.” said Lyn “We were particularly interested in an aviary type system because the zoning restrictions on our farm forced us into putting as many chickens as possible in a limited floor plan.  The other aviary systems we had looked at were really just big cages. Potter’s has been building aviary systems for 20 years and has designed a true cage-free system that is the most open one on the market.”

Jay added “We liked what we saw and came home determined to copy the style of barns we had seen in England. The ventilation was excellent and it equipment was built extremely heavy with a lot of small features that make a big difference.”

After returning,  plans were finalized on 55’ x 245’ building with a center wall running the length of the building creating two individual rooms each capable of holding 8,900 hens. By combining this capacity with the first building the Leins will have three separate flocks.  Because no more than one room is ever out of production for cleaning, eggs are always available to supply customers.  Construction began in mid July and the first hens were placed October 3rd.

Colony nests are stacked two high along the center wall with the aviary facing it.  The AVINEST colony nests allow hens to gather in groups behind privacy curtain to lay their eggs. The system uses the original AstroTurf pads that are perforated to allow dirt to fall away ensuring cleaner eggs.    Cleaner eggs are also promoted by the automatic expulsion feature where the nest floors are lifted with a rack and pinion system gently moving the hens out of the nests at night time.

The aviary features perches where feed and water are available on multiple levels.  Two manure belts also run the length of the system.   On the other side of the aviary, opposite the nests, is a scratch area with doors that can be opened to an outside run.  The computer controlled ventilation system features chimney style fans linked with automated sidewall vents.

When I asked about the different lights installed in the building Jay explained “First the red lights above the boxes come on at 4:00 until 6:00 am with the nests’ floors dropping down to provide access to the nests.  At 5:30 the whole house fluorescents come on dim and gradually increase every 15 minutes until they are on full power.    Next the perch lights come on, then the lights on the second layer of the aviary come on and finally the floor lights are activated.  The floor lights are key to preventing floor eggs from being laid.  At night the order is reversed with boxes closing around 4:00 pm with the house lights going down at 7:00.  At 8:10 the bottom lights are turned off, the middle lights at 8:20 and the house lights are shut off at 8:30.  This entire sequence is automatically controlled by a master light control.”

Egg collection system on the two-tier nest system is accomplished by the use of curved mini steel rod conveyers that bring the eggs to a single level.  From there another conveyer system moves the eggs to collection area where the eggs are inspected, packaged and cooled until delivery to customers.

Jay also called out the manure handling belts. “We feel that one of the biggest benefits of this system over our older building is the ability to remove the manure frequently.  Because a majority of the manure is deposited under the aviary perches, we are able to run the belts located under the aviary and dump them on to a cross belt where it is piled outside.”

“We like our niche in the market” Lynn said when we discussing Yuppie Hill’s customers.  “We supply upper-end restaurants and grocery stores in Madison, Chicago and Sheboygan.  We provide a quality product produced by a family farm.  Demand keeps growing and this new facility will enable us do a better job supplying our customers.”

One final  point of interest at Yuppie Hill farm is the original dairy barn used for the first laying house has been converted again…into a restaurant that serves brunch every Sunday morning except the second weekend the month.  The second weekend is devoted to special Saturday night theme dinner of four to five courses with neighborhood chefs invited in to host the event.  The chefs prepare local foods paired with regional wines and beers.   The event is becoming quite popular with the last couple of dinners being completely sold out.

Kip and Michelle Cullers took a hard look at their existing broiler operation and decided changes needed to be made. First put into operation in 1989, the six 22-year old buildings were in need of major renovation to qualify for premium payments.

After exploring their options with MoArk, a leading producer of specialty eggs, the Cullers next contacted Mike Lucariello who heads up Georgia Poultry’s operations in the area.

Working with the existing 40’ x 400’ dimensions, Mike put together a layout designed to house 12,500 hens per building. The layout features two rows of Wadeken center belt nests set up on a flat deck of plastic slats with a lowered center scratch area. New chain feeders and the old drinker systems, outfitted with cups, were installed on the deck area between the nests and the exterior walls.

The ventilation system was upgraded with the addition of seven 52” Windstorm fans and a 5’ x 55’ cool cell system on each side of the building. The system also unitizes the existing curtain system that can be manually activated during mild weather.

To complete the project, a 20’ x 40’ egg room was added to each building. The bulk of the egg collection is done in the morning with center belts moving the eggs to the end of the building where they are placed into flats, stacked on wheeled racks and moved to the egg cooler until pick up every Tuesday and Friday.

Kip commented, “We had complete confidence in turning the project over to Mike. He’s been in the chicken industry for a long time and has broiler and laying houses of his own. We are especially pleased with the way the ventilation system performed last summer. The tunnel system combined with the cool cell system kept the hens comfortable; in fact, we experienced no loss of production despite the record heat we had.”

Kip continued, “Michelle is responsible for the day-to-day operations on the farm. She does an outstanding job keeping up with the paperwork necessary for organic egg production. Plus she manages two full time employees and four part timers who gather eggs. I help out with repair and maintenance as the farming operation and travel allows.” (In case you are wondering whether you have heard Kip’s name before, you may have. He holds the record for soybean production at 160.6 bushels per acre and travels worldwide speaking about his production methods).

To find out more contact us at 800-949-4647. We’ll sit down with you, explain your options and help you put together a plan and cost estimates for remodel or new projects.

American Humane Association\’s Seal of Approval

Just returned from the 2012 IPE in Atlanta. Great place to catch up with industry contacts and see the latest and greatest.

Stopped by the Potter’s Poultry booth where Mike Button was quick to point out the new Seal of Approval presented to Potter’s by the American Humane Association. The American Humane Association created the first welfare certification program in the United States to ensure the humane treatment of farm animals. Their Seal of Approval process verifies that equipment, housing designs and installation meet the standards of providing humane treatment in livestock production.

“A very pleasant surprise” said Mike.

Mike went on to comment, “When we first started coming to this show we were viewed as kind of an oddity. Producers really questioned whether or not eggs could be produced like this on a commercial basis. As we put systems in and the producers achieved success, interest in our systems has grown.”

“We estimate only about 5% of the total egg output is being produced in cage-free systems here in the U.S. We think that this will grow to over 25%, similar to the amount produced in the U.K. There is a growing segment in the United States of consumers demanding eggs produced by more humane practices.”

“What’s unique about Potter’s Poultry is that we aren’t a battery cage manufacturer that took the doors off the front and started offering them as cage-free systems. We have been designing and manufacturing aviary systems for over 20 years. It not something we are doing because it’s the newest thing to hit the market…it’s what Potter’s Poultry has always done.”

You can learn more about Potter’s Poultry systems by going to http://www.hogslat.com/cage-free-eggs or giving us a call at 1-800-949-4647.

Another item of interest at the 2012 IPE show was the Big Foot Radiant Tube Heater by Space Ray. Space Ray manufacturers some the best heating equipment on the market; Hog Slat and Georgia Poultry have carried their 40,000 Btu poultry brooder and tube heaters for years.

“The Big Foot is a hybrid heater that combines the best qualities of the standard brooder and tube heaters,” explained Space Ray’s Wilf Jackson. “Tube heaters have the advantage of less equipment to maintain but tend to produce a heating pattern that is oval in shape, while individual brooders produce a better heating footprint on the floor but require a producer to clean more pieces of equipment.”

“The heating footprint of the Big Foot is rectangular without gaps and the equipment can be installed close to the ceiling like a tube heater. Big Foot achieves its large, even footprint by utilizing a 19° angle on the reflector shield eliminating problems with convective wash as the heat waves are directed towards the house floor.”

Current plans are to offer the Big Foot in 60,000 and 90,000 Btu models and both single and dual stage ignition with emitter lengths of 15’ and 20’.

The Big Foot is being field tested by Hog Slat in a local farm and Space Ray is having independent tests conducted starting in February. We look forward to reporting on the results of those tests in future blogs.

90 degrees, bright sunshine, no rain in the forecast and a light wind; perfect conditions for a firsthand look at roof repair.   Last winter I sat in on a training session with Vanberg Specialized Coatings when they covered the basics on their exterior metal coating product, AMC-100L or Aluminum Moisture Cure Urethane.  The results in the training labs were impressive, and I wanted to get some field experience using the product.

The site chosen was not a livestock building, but a storage building erected in 1968.  The 44 year old galvanized roofing was structurally sound but was starting to show large areas of surface rust.   I greeted Jim and Steve from Vanberg Coating, and we started on the process.

First they sprayed the roof down with a power washer to remove any dirt, bird droppings or loose rust.  Any areas with heavy rust were hit with a wire brush and loose nails were hammered down.  Once the roof was dry, we moved on to the next step.

The second step of the process was to apply VSC Rust Converter to the rusty spots.  Rust Converter chemically changes rust to a stable, insert compound.  Jim poured the Rust Converter into a pump sprayer and applied it to the rust spots that Phillip rolled out behind him.  Steve finished the process by sweeping the semi-dried surface lightly with a broom to smooth out any bubbles.

The results were a little surprising.  In the training demos, the samples that we applied the Rust Converter turned almost immediately jet black.  On this roof, the color was more of a dark red with black edges. The areas with light rust colored up dark red and only the heavy rust areas that penetrated to the carbon metal below showed up as black.

Day two was a carbon copy of the first day only with a little more wind that steadily got stronger as the morning progressed.  The original plan called for applying the AMC-100L with an airless applicator, but Steve and Jim decided there would be too much over spray with the existing breeze.  So instead we applied paint with rollers and paint brushes.  With me straddling the ridgeline and painting it with a brush, Jim and Steve rolling out the slopes, we moved right along.  While I would suggest using an airless applicator for a project this size, the fact we rolled this on by hand does prove the versatility of the product.  The AMC-100L dried quickly into a BRIGHT silver colored surface.  You could feel the heat reflecting off the roof so I would think the attic would also stay somewhat cooler.

Probably no place is as tough on metal roofs as when they are used on poultry and livestock buildings.  AMC-100L is great option for repairing rusty roof areas before they have to be replaced.  AMC-100L also works great to repair rust spots on feed bins.  You can try AMC-100L in a kit by ordering on line from our web-store at http://www.hogslat.com/vanberg-coatings-amc100l-metal-repair-kit or by going to any Hog Slat and Georgia Poultry stores near you. They carry a full line of Vanberg Specialized Coatings metal and concrete repair products in stock.

One final note here.

You will probably be surprised at the consistency of AMC-100L; as you’ll be expecting a thick, heavy product like latex paint.  In fact, it’s actually more of a thin, watery stuff.  I didn’t wear gloves when applying the AMC-100L because it was a hot day and I planned on washing it off when we were finished.

Bad idea. Nothing would take it off my hands and arms.

Not solvent.

Not gasoline.

Not paint thinner.

Not even finger nail polish remover.

I ended up taking an 80 grit foam sanding block and literally sanding it off my hands!

So beware and wear gloves and long sleeves.  This is tough stuff!

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 Converter, which 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-K. This 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

1. Incandescent bulbs are being phased out by numerous countries (US included) making it now illegal to manufacture many incandescent bulbs leaving only those bulbs still in supply to sell. Usually the higher the wattage the more expensive and more difficult the bulb is to find now with the new laws in effect. LED bulbs do not face this issue and benefit from newer technology that is developing each year.

2. Incandescent bulbs are not efficient at all in terms of converting energy for just light production. Most of the energy is released as heat and not as light thus making them very inefficient. In contrast, LED bulbs convert nearly all their energy to light production and are very efficient. For example a 40 watt incandescent produces roughly 400 Lumens which is a little less than the average 8 watt LED bulb that produces about 450 Lumens. This fact alone makes it easy to see how LED bulbs can pay you back in energy savings over time, by giving you the same Lumens (light output) for much less electrical usage.

3. Incandescent bulbs have a typical lifespan of about 2,000 hours or less, CFL and Cold Cathode bulbs around 10,000 hours, and LED’s can have a lifespan over 25,000 hours. This means less time and labor required to change bulbs by switching to LED bulbs.

4. LED bulbs don’t lose their intensity like Cold Cathode does. Some research shows that after time Cold Cathode bulbs lose light intensity the older they get.

5. Our LED bulbs are fully dimmable and can be dimmed as low as 1%. They do not have issues like CFL bulbs do when dimming at lower levels and work on nearly all dimmers.

6. LED bulb warranties are longer. Most agricultural rated LED’s have a minimum of a 3 year warranty and some go as high as 5. Incandescent bulbs do not have a warranty and CFL and Cold Cathode bulbs usually only have a 1 year warranty.

7. Not all LED bulbs are alike. Do not confuse Agricultural rated LED bulbs and residential LED bulbs. They are not the same, and do not dim the same and thus do not perform the same. They may be more attractive due to their lower price, but they will not hold up in your poultry house like the agricultural rated LED’s will.

8. Some electrical companies, co-ops, and federal grants offer rebates or cost share programs that may be available in your area. Contact your local USDA Rural Development office to inquire about the REAP program or ask your electricity supplier for any rebates they may offer

9. By changing out incandescent bulbs to LED bulbs some have shown a payback as quickly as a few flocks, and if you are changing from CFL or Cold Cathode bulbs the payback can be around 1 to 2 years depending on your lighting program and setup. Regardless, know that by changing to LED you are cutting your energy usage, putting money back in your pocket, having a more durable and longer lasting bulb, and a bulb with a better warranty. Take the next step and invest in LED bulbs today!