Blog posts tagged with 'GrowerSELECT®'

Mewborn farm entrance sign

“These chicken houses are my family’s life; they’re our investment,” stated Wesley Mewborn. “As a new grower, I trusted the folks at Hog Slat to provide the right equipment and follow up service. So far, they haven’t let me down.”

Wesley with Hog Slat service tech Dewayne Dunn

After spending 13 years in the retail hardware business, Wesley, and his wife, Robin purchased land near Kenansville, NC and constructed six, 46′ x 600′ broiler houses in Oct 2014.

52″ Windstorm Fans

A Hired Hand 4000 computer controls a total of 14 52″ galvanized Windstorm fans in each house along with winter air inlets. The arrival of warm weather begins the transition to evaporative cooling by opening the tunnel curtains and powering on the EVAP Cooling system.

GrowerSELECT feed line and Plasson drinker line.

The houses feature two GrowerSELECT feed lines using Classic Flood pan feeders with extended fins. Water is provided by four drinker lines regulated with a Plasson Water-On-Demand system.

“Raising chickens really just comes down to providing good air, feed, and water,” Wesley explained. “The more time you spend in the houses making sure that happens, the better the final results. The equipment in my houses provide me with the tools to be successful.”

Farm with recent six house addition in the background.

This spring, the Mewborn family added six more broiler houses to the farm. “We really didn’t change much,” Wesley said, “other than moving the brood area to the middle.”  We plan on installing the Hired Hand Farm Manager system to provide real-time remote monitoring. It will give me the ability to check conditions in the houses and even make changes when I’m not there. It ties into the Farm Alarm and notifies me when there’s a problem.”

Wesley and Macy

“Chicken farming is a great lifestyle for a family. My kids, Layla and Macy, come to the farm every day, and that means a lot. Robin and I feel like we are building a good business and good family.”

Broiler houses at a Georgia farm.

When it comes down to it, the cost of manufacturing a high-quality product is the same for most companies producing equipment for the livestock and poultry markets. Most companies have identified the most efficient methods to build an anchor bearing, motor, feeder, nipple waterers, etc.

The real cost difference comes from the delivery of those products to the end user. The standard model of distribution, in our industry, involves a manufacturer producing a product line, warehousing it, and employing a sales force to establish a dealer network.

The dealer network stocks the equipment, maintains a storefront, hires salespeople, installs, and services the production systems in a local area for the brand of equipment they represent.

This particular type of distribution model has changed very little over the history of the livestock and poultry production industries. Each member of this distribution model is an independent business entity and is free to add whatever margins they deem necessary (or possible) to the final cost a producer pays.

GrowerSELECT supply chain removes extra margins to reduce the final cost to end users.

Sold through a different type of distribution model, GrowerSELECT goes directly to livestock and poultry growers through our network of regional local stores. Because we own the distribution chain from top to bottom, we add only ONE MARKUP over our cost.

Our cost is based on finished goods plus ONE MARKUP vs. MULTIPLE MARKUPS from the typical distribution model.

Also, we would suggest that we are the low-cost producer for most products. Wait a minute; the first paragraph said the cost of manufacturing was the same for everyone.

True. But if a brand has a loyal dealer network, the pricing to the dealer network will not be challenged. A loyal dealer will continue to buy brand name products even if the cost is excessive.

GrowerSELECT auger motor with 2-year warranty.

Name brand motors are a perfect example of this. An auger or fan company buys a motor from a motor manufacturer, puts their logo on it and sells it to a local supplier. The local supplier sells the motor to the end user adding little value to the final price. A local supplier has few other options. Their volume of a particular motor isn’t high enough to go directly to a motor manufacturer, and they have little negotiating power with their chosen brand vendor. The brand company has little incentive to lower the cost to a loyal dealer network. In fact, a brand company can charge different prices in different geographical locations depending on market pressure.

Compare this with GrowerSELECT motors. Our network of over 70 store locations and turnkey construction business allows for large purchases of motors direct from a manufacturer. We forecast purchase amounts for each store location and ship directly with minimal warehousing cost. Local retail pricing continually drives us to buy at a more competitive price.

The conventional distribution chain is directed from the TOP DOWN versus the GrowerSELECT model which is driven from the BOTTOM UP. Lower pricing for comparable products is the result.

The GrowerSELECT distribution model also affects product responsibility. Because we interact directly with the end users, we deal directly with any problems arising with the installed products. We sell it; we service it, and the end user works with one company.

The traditional marketing chain allows room for some question regarding who is responsible for dealing with equipment failures when those problems arise. The manufacturer can blame poor installation, dealer system design, or a number of other reasons (excuses) for a product’s failure. A local supplier can blame the brand company for poor design or manufacturing flaws. The GrowerSELECT distribution system eliminates “finger pointing” and focuses on providing accountability to each and every customer.

Our customers produce commodities. The lowest cost commodity producer is always the most successful. Our mission is to provide our customers long term value at the lowest possible cost.

Ask yourself this question; “Are all the manufacturers, distributors, dealers, installers, and service personnel creating ADDED VALUE in the distribution chain I buy from?” If you hesitated while answering that question, take the next step by changing the way you buy and implementing GrowerSELECT equipment into your operation.

To contact a sales representative in your area or find our nearest locations to you, click here.

Billy Dossett in front of his (4) 44′ x 500′ broiler houses at Windy Hill Farms near Collins, MS

When Billy Dossett decided to replace the 14-year-old feeding system in his broiler houses, he turned to Georgia Poultry to supply the equipment.

The Collins, Mississippi grower, explained; “We had started growing a heavier bird and wanted to change from a three on ten to a four on ten arrangement for extra feeding space. We installed the GrowerSELECT Classic Flood feeders in two buildings and a leading competitive brand in two other buildings. Over the next year, we trialed the two feeders side by side over five flocks. The Classic Flood feeders came out on top for feed conversion in four out of the five flocks.”

GrowerSELECT Classic Flood pan feeders.

Billy continued, “The GrowerSELECT feed systems just haven’t given me any trouble, and the performance is great. I feel like I can be competitive with anybody using GrowerSELECT equipment. A grower needs to look down the road when it comes to choosing equipment. With my old equipment, a replacement motor would cost close to $500. That same part from GrowerSELECT is less than $200. Maintenance costs can add up in a hurry if you’re not careful.”

Billy and Georgia Poultry sales representative Derin Bonner

“The folks at Georgia Poultry have been there every time I’ve needed something. Poultry equipment is specialized, and you can’t just pick up spare parts at a hardware store. I like having a stocked parts store close to me for emergency repairs.”

Watch the Classic Flood video below or go http://www.hogslat.com/classic-flood-poultry-pan-feeder to learn more about the advantages of  GrowerSELECT’s Classic Flood poultry feeders.

Margin Stacking is a term that may or may not be familiar to you.  It refers to the cost or profit margin that each member of the supply chain contributes to bring a product to the end user. Every manufacturer, distributor, and dealer adds their own margin and the final cost includes these “stacked margins.”

This type of distribution system has evolved over time and in many cases is the best method to deliver products efficiently to consumers.  The margins charged by these “middle men” aren’t evil or bad as long as they add value to a product through manufacturing, warehousing, installation or technical support.

We would all agree that the structure of the poultry and hog industries has changed a great deal in the last 20 years, and some parts of the supply chain have changed along with it.  At one time, local dealers sold, mixed and delivered complete feed to production sites.  As producers became larger, they quickly moved to reduce the number of people involved in formulating and manufacturing feedstuffs and realized substantial cost savings.

The supply chain to deliver feed systems and ventilation systems has not changed for decades.  Companies design and manufacture products, warehouse, finished goods and hire representatives to “set up” local dealer networks. The dealers provide a storefront, promote the brand locally, order and stock parts, hire salespeople and installation crews.  The industry is still delivering production equipment to the end user the same way it did when the number of producers was much larger.

Hog Slat developed the GrowerSELECT® line to collapse the supply chain, reduce margins and lower the final cost.  How?

Hog Slat established a network of company stores in the major livestock and poultry production areas of the U.S.   This system was backed up with distribution centers totaling over 600,000 square feet. We control distribution costs and the margins charged against the final purchase price.

The resulting volume of goods sold through our store system and large turnkey construction business enabled Hog Slat to justify the investment needed to manufacture feed and ventilation systems for our customers. We design and control the manufacturing process and the costs involved.

Typically, manufacturing companies do not have retail systems in place to deliver, install and service systems on a local level. Local dealers do not have volumes large enough to hire engineers to design and manufacture products for their local markets.  Hog Slat is the only equipment supplier in the poultry and swine industries to integrate the supply chain vertically.

If you have priced any GrowerSELECT equipment, you have probably been pleasantly surprised at the cost savings. You may have even hesitated to buy it because of the low price.   After all, “you only get what you pay for” is true. Buying products through the traditional distribution means you are paying the built in margin stack.  If you are ready to stop paying “margin stack” on feed and ventilation systems contact one of our local stores about GrowerSELECT, go online to www.hogslat.com  or call 800-949-4647.

One of the benefits we list for the Grow-Disk system is a “superior chain.”  The feed chain with molded plastic disks is the main component of the system, physically moving feed to a feeder or sow drop.

I dropped in on Hog Slat’s engineering group to see what I could find out.  I found Tim Hawkins, the project engineer for the Grow-Disk product line. Tim led me to a complicated looking run of 12 corners occurring in less than eight feet with intersecting vertical and horizontal corners.

“The drive unit is off of it now,” Tim explained,  “but we ran different brands of chain through this setup to show accelerated wear. Look at this…..see the metal filings in the bottom of the corner? Those showed up when we ran the last batch of electroplated chain through the unit.  The process of electroplating weakens steel causing it to wear faster.”

“This confirmed the difference between using hardened steel compared to galvanized or electroplated chain.  Hardened steel is high carbon steel given heat treatments of quenching followed by tempering.  The result is tough steel chain that resists wear without being brittle. We can run a hardened chain for days and never see filings like that.”

“With most chain feeding systems you have to adjust for “chain stretch” after the systems have operated for awhile.  We don’t think the individual chain links stretch but as they go around corners constantly rubbing together they elongate because of wear.”

“The only reason, to galvanize steel, is to prevent rust.  With the fat and oils in the feed, the chain doesn’t rust in the tube.  Most brands of feeding chain is galvanized for it’s appearance before installation.  A new bag of Grow-Disk may have some surface rust on it, not a big deal.”

We next looked at how well the plastic disks are fastened to the chain.

“We placed each brand of chain link in a load cell and attached it to a winch, measuring the force needed to pull the disks off the link.”

“Most of the disks pulled off at 300 lbs., although one slipped at only 160 pounds!  We applied over 600 lbs. of force to the Grow-Disk disk before it slipped.”

“First of all, the disks are manufactured from nylon, a stronger, denser plastic instead of polypropylene.
Second, if you look closely at all the chains the connector welds are smooth, except on the Grow-Disk chain….see the little knob?  That knob prevents the nylon disk from slipping…the nylon has to break instead of just slipping.”

“Most feeding chain suppliers buy general purpose chain with the knob removed. By using a chain fabricated “in-house” and designed specifically for feed systems, we can produce a superior product.”

“A strong plastic disk is important because the drive sprocket powering the entire system makes contact with each, single disk for a brief moment.  If an individual disk slips this causes the chain to be slightly out of alignment causing possible jams.”

You can be confident using Grow-Disk chain knowing you are buying the very best even though the cost is usually less.

Hog Slat streamlined distribution system reduces margin stacking.  We manufacture and source products direct to you….eliminating extra dealer margins.

Good product engineering does not add cost to a product but instead takes manufacturing processes into account to reduce costs. It costs no more to spec a hardened chain with knobs intact to provide a better contact for injecting the nylon disk.  The result is a superior product that lasts longer on your farm.

Grow-Disk systems, read more…

Another successful show is in the books for Hog Slat at the 2015 World Pork Expo in Des Moines, Iowa. This year, Hog Slat displayed several new items, including our AirStorm fiberglass ventilation fans, Grow-Disk™ chain disk feed system and the GrowerSELECT® curtain machine. In addition to these new products, we also featured our concrete slats, TriDek flooring, group pen feed stanchions, GrowerSELECT sow drops and more.

Hog Slat hosted a group of Chinese pig farmers that were visiting the United States and attended the World Pork Expo. On Tuesday, as part of their trip, we visited a brand new 2 barn finishing site Hog Slat just completed, located in Lohrville, IA. The group was able to see a new group of pigs that had just been loaded into one of the barns earlier that afternoon, and also examine the inside of the other barn that had not been loaded with pigs yet.
Both of these deep pit barns were equipped with GrowerSELECT Grow-Flex™ feed systems, Hog Slat wet/dry hog feeders and AquaChief cup waterers as part of their equipment package. The group was very impressed with the fit and finish of Hog Slat’s feed system equipment and building construction. To learn more about new construction or remodeling hog barns in the Midwest or other areas of the United States, please visit the Hog Slat sales representative locator, found here.

Hog Slat will be exhibiting at this year’s World Pork Expo with many new and further developed swine equipment products, highlighting Hog Slat’s GrowerSELECT product line.

At the show, Hog Slat will have a large variety of equipment on display in both the exhibition hall (Booth V165 VIB) and at the Hog Slat hospitality tent (Tent G234). Equipment that will be on display includes Hog Slat’s Grow-Flex Feed System, Grow-Disk Feed System, Slats, and an introduction to Hog Slat’s AirStorm fans. We invite you to stop by the Hog Slat booth to see what’s new at the show.

Enjoy FREE ADMISSION to the 2015 World Pork Expo, courtesy of Hog Slat. You may redeem your admission voucher by registering online at www.worldpork.org by May 28th and use voucher code HogSlat2015. Or, present a hard copy of our voucher (available through the Hog Biz, local Hog Slat retail stores, or your local sales contact) during on-site registration the day of the expo.  Expo registration is located in the Animal Learning Center inside Gate 15.

Craving some good BBQ? Stop by the Hog Slat hospitality tent anytime during expo to enjoy Vinny’s BBQ, located in Dakota City, IA. Vinny’s will be serving lunch and dinner both Wednesday and Thursday of the expo.

The World Pork Expo is held June 3rd-5th in Des Moines, IA at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. Visit us at the show in booth V165 in the Varied Industries Building and Hospitality Tent G234. We hope to see you at the show!

As every chicken grower knows, hot weather takes its toll on performance. Feed consumption and daily gain are difficult to maintain when temperatures reach and remain in the high 90s and above. Tunnel ventilation increases bird comfort resulting in improved performance. So is any type of tunnel ventilation good enough? Is there a return on adding fans for increased air speeds above the industry 550 fpm standard? Mike Lucariello, a Tyson grower from Wheaton, MO has a unique perspective on the question. Several years ago Mike remodeled six) 40’x400’ broiler houses to company specs including insulating the north side of the houses and adding insulated curtains to the south side. Fan power was increased to create a system capable of generating wind speeds of 550 feet per minute. Performance was excellent and his farm’s closeouts routinely ranked at the top. Last year Mike built two new 55’ x 600’ drop-ceiling houses. These houses feature improved side and ceiling insulation, energy efficient 52” Windstorm fans, Gro40 brooders and Tego tunnel doors. The wind speed in the new houses was calculated at 700 fpm. The first group was placed in these houses in February and the performance and energy use was excellent. The real test came this summer. A flock was placed on June 22. For the next six weeks the area experienced very hot and humid weather with temperatures staying in the 90s and moving into the 100s on a few occasions - the kind of weather that hurts bird performance and causes mortality to increase. The flock was caught and processed on August 2. Mike is on a competitive contract with Tyson so his performance is compared with other farms for the same week. These were excellent results especially considering that was an averaged total, (with 141,000 of the birds coming from the old houses and only 96,800 caught out of the newer houses with improved ventilation). Birds from the new house averaged 4.08 lbs. vs. 3.81 lbs. from the older houses. We would expect similar differences in Feed Conversion and Average Daily Gain. Another thing to consider is these are small birds... big 8 lb.+ birds would benefit even more from increased air speeds in the 700 fpm range. This winter is the time to take a look at retro fitting your existing ventilation system, especially if you have or are switching to big birds. Put a call in now to your local Georgia Poultry sales rep. They’ll visit your farm and help you put the cost of the retro together... it will pay big dividends in the heat next summer and put money back in your pocket.

Tunnel Ventilation systems along with evaporative pad systems are effective at reducing summer temperatures in swine and poultry buildings. Here are some tips to keep your houses running at peak efficiency.

1) Bleed off water to control mineral content

As water is circulated and evaporated in a pad system the concentration of minerals is increased.  This is especially true in areas that have hard water with its higher levels of dissolved minerals. It is suggested that 5% to 10% of the circulated water should be continuously bled out of the system. Alternatively you can also dump and replace the sump tank water weekly. Products such as Scale-Stop or Cool-N-Kleen Cool Cell Descaler can be effective in controlling scale buildup for farms with very hard water when coupled with bleed off.

2) Check pH

Desired pH level of the water should be between 6 and 9.  The pH levels outside of the this range shorten pad life by leaching out the stiffening agents in the pad. You can alter the pH of the water by adding one of the descaler agents listed above or Grower Select’s Kool-Cell Kleen.

3) Eliminate dry spots on the pad

Dry areas on the pads allow uncooled air to enter the building.  Simply put,  if the pad’s not wet it’s not cooling. Dry streaked areas on the pad are a clear sign that you have clogged holes in the distribution system.  Remove the cover and unstop the clogged holes in the header system.  It is a good practice to clean the distribution system by opening the ball valves and flushing water through at least once a month.

4) It’s a pain…but you have to clean the filters

Install a spin down water filter with a clear housing and 60 mesh screen on the system and keep it clean. It will prevent clogged distribution pipes and dirty pads. The poorer the water quality the more often the filters need to be cleaned. Installing a filter with a ball valve will simplify the chore.

5) Prevent algae growth

Although H2PADs are treated with an fungicide and come with ProTech edging to prevent algae from adhering to the pad surface, this does not completely eliminate the problem.  Treat the system  water with a good preventive product like Bio-Stop or Grower Select’s Kool-Cell Kleen to keep algae under control. In addition,  the pads should be allowed to dry out once every 24 hours to improve the longevity of the pad.  Program your ventilation system to allow the fans to continue to run awhile after the pad system is turned off at night.  This will pull air through the system, drying the pads out and killing any algae spores.

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.”