Blog posts tagged with 'exhaust fans'

Gene and Phyllis Williams

“The chicken business works good with land and cattle,” Gene Williams commented as he looked out across the pasture next to his farm outside of Everett Springs, GA. “The land gives you a place to spread the litter; the chicken litter builds up the pastures, and the poultry checks provide a steady income when cattle prices are tough.”

Gene and Phyllis Williams have included poultry farming in building their family’s business for over 40 years. Starting with a registered Angus herd, they expanded into the poultry business by leasing two breeder houses in 1975, followed by building three new broiler houses in 1978. In 1994, the family business grew to include The Calhoun Stockyard, and again when oldest son Michael and his wife Shelby made the decision to build four new broiler houses in 2003.

Their middle son, Adam, and wife Jenny moved back to the farm in 2013. In 2014, the two older sons joined with younger brother, Jacob, and his wife Natalie, to purchase a neighboring land tract to form the Circle W Ranch entity. Central to this expansion was the construction of eight 66′ x 600′ broiler houses, each capable of holding 62,000 birds per flock.

Circle W Ranch with Eight 66′ Wide Broiler Houses near Everett Springs, GA.

The tunnel ventilated houses feature Windstorm 54″ exhaust fans, Hog Slat EVAP Systems, and TEGO tunnel doors, regulated by a Rotem control system. The GrowerSELECT feed system utilizes Classic Flood feed pansalong with supplemental feeders in the brooder section. One notable feature is a dedicated feed line with Hi-Grow feeders, used for the first ten days of a new flock and then winched up out of the way. Also, a special hanger line above each feed line permits storage of the Hi-Grow feeders inside the house.

Windstorm 54″ fans power the ventilation system. Shown with winter fan covers to reduce energy loss.

TEGO tunnel doors seal up cool cell openings and direct air up and across the ceiling to promote proper mixing.

Black arrow highlights dedicated starter line in raised position with feeders attached

The dedicated feed line for supplemental feeding in the brood area.

Still actively involved in the daily farming operations, Gene and Phyllis continue to influence the education and work ethic of the ten grandchildren joining the family workforce.

Three generations of the Williams family.

Rodney and Brett Bowden with new Airstorm 54″ fan

To the best of my knowledge, when we built them in 1989, these were the first tunnel/natural ventilated houses constructed in the state,” explained Rodney Bowden at his family farm near Clinton, NC.  “We’ve always had good results in the buildings, but the recent upgrades have improved our performance.”

Rodney added two GrowerSELECT 54″ AirStorm fans per house to increase airspeed and reduce the ambient temperature.  The durable AirStorm 54″ fans feature a fiberglass housing, plastic shutters, and a stainless steel prop.

GrowerSELECT Classic Flood feed pans

The next step in the upgrade was to replace the original feed pans with GrowerSELECT Classic Flood feeders. Rodney said, “Installing the new pans helps minimize wasted feed when the birds are young and has improved my feed conversion during grow out.”

These investments have paid off with an increased bird performance and helped Rodney settle in first place among his group several times since the upgrade.

Click GrowerSELECT for more information about our quality feeding and ventilation systems.  

Management expert Peter Drucker is often quoted as saying that “you can’t manage what you can’t measure.” We believe this is particularly true when it comes to developing, improving and testing ventilation fans.

Hog Slat’s Wind Tunnel

Hog Slat’s AirStorm and Windstorm ventilation fans are designed and tested using an Airflow Performance Test Chamber, or as it more commonly known, a Wind Tunnel. Measuring 10′ x 10′ x 28′ long, the Wind Tunnel was constructed according to AMCA standard 210 and installed at the Clinton, NC facility in May 2015.

Fans to be tested are fixed in place on one end of the Wind Tunnel.

Air Forcing fan powered by a 20 HP motor

A 48″ axial vane fan, powered by a 20 hp motor, located on the opposite end of the tunnel, forces air into the chamber.

Nozzle Wall

After passing through a series of mesh straighteners, the air is then forced through a nozzle wall consisting of metal cones that can be opened and closed to change available square inches of space.

Pressure transmitters feed data to the automated recording system.

Two devices, called Differential Pressure Transmitters, measure and record the static pressure differential on each side of the nozzle wall.  To maintain precise accuracy, the transmitters are calibrated monthly and are also returned to the manufacturer for a factory re-calibration once per year.

One of the key features of Hog Slat’s test chamber is the automated recording system that records data without any manual input from an operator. The Wind Tunnel is ramped up from zero to maximum static pressure while up to two data points per second are recorded in real time. This automated recording system is a custom program developed by a team from Hog Slat’s engineering group. This allows Wind Tunnel technician, Matt Parker, to supply the engineering group with a complete fan performance graph instead of limiting the information to only a few selected data points.

Technician Matt Parker views display screen readouts.

Lead engineer for ventilation products, Tyler Marion explains; “Having a Wind Tunnel in-house allows us to quickly break down a fan by critical components and test multiple variables quickly. We are able to test different motor/fan combinations, shutter designs, and cone styles to constantly improve the fans Hog Slat delivers to our customers.”

QC testing fan blades

Hog Slat’s Wind Tunnel is not only used for fan testing and development, it also serves as a Quality Control check on products received from suppliers. The photo above shows a galvanized prop mounted in standard fan ring. In this case, the initial run of product from the vendor is being checked against the approved sample. This testing continues for each production run to ensure the same performance levels from lot to lot. QC checks are also run for completed fans pulled from inventory and checked against published standards for airflow, CFM/watt and motor amperage.

Matt tests a Windstorm 36″ Box Fan using the Thrust Tester.

A new addition to our fan testing equipment is the device called a Thrust Tester. The Thrust Tester measures the amount of thrust (lbf or pounds of force) a stir or circulation fan develops.  It also measures the thrust efficiency ratio of a fan by dividing the lbf by kWs used. Although the Thrust Test is a stand-alone unit, it is tied into the Wind Tunnel transmitters to record the data. Matt also records centerline velocity at distances five times the prop diameter.

To see more on Hog Slat’s complete line of AirStorm fiberglass and Windstorm galvanized ventilation fans go to www.hogslat.com or call 800-949-4647.

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.

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.

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.

Just saw some interesting info from Billy Farmer. Billy is the store supervisor in Georgia, and had just attended the 2012 Poultry Tunnel Ventilation Workshop at the University of Georgia. They always put out great technical informational at their workshops and this piece caught my eye.  We all know that we should change v-belts on belt drive fans when they get worn but….why?

V-belts don’t actually stretch as is commonly referred. They get thinner as they wear. Because they get thinner, the belts will start to ride lower in the pulley groove. When this happens it’s just like the pulley becoming smaller. As the fan spins slower it moves less air. CFM delivery is directly proportional to the fan speed. Spin the fan 10% slower and it moves 10% less air. Reducing the CFM capacity of a building by 10% can spell disaster in terms of pig and broiler performance during the heat of the summer.

How do you know when to replace a V-belt? 

A quick visual check will determine if  a V-belt is worn and needs to be replaced. If the belt is riding above the pulley groove, it is doing its job. If the belt is bottomed out in the groove and/or riding below the top of the groove, it’s time to replace the V-belt.

While you have the V-belt off, you should take time to inspect to the pulley itself. A new pulley has a sharp V-shaped groove. A pulley that is more U-shaped is worn and needs to be replaced before you put on the new V-belt.

To make the job of replacing V-belts less expensive, Hog Slat developed our own line of V-belts called GroBelts. They are constructed of compressed rubber embedded with low stretch nylon cords. Hog Slat and Georgia Poultry stores carry a complete selection of the most popular sizes in stock. If you can’t make it to a local store, you can also order on line at http://www.hogslat.com/v-belts-grobelt-drive-belts and we’ll ship them directly to your door.

The old saying, “ You can’t improve what you can’t measure,” applies to measuring wind speed in a hog or poultry house.  Gauging wind speed of tunnel ventilation or velocity out of an inlet without an anemometer (wind meter) is like trying to regulate building temperature without a thermostat.

The WeatherFlow wind meter is a great new product that allows you to use your smartphone as an anemometer.  At only $35, it is so affordable that every producer should add it to their ventilation “toolkit.” View our setup and use demonstration below to see just how easy the WeatherFlow wind meter is to use.

First download the FREE app
at either the Apple store or Google play store.

Then open the app and click on

the small green box in the upper left-hand corner.

Click on Settings

Click on Speed Units and set it to Linear Feet per Minute

Next click on Maximum Sample Period and Set it to 30s

Now just plug the WeatherFlow into your smartphone’s earphone jack,
and you are ready to take your first measurement.
Click on Take a Reading 

Hold the wind meter away from your body and about five feet off the floor.

Take the measurements at least 40’ from the tunnel fans.
Measurements should be taken on a calm day as windy days can influence readings inside the house.
For the most-accurate results, take a reading 30 seconds long and repeat with a pause of one minute in between.

To order your WeatherFlow wind meter go to http://www.hogslat.com/weatherflow-wind-meter.