Blog posts tagged with 'finishing'

Single and Double Welded Cups

Hog Slat highlighted an additional watering option for finishing pigs at the 2016 World Pork Expo. This all stainless steel welded cup is available in single and double models and designed with several features producers will appreciate.

Note formed gap in back plate to prevent manure buildup.

The back plate of welded cup is formed with a gap off the gate to allow any manure accumulating there to be easily washed out. This prevents premature rusting of gate rods common with cups mounted back to back without this gap.

Two-piece water pipe.

The unique design of the two-piece water pipe allows for easy replacement if it should ever become damaged or bent. The separate ½”x 48” long pipe installs into a female coupler on top of the cup. A specially designed bracket is included to mount the pipe to the top angle on a gate.

Mounting cups back to back is simple with four bolts or single cups can be mounted with a U-bolt around a horizontal gate bar.

To order go to www.hogslat.com, stop at a local Hog Slat store or call 800-949-4647.

GrowerSELECT Proxy Control on display  at the 2016 World Pork Expo

One of the products Hog Slat introduced at the 2016 World Pork Expo is designed to give pork producers an improved method for controlling feed line motors.

The GrowerSELECT Proximity Drop Tube Control features a flat proxy sensor that can detect feed levels through the plastic housing. The flat proxy mounts to the side of the feed tube and doesn’t require drilling a hole for installation. The compact design takes up less room on the control compared to rod type proxy sensors.

GrowerSELECT HS752

Flat Sensor

Like it happens with many advancements in electronics this improved sensor costs less than existing technology.  A quick online search shows replacement rod type proxy switches costing between $117 and $150.  The complete HS752 unit costs $125 and can replace the feed level control on any existing feed system.

Close up of sensor mounted on control

Simple wiring diagrams for existing feed systems.

Click here for manual illustrating wiring schemes for installing the HS752 on the most common feed systems.

To order go to www.hogslat.com , stop at a local store (see store locator)  or call 800-949-4647.

Totally slatted concrete flooring used in group sow housing.

With the majority of U.S. pigs finished in confinement style facilities, a 12-pound weaned pig will spend at least four months on slatted concrete floors. As the industry moves from gestation stalls to group housing designs, slat quality becomes an important factor. Rather than being confined to a small slatted area, sow movement over an entire slatted pen subjects them potential injury from defective flooring design.

Good concrete slat design, construction, and maintenance can minimize foot and leg problems associated with swine production.

The most critical feature in slat design is producing slats with a flat top surface.  Slats with uneven and inconsistent surface place additional stress on pig’s feet and joints.

Level top provides a surface that is easier on pig’s feet and joints.

Many methods used for producing concrete slats consist of placing wet cast concrete into multiple steel forms and hand troweling to finish.  It is harder to build slats with a consistently flat surface by hand finishing methods.

Rotoscreed “striking off” dry cast concrete from mold to apply a flat surface on slats.

Machined slats are produced with a different process that eliminates the uneven surface found on hand cast slats. Automated Rotoscreeds “strike off” the mold creating a level, uniformly flat top that is easier for pigs to move across.

Hog Slat floor slats provide a flat, even surface for pigs.

Slat longevity is an important consideration as worn or damaged areas create uneven surfaces that can injure pigs. Slats built using concrete with a low water-to-cement ratio are longer lasting and more resistant to wear.

The water-cement ratio refers to the ratio of the water weight to the cement weight used in a concrete mix. A lower ratio leads to higher strength and durability but makes the mix difficult to work with and form. For this reason, most slats are produced with wet cast concrete using a water-cement ratio of 0.5. Machined slats are manufactured from dry cast concrete with a water-cement ratio of less than .39.

A cubic yard of wet cast concrete formulated with 500 pounds of cement contains 250 pounds of water, while a dry cast mix only contains 195 pounds. As the excess water leaves during the curing process, it creates microscopic pores that reduce the final strength of a slat. Compromised slat strength can lead to many problems down the road, including expensive repairs, equipment damage and injury to pigs and farm personnel.

Wet cast slats by feeder showing exposed aggregate damage and repaired surface with Vanberg Specialized Coatings. 

Maintaining surfaces and edges of slats, as they wear over time, is essential in providing pigs with a comfortable flooring surface. Areas around waterers and feeders are the first to show significant damage. When the need arises for concrete slat repair, choose a repair mortar designed for slat repair versus generic concrete repair products. Mortars designed for slat repairs feature cement and epoxy formulations with higher cure strengths and faster cure times. The amount of damage will determine the type of repair product needed. For simple repairs, less than 1/4″ in depth, a cost effective cement mortar can be used. More severe corrosion requires the use of epoxy mortars to hold the repair patch in place. Hog Slat offers a complete range of concrete repair products from Vanberg Specialized Coatings that can be used to repair worn and damaged slats with minimal downtime. For more information on slat repairs see the DIY video at http://www.hogslat.com/con-korite-xtra-mortar-kit.

Choosing concrete slats with a level surface and uniform openings provide growing pigs and group housed sows with secure footing to minimize foot and joint injuries.

To learn more about Hog Slat’s machine produced slats go to http://www.hogslat.com/concrete-slats.

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's Cut & Weld panels enable you to build DIY steel gates for your hog farm. Cut & Weld panels feature a movable end to create customized lengths. They're in stock at a local Hog Slat store or online at www.hogslat.com/dyi-gates-and-posts.

As my family and I traveled through Iowa last weekend, I couldn’t help but take notice of several finishing buildings that had been sitting empty for the last year or so. The curtains were down and pit fans running…they were filled with pigs again. Even though pigs are hard on equipment, nothing is harder on buildings than just sitting empty. Motors seize up; bolts and latches rust in place and the gating needs some general repair. To help with gating repairs, Hog Slat manufacturers a DIY product called Cut and Weld panels. Cut and Weld panels allow producers to build gating “on-site” to the exact length needed.

Cut and Weld panels are available in two lengths; 6’-9’ and 9’- 12’ long. Cut and Weld panels are a standard 31 ½” high panel with one end upright tacked in place instead of welded solid.

You simply tap the upright loose and slide it along the horizontal rods until you reach the length desired.

You then weld the rods to the upright and top angle and cut off the excess.

Then, depending on the application, you can choose from a full range of tabs, pipes, latches, etc. to complete the gate. Finish the project off with a coating of Hog Slat blue spray paint to help prevent rust and you’re ready to install a gate fitted to the exact size you needed.

The DIY Cut and Weld panels and all the accessories are in stock at every Hog Slat store located in the Midwest.

I have sold or been involved with swine concrete slats for over 30 years.  For the last 18 of those years I have represented Hog Slat products.  I believe that our slats are the best in the industry and have the most consistent quality. But new slats all look good when they are getting unloaded off the delivery truck. What about when they are 5 years or 10 years or even older?

Last week I was at  Hog Slat’s production plant in Humboldt, Iowa taking pictures of slats.  The plant manager, Dave Shiflett said “You want to see some old slats that we pulled out of a barn recently?”

“Sure”

So we go out behind the plant and he explained that we were called in to replace some slats from local production site.  This particular site was built in 1994. One barn has slats produced by Hog Slat and the other barn has slats from a competitor.

Comparing slats

He said “The slat on the left is a Hog Slat slat and the one on the right is from the competitor.  Notice the difference in surface wear on each slat.  The competitor’s slat has rock showing because the top surface has been eaten or worn away.  I grabbed our slat out of the other building that they were not replacing for comparison.”

“Interesting, but they’re not from the same building”

“No but same site which means same water, same feed and same management.  Pretty good comparison of 17 years old slats I would say”

So we started talking about the reasons for the better wear on the Hog Slat product.

Dave said “It’s the denser concrete we use in our mix.  Everybody that has ever poured any concrete knows the less water you use in mixing concrete, the harder, stronger concrete you get.  The standard mix is a 4” slump, which you have to use to be able to place and screed the concrete in the form.  We use a ZERO SLUMP mix in our slats. Let me show you what I mean inside.”

So we go inside and Dave has slump cone in which he places some of our concrete mix and pulls the cone. He adds water to an additional batch to represent a standard 4” concrete mix.

concrete slump

“Note how the concrete mix on the right has sagged down 4” vs. the zero slump concrete on the right? All the rest of the slat manufacturers have to use a wetter mixture because they don’t have equipment that allows them to work a drier mix. Like I said earlier less water means a stronger, denser concrete that wears better and holds up longer in the barns.”

As the industry’s production buildings get older this comparison bears keeping in mind.  Most new slats look the same when they are placed in the barn and you really can’t tell the difference from the outside. Buying slats for a new building or replacements in an existing structure is an important decision that producers should take under careful consideration.  Looking at 17 year old slats is a chance to get some valuable insight that may help with that decision.

With feed costs reaching an all time high, having the right feeder in your swine facility has never been more important.  Historically American growers have enjoyed low feed costs compared to the rest of the world’s producers.  Because of the supply demand created by ethanol and production shortages, we may no longer enjoy this advantage in the world market. Our industry has seen a number of trends (fads?) in feeder design in the past years. Many of these feeders became popular because of their low cost. Large numbers were installed before they were adequately tested. As production data from these feeders was complied, many didn’t meet industry standards for ADG and Feed Conversion.

The charts below show Agri-Stats Top 25’s average for Feed Conversion for both Feeder to Finish and Wean to Finish operations.  We can use them as a baseline to compare to potential savings that can be achieved with good, well designed feeders.

Using these numbers let’s compare potential savings on a typical 1,200 head finishing building with 20 feeders.  For our example let’s assume that the barn is showing an average feed conversion of 2.9 , achieves 2.4  annual turns and replacing the feeders moves the FC to 2.6.

1,200 head x $24.64 saved per pig space =$29,568

To replace those 20 Feeders with Hog Slat 60” feeders would cost $5,940.

To think of it another way, having efficient, easy-to-adjust feeders in a 1,200 finishing building saves $81 in feed wastage per day in our example.  That means you would have to own the feeders for only 73 days to recoup your investment of $5,940!

Of the numerous brands available for replacement feeders why should Hog Slat feeders be your choice? Many of the top 25 production systems in the Agristats records are using Hog Slat feeders. The reasons are simple. For over 25 years, Hog Slat has produced a quality feeder without gimmicks or following fads.

The bolt together construction adds durability that you can’t get with a welded feeder.  Heavy weight hogs bang and push against feeders.  Welded feeders don’t have the ability to flex with the blows and stress cracks can develop.

Hog Slat feeders have a deeper trough than most competitive brands and a feed saver lip preventing pigs from rooting feed out.

Hog Slat’s box feeders provide higher storage capacity than most tube style feeders.  The large storage volume contributes a safety factor for feed availability issues such as bin bridging, broken augers or motors and power failures.

Precise management of the feeder adjustments is absolutely critical to achieving good feed conversions.  Every Hog Slat feeder features our unique Select-A-Flow adjustment which gives producers the ability to make fine graduated changes in feed flow.  Each numbered setting presents 1/16” in feeder gate adjustment.  And because each increment is numbered it is easy to set all the feeders in the barn to the same setting and repeat the settings from group to group.   You can’t get this kind of repeatability using feeders designed with crank type adjustments.

Hog Slat feeders have been the industry standard for the last 25 years.  Replace your existing feeders and stop pouring money down the pit.

I have been in literally hundreds of hog buildings over the course of my travels. It really doesn’t matter who built them, the quality of the metal or the insulation value…..if they have a metal ceiling you will eventually have some rust occurring. The most typical spots to see this are around the air inlets (cold air hitting a warm ceiling) and the along the outside walls where the ceiling metal is rolled over the knee braces (insulation tends to slide down). Over time this metal rusts and needs to be replaced.

Huge job! The plumbing and electrical lines have to be dropped, metal unscrewed, rips in the vapor barrier repaired, replace insulation and slide and fastened new metal sheeting into place.

Those kinds of repairs are the ones that tend to get put off indefinitely. That’s where products from Vanberg Specialized Coatings come in. Rust Converter and EM-15 Epoxy Mastic are used to repair metal ceiling in place.

First, remove all the loose rust you can by scraping or pressure washing.

Second, apply Rust Converter to the visible rust areas. Rust Converter will neutralize the rust, you will see the rust turn from red to black in a couple of minutes.

Third, mix the two part EM-15 Epoxy Mastic together and either roll or paint it on the metal for a hard, moisture resistant coating that preserves the metal and protects it from further damage.

Vanberg produces a repair kit (EM15-1K) with everything you need to get started. You can go to www.hogslat.com and order it today.