Blog posts tagged with 'sows'

Located in McLeansboro, IL, L&L Farms began their hog farming operation in 1994 raising 400 sows. Since then, Jeff and his family along with the help of quality employees have grown their breed to wean operation to 4,000 sows housed in 2 locations.  We spoke with owner, Jeff Lueke:

Jeff, you have purchased several Grow-Disk™ systems, why did you decide to install this feeding system?

I really felt like we were gaining efficiencies in the farrowing department. We saw how it could provide advantages to our employees, allowing them to be more efficient and manage more sows. Within our operation we also set target goals. These goals consisted of narrowing down the wean to first service interval, drive a heavier pig out the door at weaning, and increase lactation length leading to subsequent larger litter sizes for pigs. In our management plan, we felt that these two products, SowMAX and Grow-Disk, would be a big help to reach our target goals by getting more feed to the sows.

How many Grow-Disk™ systems have you installed?

3. All have been installed into our farrowing barns, but I would not hesitate to install them into any application.

How do you use Grow-Disk™ to feed the sows?

We combine the Grow-Disk with the SowMAX. We feel that the combination of these products delivers a very good program. We basically want the sows to have access to full feed. Between these two products we feel that we can deliver that to our sows very efficiently. The system still gives us flexibility to limit feed intake because we include the Sow Drop. The Sow Drop allows us to limit feed intake if we want to, whether it is in early lactation, pre-farrowing, or for the first three days post-farrowing. In post-farrowing we schedule to feed five times throughout the day, in pre-farrowing we schedule to feed twice a day.

How have the Grow-Disk™ systems performed for you? What benefits have you seen?

I have no complaints; I do believe that we are getting more daily feed intake from our sows with the system. The system is hands-off, requiring less labor to feed. With this automatic feeding we are able to keep feed available, and produce less wastage.

Why did you choose Grow-Disk™ instead of a flexible auger system for your project?

My local sales contact, Carl Herrmann, shared with me some of the advantages that Grow-Disk can offer. Knowing that it was a new product, and knowing that I’ve had success with Hog Slat products in the past, it made me anxious to try it. I think its heavy duty, reliable, and I have not been disappointed.

Switching gears, tell us about your routine feeding with SowMAX.

The system that we set up is basically designed to keep feed available for the sow to access at all times, but not have so much feed supply that if there was a malfunction we would have a pit full of feed. The system allows us to make that work. At most any time there’s 12-20 lbs. of feed available to the sow. If that particular sow wants to get up at 6 a.m. and eat 15 pounds of feed, it’s there. If a sow wants to eat five small meals throughout the day she has the opportunity to do that as well. I think that we forget that hogs are somewhat individuals like people, and may all have a little different idea of how they want to eat. In the past when we fed with a scoop and cart, the sows got trained to jump up and eat whenever it was time to feed. Even if a litter of piglets just started nursing, the sow still jumped up to eat. The sows are much more content and apt to eat at their convenience than they are when you decide when it’s time to feed.  For daily management of the SowMAX, we clean and make necessary adjustments to the feeders twice a day. We have been able to keep SowMAX feeders cleaner compared to other systems. The feeders are simple and easy to utilize and maintain.

What advantages have you noticed with SowMAX over how you fed sows in the past?

We have been able to accomplish our management goals by incorporating SowMAX into our operation. I do believe we have raised heavier pigs. We have noticed that SowMAX wastes less feed and requires less maintenance compared to a solid tube. Having the ability to keep fresh feed in front of the sow all day has been a great benefit.

Do you use any other Hog Slat equipment?

We incorporate Hog Slat’s concrete slats, penning, boar carts, Sow Drops, farrowing crates, and Tridek flooring, among others into our operation.  I’ve found this equipment to meet my standards for over 20 years.

Do you have any suggestions for other hog farmers looking into the GrowerSELECT® product line?

It’s a viable program that should be looked at. I think it is cost efficient for the performance. It would be an asset to any building project.

I was scrolling the web for information on sow housing and ran across this piece authored by John J. McGlone, PhD at Texas Tech University.  Here are some highlights:

First mention of sow stalls was in 1807 in Baxter, England.

Lubbock Swine Breeders housed sows in stalls starting in 1964/1965.  These stalls featured a sand area behind them.

To read the full article, click the link below:

The Crate (stall, case,cage, box, etc): Its History and Efficacy – John J. McGlone, PhD

I found it to be interesting reading and hope you do too.

Official Swine ID – FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

With the USDA Animal Disease Traceability (ADT) rules now in place there is an increasing emphasis on livestock traceability within State and Federal agencies and the livestock industry. More and more producers are hearing about Official ID products and specifically to this article, how it pertains to swine.

There are two main categories when it comes to Official ID for Swine. There are “840” tags and there is the “Swine Premises Tag”. Below are the details and common questions for both.

840 Tags:

What is an 840 tag?

840 tags are USDA approved tags for official individual animal identification. They will have a unique 15 digit number that always starts with “840” which is the country code for the United States. A manufacturer has to be approved by the USDA to produce a specific 840 tag.

What is a common use for 840 tags in Swine?

Increasingly 840 tags are being required for Swine Shows, State and County Fairs and Auctions. They can also be used for Interstate Commerce.

How do I purchase 840 tags?

You must have a registered Premises ID before you can purchase 840 Tags. If you don’t have your Premises ID you should start with contacting your State Animal Health Agency. You can find your respective state’s contact information at the following link: http://www.usaha.org/Portals/6/StateAnimalHealthOfficials.pdf

Once you have your Premises ID you can order your 840 tags and tag applicator by Destron Fearing from Hog Slat.  (See chart below)

Swine Premises (PIN) tags:

Why is a Swine Premises tag commonly referred to as a PIN tag?

Swine Premises tags are official location identification for cull breeding stock (cull sows and boars). The minimum requirement is for them to be used on cull breeding animals just prior to entering harvest channels from their farm of origin.

What does PIN stand for?

Premises Identification Number. It is a unique 7 character alpha-numeric national site identifier.

Can I use them for identifying feeder pigs/weaner pigs for movement and/or show pigs?

No, they are for use with animals in the breeding herd only.

Why was January 1st, 2015 important for Swine Premises tags?

That was the date that the swine industry and packers/processors agreed on to make PIN tags a requirement of sale. If a producer wants to receive full value for their cull breeding animals from that date forward, the animals need an Official Swine Premises tag in their ear before leaving their farm of origin.

When should I apply the PIN tags to my animals?

Most producers are applying them to new breeding animals as they enter the breeding herd and are using it as their management tag. You may also apply them when culling an animal from the farm, just prior to the animal entering harvest channels.

How do I purchase Swine Premises (PIN) tags?

You must have a registered Premises ID (National 7 character alpha-numeric ID) before you can purchase Swine Premises Tags. If you don’t have your Premises ID you should start with contacting your State Animal Health Agency. You can find your respective state’s contact information at the following link: http://www.usaha.org/Portals/6/StateAnimalHealthOfficials.pdf

Once you have your Premises ID you can order your Swine Premises tags and tag applicator by Destron Fearing™ from Hog Slat.  (See chart below)

Hog Slat also offers a wide selection of Destron Fearing™ livestock identification tags for your cattle, swine, sheep and goats. Click here to shop the entire line of animal identification tags and accessories.