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Hog Slat’s launch of AirStorm fiberglass fans continues our commitment to reducing the price swine and poultry farmers pay for production equipment. Manufactured at our facilities in Iowa and North Carolina, AirStorm fans offer dependable performance at very attractive prices. Here is a look at several key features illustrating the quality designed into AirStorm fans.

Quality starts with Resin Transfer Molded (RTM)  fiberglass housings. Fiberglass parts produced by a RTM process have two finished surfaces and high glass-to-resin ratio. The result is a very finished looking product with high weight-to-strength characteristics. A direct side-by-side comparison of competitive brands shows AirStorm housings to be noticeably thicker. Polyethylene discharge cones reduce weight and cost. 

True airfoil vanes on the PVC shutters reduce air drag to improve fan delivery. Full-length spring steel rods, instead of short endpins, keep the vanes securely mounted into the frame.

Heavy-weight, stainless steel motor mounts, and hardware offer more protection from rust and corrosion than comparable aluminum mounts. Stainless Steel (36″ & 54″) or composite (24″) props outlast plastic or aluminum and stay “in-balance” through actual on-farm conditions. High service factor motors provide protection against varying line voltages common with rural power sources. 

The lower purchase price of AirStorm fans results from a different type of distribution model. The traditional marketing channel for ventilation equipment consists of a manufacturer selling fans to a local dealer who marks the price up before selling to livestock producers. The cost of AirStorm fans is lower because we manufacture and sell directly to the end user. Hog Slat controls the distribution chain from start(manufacturing and sourcing) to finish (sale to the end user) and can limit the amount of “stacked margins” in the final purchase price. (See more about Margin Stack) Our network of local stores provides service at a cost lower than typical dealer distribution systems.

For pricing and ordering information go to Airstorm Fans

Building a poultry drinker by inserting poultry watering nipples into the bottom of a common five-gallon plastic bucket is very popular for backyard flocks. Bucket waterers are inexpensive, sanitary and relatively trouble-free.

We would like to introduce you to an improvement on this simple concept, a product we like to think of as the Ultimate Bucket Drinker.

The Ultimate Bucket Drinker is uniquely designed with three recessed sections with preformed nipple fittings molded into the bottom of the bucket, allowing for easy handling and an effective method for watering backyard flocks.

One key feature of the Ultimate Bucket Drinker is the three recessed sections. These allow for the bucket to be placed stably on the ground when filling with water, a feature that is not possible with the standard drinker with nipples screwed into the bottom of the bucket.

A second benefit of the Ultimate Bucket Drinker is raised watering nipples. This raised design prevents any dirt or debris that is in the water to plug the watering nipples. Instead, any dirt or debris in the water will settle to the bottom corners of the bucket.

The nipples themselves are commercial grade; trigger activated with extra top filter.

The Ultimate Bucket Drinker includes an easy on/off lid, hanging/carrying handle and adjustablehanging cord, allowing you to regulate the ideal drinking height as your chickens grow.

The Ultimate Bucket Drinker goes together fast…no drilling or gluing necessary and costs less than other pre-packaged kits on the market.

To order go to http://hogslat.com/adjustable-chicken-drinking-bucket-with-3-nipples.

We spoke with Hog Slat engineers, Tyler Marion and Tim King about the differences between using a jet or submersible pump to fill evaporative cooling systems. Here’s a quick synopsis of our discussion.

1) Jet pumps are more reliable because they can run dry for a period of time. For instance, if you discover during morning chores a leak occurring overnight had drained the system, a jet pump would still be working.   A submersible pump that runs that long without water will need to be replaced.

2) Jet pump repairs are less costly. The impeller and motor are two individual components; a bad motor can be replaced separately. Submersible pumps are a single unit.

3) Jet pump repairs and service are easier. A jet pump system is all above ground…a submersible pump must be pulled from the sump for repairs. A drain plug on the GrowerSELECT jet pump allows easy access for service and winterizing.

4) The integrated trash basket on a jet pump protects the pump from debris.

5) Submersible pumps are designed to move waste water from underground applications; low volumes with high head pressures. Jet pumps are a better choice for evaporative cooling applications as they move larger volumes of water at reduced head pressures.

6) One of the advantages cited for using a sump/submersible pump system is the sump acts as an extra reservoir for the system. The bottom trough of an 80′ long system holds about 300 gallons of water. A typical sump only holds about 30 gallons; really an insignificant amount. The main purpose of a sump area is to provide a place where a submersible pump can run in water so it doesn’t burn up. (see 1.)

To order go to jet pump

Appropriate maintenance and troubleshooting of a Grow-Disk chain feeding system will lead to smooth operation and a longer lifetime of the components.

Use this inspection checklist as a guide to maintaining your Grow-Disk feed system.

**Caution: Disconnect power before performing any maintenance.

Grow-Disk Maintenance

Daily Inspection

• Monitor system amperage load

Monthly Inspection

• Open unit and remove feed residue
• Check chain tension

Every 6 Months Inspection

• Remove dust from drive unit ventilator
• Check functioning of safety switch
• Check proximity switch
• Check any/all other safety devices or sensors

Once a Year Inspection

• Check idler wheel and drive sprocket for wear
• Check corners. Remove residue. Verify tube position.
• Check system wiring for damage

Grow-Disk Troubleshooting

If you experience an issue with a Grow-Disk Feed System, initial machinery inspection is important. Any troubleshooting exercise should begin with a thorough investigation of the machine, process, design, operation, and system maintenance records. To assist in troubleshooting the Grow-Disk feed system, use the Grow-Disk Troubleshooting Chart.

To learn more about Grow-Disk feed system visit http://www.hogslat.com/grower-select-grow-disk-feed-system

It’s not news to pork producers that hogs are hard on equipment. Just normal wear and tear will damage even the stoutest equipment.

One tough repair is a loose anchor bolt in concrete walls or floors.   Whether it’s a wall bracket, divider panel or gestation stall leg, they can all work loose with the constant “banging” from large hogs.  This not an easy repair; typically the anchor has to be removed and the hole drilled either larger or deeper to hold a new stud.

The new EPO-SET 400 makes this repair much easier.

EPO-SET 400 is a two-part polymer especially formulated for repairing loose anchor bolt studs. Simply clean the loose debris out of the hole around the anchor.  Place the mixture into the void and it sets up in ten minutes with full strength in two hours.

EPO-SET is  easy to use because of the unique dual cartridge system for use in a standard caulking gun.

The standard sized tube contains two separate chambers that mix inside the static mixing nozzle.  No need to buy an expensive two-tube caulking gun or mix the two parts in a tray before using.  Just squeeze the handle and the blended mixture comes out the nozzle.  Makes it easy to direct into holes and cracks in concrete.

You can watch our video at http://hogslat.com/epo-set-400  to learn more.

When Bryan Foods announced their decision to close the state’s only slaughter plant, Prestage Farms in Mississippi changed the structure of their existing operation. Part of the complex was converted to breeding stock production to supply gilts to other company farms. In addition, Prestage launched a unique plan in 2012 to convert some of the existing finishing sites to breeding, gestation and farrowing.

Russ Goss, Production Manager along with Todd Griffin, the operation’s Maintenance Manager gave us the details of the conversion.

The original finishing sites consist of eight, 40’ x 176’8” buildings designed  to hold 880 head of market hogs.

First part of the plan consisted of creating a dedicated breeding site at one former finishing site. One of the buildings was left unchanged and used as an isolation unit, with only the original 30″ penning swapped out for 40″ high gestation gates.  The other seven buildings were switched over to breeding with each holding 336 stalls. The sows remain in the stalls for 42 days after breeding. After preg-checking, the sows are trucked to one of the converted gestation/farrowing sites. The gestation and farrowing sites were retrofitted using four of the buildings as farrowing and four as gestation. Each gestation barn is sized to fill two of the farrowing buildings.

The gestation floor plan lays out 20) 15’10” wide x 18’6” deep pens with 24) gestation stalls located on one end. . Each pen is designed to hold 14 sows allowing for 21 square foot per animal. Each pen has five feeding stanchions located along the center alley and ten on the outside wall.

Adjustable feed drops drop the rations into the stainless steel trough below.

When we asked Russ about the decision to go with pen system versus stalls, he explained, “We feel stanchions are the best choice for group housing compared to the ESF options that we looked at. We think stanchions are easier for our staff to manage and there is less equipment to maintain and repair.”

Russ commented, “The sows adapt to the stanchions fairly well. There’s some fighting the first day we put them together, but they settle down after that. Without a doubt group housing requires a higher level of stockmanship from our people, but the farm staff has learned to manage the system without a lot of trouble.”

Crews removed the old slats and equipment, after opening up a section of the end wall. Supported by the existing slat walls, trussed TriDek flooring spans the entire building with traction brakes located in the center of the crate providing the sows with better footing. Four rows of 33 farrowing crates were installed on the flooring for a total capacity of 132.

Prestage selected a 5’x 7’ Advantage finger style crate with stainless steel rear door panels and SowMAX dispensers above the feeders. Four feed lines run the length of the building to fill the dispensers.

Russ explained Prestage’s previous experience with SowMAX, “We just do a better job feeding sows in lactation with the SowMAX. It eliminates any guess work; we just fill the hoppers twice a day and the sows eat to appetite. They can eat at night during hot weather, and we know they are getting all the feed they want even on the weekends.”

He continued “Improved sow body condition is one of the biggest benefits we get from using SowMAX. Almost all of our sows will score a two or three coming out of the crates”

Here’s a thought provoking list of 20 factors that effect feed conversion in swine production.  We pulled this information 0ut of Jim Long’s Pork Commentary on Dec 17th which he cited Vern Pearson PhD and Mariela Lachman PhD.   As Jim noted with the cost of feed rising so dramatically, effectively utilization of rations has never been more important.  Number one on the list?…… feed wastage.

Hog Slat manufacturers feeders that have been proven to save feed for over 25 years.  Hog Slat dry feeders are the industry’s standard in finishing and nurseries barns, our wet/dry and round fiberglass feeder are additional options and we continue to pioneer sow feeding in breeding and farrowing with SowMAX.

Bait rotation is an important strategy for effective control of rodents in livestock and poultry buildings.  Continued use of one active ingredient or bait type may increase the risk for potential resistance problems.  Rodent populations may also prefer the flavor or texture of one type of bait.

Liphatech’s recent introduction of the new soft bait Revolver gives producers even more choices in their bait rotation program.

FastDraw and Hombre both contain the same active ingredient, Difethlalone.  FastDraw is a soft bait and Hombre is available as a mini block or place pak. Revolver and Boot Hill are formulation with the same active ingredient, Bromadiolone.  Revolver is the soft bait version and Boot Hill comes in either a mini block or pellet place pack.

Now producers can add another element, texture into their bait rotations.  Note the double orange arrows in the rotation diagram illustrating the possible choices.  For example if the first bait used was FastDraw the next choice in the rotation could be either Revolver (soft bait) or Boot Hill (mini blocks) as they both contain a differen active ingredient Bromadiolone.  If Boot Hill was selected the next step in the rotation back to Difethlalone could be either FastDraw (soft bait) or Hombre (mini blocks).

Also note on the diagram the rodenticide Gunslinger highlighted with the blue circle.  We highly recommend Gunslinger be inserted into any bait rotation at clean out as it most effective when animals aren’t present and feed sources can be removed. Gunslinger contains a completely different active ingredient, Bromethalin and its “knockdown” on rodent populations is impressive.

As animal and poultry housing became larger and we develop more sophisticated feeding methods, the use of multiple bins in tandem became common.  While this set-up allowed for greater flexibility in feeding, the front bin of the pair was prone to plugging.

If we look at the anchor bearing that is present in the rear bin, we would notice that it has a restrictor tube over the shaft.  This restrictor tube fills core of the flex auger and prevents feed from filling up the core and overloading the auger.

This restrictor is not present in the front bin.  When the slide is opened feed overloads the system faster than the auger will move it away.  The obvious solution is to cut the opening down by closing off the slide to restrict feed flow.  This can cause other problems as a feed flows tends to flow only down one side of the bin.  A better solution is to use baffles in the boot to restrict feed flow.  This works to prevent plugging but can cause feed bridging in the bin. 

Over the last several years Hog Slat developed and tested a unique solution to this problem.  The final product is called the Extended Anchor Bearing.

Described simply, the Extended Anchor Bearing extends the rear tube restrictor to the front bin.  The auger core is filled in and feed cannot overfill the system.

The Extended Anchor Bearing ships complete with a 14’ restrictor tube, replacement bearing and fastening hardware.  The 14’ restrictor tube is cut to length and inserted it the auger core.  The new bearing is installed and the auger reattached.

A 105-year-old Texas woman has earned a place in almost all headlines by revealing the most unlikely secret to her long life.

Strangely, her key to longevity is bacon. Yes, you read it right; 105-year-old Pearl Cantrell loves to eat bacon and feasts on it almost every day. Her story, for sure, will be a subject of research for most health scientists.

Pearl Cantrell, who’s mostly referred to as the ’105-year-old bacon woman’, said in an interview with a local NBC station, “I love bacon and I eat it everyday. I don’t feel as old as I am, that’s all I can say.”

Resident of Central Texas, Cantrell, a mother of seven, has outlived three of her kids, as well as her husband. Her recent 105th birthday bash was a three-day affair that included more than 200 guests.

Reports according to KRBC state that Cantrell’s love for bacon grabbed the attention of the American meat and cold cut production company Oscar Mayer. A representative of the company was present at Cantrell’s birthday. The spokesman reached her home in a Wienermobile and gave the ‘bacon woman’ a ride in the hot dog-shaped truck, gifting her tons of bacon, with more to come in the future.

“We’ve seen a lot of stories on the road, but nothing quite like this one, so we’re excited to be here,” Abraham Luna, one of the representatives, told KRBC, of the 105-year-old bacon woman. “Pearl is an inspiration for the community, and her friends and family, so we had to make a special stop here for her today.”

Cantrell’s daughter Anno says that her mother taught them to work hard and think about living everyday they woke up. She never spoke about dying. She is very active and still loves to dance.

This story comes as a challenge to the latest study conducted by the University of Zurich, which clearly states that eating too much bacon elevates the risk for bowel cancer.