13 Story Idea? Contact Paul.Nolan@Farms.com Better Pork | December 2023 times they can be scattered across the desk, but we try to keep it clean. Is your pickup messy or neat? I strive for neat, though it can be easier said than done at times. What’s your favourite thing about working with pigs? You know what you are getting with pigs. They are usually quite calm, and I don’t have to worry about them getting too aggressive unless I’m working with boars. I also like that I can set my own hours, especially with loose housing, and that system makes it easier to keep track of things and get good information on the animals as well. Any novel ways you protect your herd’s health? One of the main ways we promote herd health is with our ventilation system, which is pit ventilated, and a heat exchanger that keeps the barn clean and dry with minimal humidity. We keep close track of vaccinations. We’ve just started vaccinating at weaning with a three-in-one shot for circovirus, mycoplasma and ileitis. Our herds are generally pretty healthy, and if we have health issues with pigs, we usually ship them as barbequers since they will likely be slow growers and cost us more down the road. We also wash every room with a pressure washer once the pigs have been cleared out. We use only hot water, and don’t soak with soap or disinfectant, as that tends to kill the good bugs as well as the bad ones. The best thing about farming? I love working close to home. I enjoy being able to work by myself a lot of the time, listening to music or podcasts to relax … as long as things are going smoothly! What do you like least? This won’t come as a shock to fellow farmers, but the work involves long hours. I am generally in the barn every day, though I try and take Sundays off when I can. Current farm machinery lineup? We have a feed mill in the barn so we can make our own feed for the animals. My uncles work alongside us on the crops doing the springtime work, and we take care of the harvesting, so we have a combine, tractor and grain buggy. Currently, we are looking into installing solar panels in the barn to save on energy costs. What sort of livestock technology do you use in your barn? We have four Nedap electronic sow feeders (ESFs) in the dry sow barn and two in the gilt room. In the farrowing barn, half the stalls use lift crates and half are loose sow housing. We also have automatic sow feeders in the farrowing rooms that are integrated with the ESF system and our feed ration plan. This gives us the option to Specialty pellets designed with your sows and bottom line in mind! Great for Electronic Sow Feeders • Pellets that Flow Excellent • Don’t Break up Easily • Stay Similar Load after Load Quality • Very Few Fines • Sows Love Them! Price • Very Competitive Sow Pellets CONTACT KENPAL TODAY! Kenpal Farm Products Inc., 69819 London Rd, RR #1 Centralia, ON, N0M 1K0 Tel: 519-228-6444 • Toll Free: 1-800-265-2904 • Fax: 519-228-6560 kpalen@kenpal.on.ca • www.kenpal.on.ca Lactation Gestation UP CLOSE
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc0MDI3