Thursday, December 29, 2016

Striving to Find the Better Way


“There’s a way to do it better – find it.”
– Thomas Edison



While innovation never quits at PigEasy, it can certainly ebb and flow.  Sometimes great ideas get stuck in Dad’s noggin for quite a while before he begins messing around in the shop creating the first proto-type. Even then, parts and pieces to the "next big thing" have been known to collect dust waiting to prove their worth.

Who can blame the guy? We’ve been busy.

Traveling all around the Midwest has us thinking we wished we would have tracked all the back roads we’ve zoomed through driven the appropriate speed on back when we started promoting the MealMeter almost four years ago. We aren’t sure if they really look familiar or the landscape is just beautiful everywhere we travel.

For instance, we were up in Winnipeg, Manitoba a few weeks ago for the Prairie Livestock Expo. We thought we knew cold weather here in Iowa…that is until we visited our Canadian neighbors. WOW! That’s a whole new level of freezing cold. Not counting a little run-in with black ice and a median on the way home, the trip was all positive. Everyone at the Expo was exceptionally friendly and we look forward to heading back there again (preferably when it’s warmer).


Our time back in Iowa has been spent developing new products as well as creating different options of our tried and true ones.


Chuck-It Bucket XL


We’ve had some customers request larger Chuck-It Buckets. Our regular Chuck-It Bucket size is great for a typical 3000 head sow farm with a regular loader bucket size, but could be small for larger operations. The Chuck-It Bucket XL is the answer for your larger farm with a 3,000lb and 48 cu. ft. holding capacity.



New MealMeter Applications


We often hear positive feedback on the MealMeter feed dispenser and have found other areas in a farm that benefit from maximizing feed intake while eliminating feed waste, such as a sick pen or boar pen. Customers have been happy with the amount of feed saved, in addition to eliminating the need for another watering pan.

More applications for the MealMeter are in store for 2017 – unfortunately, we’re not at a point where we can disclose all of them, so we’re going to have to leave you hanging in suspense!


Feedback Cart


Another item that has been working on our farm for years is a feedback or back-feeding cart. Ours is an easy tool (go figure!). To use, simply open the valve and walk down the aisle at a pace that gives you the recommended dosage. This is a superior solution in many ways. 1) There’s no heavy lifting or bending involved, and 2) feedback dosage is uniform. You know that the first sow in the row is getting the same amount as the last sow in the row. A 5 gallon bucket just can’t compete.

The PigEasy feedback cart is so new, it’s not even on our website or brochures yet. Call (888) 354-0112 for more details.


ISU Ventilation Project


The most exciting news I have is one I can tell you the least about. What I can disclose, though, is that PigEasy is working with Iowa State University on a preliminary trial to improve pit ventilation with one of Dad’s patented inventions. This idea pre-dates even the MealMeter. Dad was beginning to see all the benefits of this ventilation proto-type right around the time the MealMeter was taking off and requiring more attention.
With the original proto-type in for over 5 years and what we’ve seen with improvements to air quality and pit foaming issues, we have high hopes for the trial’s results and simply cannot wait to get this solution out to producers!


Upcoming Trade Shows


We will be showcasing a lot of the stuff discussed up above at the winter pork shows in January/February. Make sure to check out our booth location at the Expo you’re attending and stop by. We’d love to catch up with you!

 
South Dakota Pork Congress
Wednesday & Thursday, January 11-12, 2017
Sioux Falls, SD
Booth #112

Minnesota Pork Congress
Tuesday & Wednesday, January 17-18, 2017
Minneapolis, MN
Booth #641

Iowa Pork Congress
Wednesday & Thursday, January 25-26, 2017
Des Moines, IA
Booth #114

Missouri Pork Expo
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
Columbia, MO




We hope you and your family had a very Merry Christmas and wish you all the best in 2017!


Until next time,


Katie

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Portabins - so much more!



“When taking in to consideration all the attributes that Prairie Pride Poly Bins have to offer, it was an easy decision to bring them on board to distribute. They fit right in with our philosophy.” 

This is a phrase that you will often hear from us here at PigEasy. So the question comes up, why? What makes Prairie Pride Polybins so easy? 

This is when the list of many attributes occur. Throughout the last few months promoting the polybins that list has definitely grown. We started with the main points, visibility, seamless construction, strong and durable, and ease of use, but there is so much more! Feed bridging can be a huge issue with livestock farmers as that leads to out of feed events. With its smooth finish and seamless sides, Polybins save you from one more hassle. Add that to the visibility if there is an issue, Polybins take the guess out of what's going on with your feed bins.  

First, let's talk misconceptions...


One of the biggest misconceptions is that polybins are only for swine. That's not the case! These bins can be very versatile in any operation. In addition to swine, Polybins can be used in turkey and cattle operations with less corrosion. The polyethylene material is strong, durable and long lasting. How nice would it be to have this in the pasture or feedlot?


To top it off, they're portable!


One product that gets left behind most times is the Prairie Pride Portabin. These bins come in 4 foot and 5 foot diameter. Depending on which one fits best into your operation they hold anywhere between ½ ton and 2 ton of feed. These bins hold all the same features of the standalone bins, BUT, there is so much more!

 Along with the galvanized steel stand there is also a galvanized bottom that fits on the forks of your skid steer, forklift, or a pallet jack. Don’t need it to be portable? OK! The stainless steel stand can also stand alone with some simple modifications.

Much of the time you have an area where you mix your own feed ration, wouldn’t it be nice to not have to open all those bags? You can take the Portabin to town and fill up at the feed mill as it will fit in the back of your truck, which saves time and money! When they are portable you ease your operation up tremendously. How many times are you running to the pasture with calf creep? You can now store it in one container and all you have to do is open a slide gate!


Time Savings = Money Savings



As you know time is a HUGE factor that we all play with our daily operations. Because we all get busy it is easy to forget to check bins, costing us in the long run as the feed mill is running late or on the weekends. But when the almost empty bin is staring at you the whole time it may make it a little easier to call sooner!  If an out of feed event would occur it costs us more money, some of which we don’t gain back. We all go by the saying there are just not enough hours in the day. If you were able to cut down the amount of time you spend on the little things and had more time to focus on your family wouldn’t that pay for itself?


- Dawn

712-210-3301
dawnb@pigeasy.com


Wednesday, November 2, 2016

"We can rebuild her. We have the technology."



Steve Austin. Astronaut. A man barely alive.
Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. 
We have the capability to make the world’s first bionic man. 
Steve Austin will be that man. Better than he was before. Better. Stronger. Faster.


Gentlemen, we can rebuild her. We have the technology.



Comparing a sow to the 6 Million Dollar Man is probably a bit of a stretch, but there are similarities if you really think about it.

Steve Austin was an astronaut, someone the US Government invested in to take us into outer space and advance NASA’s interests.  After enduring a catastrophic crash of his aircraft, doctors realize Austin will only survive and continue his life’s work if extreme measures are taken. And with this tragedy comes a huge opportunity; to build the first bionic man who is stronger and faster than any human on earth.

Pork producers invest in each sow as a productive entity on the farm. Because sows do not reach profitability until after their third parity, it’s imperative to build momentum with incoming gilts and maintain that momentum throughout her lifetime by keeping her in condition at critical points in her reproductive cycle.

But what if a catastrophe occurs where she loses condition, such as an illness in lactation or can’t keep up nursing a big litter? Studies suggest if a sow loses condition in lactation, she’s more likely to be culled after her next parity. Typically, this sow is never able to regain condition throughout gestation and performs poorly the next litter. We all have the best of intentions to get her back into condition in gestation, but how often are we successful? Do we have the ability to change this trend?

We now have the technology. (Okay, “technology” might be pushing it, but we DO have a solution.)



We have the capability to keep this sow productive in the herd.



Losing condition in lactation happens, but it doesn’t have to be the end for that sow.


Klocke Farms has set up what is called a “Recovery Row” in the breeding barn. This row is intended for sows that are under conditioned, coming off of an illness or are not eating well. MealMeter feed dispensers are ready in the recovery row and feed boxes are first set at roughly 4-6 lbs (2-3 lbs per feeding). The viewing windows and troughs are monitored to assess intake. If by the end of the day the viewing window is empty and the trough is clean, the staff know it’s time to bump up the feed box to allow more feed.


Even being under conditioned, KFI breed these sows if they cycle, knowing that the MealMeter will get them back into condition.

The MealMeter feed dispenser allows the sow to consume her daily ration when she is ready without fear of her feed going stale or being washed down the trough to her over conditioned neighbor. By giving her time and choice, KFI is able to feed these recovery sows 16 lbs or more a day and can then easily get her back into condition before her 35 day preg check. 

Because KFI is able to condition these sows when they need it most, they are able to run a 35% replacement rate and are pushing over 60 pigs per sow lifetime.



This sow will be better than she was before.

Better. Stronger. More Productive.



It could be argued that a gilt entering the herd, given all vaccinations, undergone the feedback program and has built immunity to the population of the sow herd, is a wasted resource if no effort is given to build her back up after she loses condition in one of her earlier parities. Sows that can get past their third parity are able to reach the next level of maturity and that is why pigs from multi-parity sows fare better than P1 progeny in thegrow/finish sector.

Klocke Farms hypothesizes that a lot of the sows that left the herd early due to losing condition in lactation were in fact the more productive sows. By giving them the extra attention they need post-lactation, we are able to “re-build” her so she is ready for the next parity and beyond.

Steve Austin was a man of skill, experience and knowledge. If they had the technology to save him and allow him to reach his potential yet chose not to try, think of how much would have been lost… Dad wouldn’t have had a TV show to watch in high school!


We have the capability to keep these sows productive in the herd. By tapping into the potential of the MealMeter, our herd is better, stronger and more productive than ever before.



Until next time,

Katie




This blog post is Part #3 in a series on the long term benefits of the MealMeter.

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Chuck-It Bucket 1.0 to Today

When we launched PigEasy and set out to build the product line, adding the Chuck-It Bucket was a no brainer….




Long before it ever had a name, Dad built the Chuck-It Bucket for our sow farm to hold and handle pig mortalities and afterbirth.  He didn’t like the idea of full 5 gallon buckets spending days near the door waiting for the skid loader; the sight and the smells aren’t good for our employees and it’s simply inefficient.  Then you have the issue of the loader bucket. Who wants to clean that out twice a week or leave it dirty?


Of course a simple dumpster wouldn’t do for Dad. It had to completely empty so nothing could be left in to rot. The skid loader driver also needed to be able to drive right up to it and move it out of the bio-secure area.


The very first proto-type we've used on our farm for
the last 20 years!

Dad has updated the design since our very first prototype. But like with all of our products, the original is still used on the farm. This dumpster has lived through a lot and still works like a charm 2 decades later.




I think the greatest joy we have at PigEasy is to hear how our products simplify every day tasks and make things just as easy for others as they do for us.




Until next time,

Katie



For more information, visit www.pigeasy.com or call (888) 354-0112.

Thursday, August 25, 2016

We love our Prairie Pride Polybins – here’s why


Dad treats the sow farm like his 5th kid. And this kid is now old enough to be a poor college graduate.

Our sow farm is now 23 years old and even with a quality built site, equipment has been replaced and updated over time. I think it’s typical for producers to approach equipment purchases differently the second time around; value and longevity becomes a higher priority than price.


When Dad (Dave Klocke) started researching replacement bulk bins a few years ago, the search began with a lot of the same designs (and looming headaches) that have been used in the livestock industry for decades. There are quite a few expensive accessories that help with some bulk bin issues, but if anyone knows my dad, they know that’s not good enough.

Luckily, Dad came across Prairie Pride PolyBins. It didn’t take him long to catch on to their immediate and long term benefits. After we ordered and quickly installed our polybins, the real love affair began. Read on for the 4 main reasons we love our Prairie Pride Polybins.


1.  Visibility


I think we all take for granted what visibility will save you short term and in the long run with feed management. It’s typical with steel bins to order feed by knocking on the side of the bin to guesstimate the inside level, only to later realize the side you knocked on was the lower end of the feed slope or where feed was hung up. This mistake is a costly one with either an overflow of feed that will need man hours to clean up or a potential out of feed event that could affect production and your pigs’ daily gain.

With Prairie Pride Polybins, feed levels can be observed from the ground, eliminating any liability issues you have with needing to climb to the top of the bin to get a good view. Any feed problems (hang ups, chunk of bad feed, etc) are visible to anyone around and are swiftly dealt with.

Your feed company will love you for making it easier to deliver the right amount of feed to the right bin during regular business hours instead of making an emergency call for a weekend feed delivery or putting them behind schedule because of an order error. Polybins keep everyone accountable.

I could go on, but a simple photo tells it all; we can view our feed bin levels while enjoying a cup of coffee from the front porch.

Looks like we need to order feed!



2.  Efficiency without all the Bells and Whistles


While attending open houses for PigEasy over the last few years, we’ve seen it all; the scales that link to the apps on your phone, the parts you can add inside of your bins for better feed flow, the list goes on. These are all great solutions, but why go through the rigmarole and spend money on each of these costly accessories when a polybin solves everything?

Prairie Pride Polybins are maintenance free. How?

Polybins are made up of polyethylene plastic, which gives each bin a smooth finish. This allows for a more even feed flow, compared to steel corrugated bulk bins where feed tends to get “hung up” on one side or funnels down from the center.  Because polybins are made from roto-molded plastic, there are no vertical seams and bolt heads, which can also cause hang ups.  Add that to the visibility component and you have quite an efficient bulk bin.

Electronics malfunction and many moving parts mean more opportunities for break downs and wear points. Simplifying the process means less headaches in the long run and offers increased efficiency. Prairie Pride Polybins fit in so well with our motto, “Easier is better.”


3.  Longevity


Polyethylene is an extremely durable plastic that doesn’t crack, crinkle or dent. Basically, it can handle years of abuse and extreme weather without losing its function. In addition, producers don’t need to worry about rusting or corrosion like they would with a steel corrugated bulk bin.

Over time typical steel bulk bins may appear to be in good condition from the outside, but does it look the same inside? Steel bins rust from the inside out, so corrosion may go unnoticed until it becomes a big issue.

Prairie Pride Polybins originated in Canada in the early 1980s and you can find originals still in operation even with their extreme winters. Now that is passing a quality assurance test!





4.  Better quality feed and no feed outages = healthier and more profitable herd


The effects of an out of feed event, or periodic out of feed events are heavily researched and studies have shown it has a big impact on production and your bottom line as well as your daily gain in the grow/finish sector. It’s easy to put a dollar value on visibility when it comes to making sure your herd has available feed.

In addition, there have been links of the amount of mold/toxins in feed to infertility issues in a sow herd. You can invest in quality feed, but then lose that quality during hot summer days in an even hotter steel bin. In our operation we’ve tested the temperature between steel bins and the polybins and found that on hot summer days steel bins get even hotter, while polybins remain cool to the touch.  Because of this we no longer need to add mold inhibitors to our feed supply.




As an industry, we invest heavily in top of the line biosecurity and filtration systems; we know everything what is coming in and going out because one mistake could be catastrophic. The same should be for our feed. We should know that the quality feed that is purchased and filled in our bins should be in the same condition by the time the herd consumes it.

____



These are just a few of the reasons why we not only love our polybins, but have acquired a master distributorship of the Prairie Pride product line. This means we will have available inventory and can haul and assemble polybins on site. Prairie Pride Polybins fit with our philosophy; that simple, everyday modifications can have huge impacts on production success in your operation.



Until next time,

Katie




For more information on Prairie Pride Polybins,
call Dawn Buse at 888-354-0112 ext 704
or email dawnb@pigeasy.com.

Friday, July 22, 2016

PigEasy granted Master Distributorship of Prairie Pride Polybins


Templeton, Iowa – July 20, 2016 –

PigEasy, LLC, a family owned company based in Templeton, Iowa, was recently awarded a master distributorship of Prairie Pride products from Olivet, South Dakota. Prairie Pride, a subsidiary of PW Aire Technologies, has been a manufacturer of equipment for the hog and poultry industries since 1981 and is best known for developing the polybin.

Founded by lifetime producer, Dave Klocke, PigEasy, LLC is focused on increasing pig production and operational efficiency through their line of innovative products. In addition, all Prairie Pride products will be available through PigEasy, along with the option to haul and install on site.

“Prairie Pride Polybins fit in well with the PigEasy philosophy; that simple changes in your operation can make huge impacts on production and efficiency,” Klocke stated. “Prairie Pride Polybins make feed storage and management easy and hold up over twice as long as a typical feed bin.  That is why teaming up with Prairie Pride makes a lot of sense.”

PigEasy will serve territory for Prairie Pride throughout western and central Iowa as well as eastern Nebraska and southwest Minnesota. Prairie Pride by PW Aire developed the polyethylene feed storage bin over 35 years ago and continues to have success throughout North America as the bins are corrosion resistant and allow producers and feed suppliers a visible feed level to avoid feed outages. 

Prairie Pride polybins are known for their high durability that stand up to extreme temperatures and weather conditions.  Bins are available in a range of sizes with the most recent development of the 9’6” diameter polybin, ranging in 12-17 ton capacity.  To learn more about Prairie Pride polybins, bin accessories and the PigEasy product line, visit www.pigeasy.com or call (888) 354-0112.

###


PigEasy, LLC
31423 Jade Avenue
Templeton, IA 51463
(888) 354-0112

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Sowing the Seed to Sow Success


“You can’t win them all if you don’t win the first one.”


In high school and college, I used to work at a local café where the “regulars” would pull out a deck of cards while their bacon was frying to play for who gets stuck with the breakfast tab. As the cards were dealt, someone would inevitably remind the table, “You can’t win ‘em all if you don’t win the first one!”

This line struck me recently during one of our conversations on gilt development at KFI (Klocke Farms, Inc). It’s been drilled into us that how a gilt performs on her first parity affects her lifetime production, so our herd’s overall success suffers if we don’t make an effort to prepare gilts as they move into the breeding barn.

KFI early cull rates significantly lowered
after MealMeter implementation.
In the first post of the series on lifetime production, we discussed some of the lifetime production successes we’ve seen at KFI. One of the most important accomplishments is lowering the total number of early culls, (sows culled before the 4th parity) as it is noted that sows do not reach profitability until after her third parity.  We attribute much of it to how we feed incoming gilts, but that is not meant to downplay all the additional efforts of our crew every day in terms of gilt development.

Every sow farm has their own set of tricks that are vital to their success with incoming gilts. And while no two sow farms run identical protocols, here are four factors I feel contribute to our positive reproductive performance with gilts.


1.  Build Trust with Staff


It all begins in the GDU.  Too often the only time gilts interact with the breeding staff is during quick walk throughs and vaccinations. At KFI, our breeding staff spend more time in the pens every day so trust is built between them and the incoming gilts.

There’s a reason why nurses at the doctor’s office take the time to coo, coddle and hand out sugar free lollipops after the shots; so the kids don’t run in the opposite direction the next time they have a doctor visit. The same goes for the GDU; spending that time upfront with gilts to earn their trust goes a long way and will benefit you throughout the animal’s lifetime.


2.   Immunity Acclimation



This next item has held many names at the farm and we are lucky our consulting vet filled us in on this idea years ago. In order to acclimate the new gilts to the sow farm, we collect the feces 1-3 days post farrow from both sows and pigs every week. The “collection” is transferred over to the deep freeze where we pour a thin layer into multiple buckets. We layer each week until the buckets are full (and become a layered “poo-cube”).

The staff places one of these “poo-sicles” in every pen of the isolation barn a few weeks after their arrival. Because it is cold and gilts are curious creatures, the “poo puck” moves around the pen and exposes each animal to all the farm bugs.

This is an easy and effective way to acclimate each gilt as it doesn’t fall through the slats, it’s intriguing to the animals and provides a good cross section of the pathogens prevalent on the farm.
(More on this at a later date!)

3.  Daily Boar Exposure


After gilts reach 5 months of age, we feel it is important for them to be familiarized with the on-site boars. This way when mating occurs they are already comfortable with the sights, sounds and smells of the boar.

We begin with a trustable boar and let him loose in the aisle next to the pens every day. When a staff member is close by, we later allow the boar to walk in the pen with the individual.

The gilt deals with a lot of change in a short amount of time when moved to the breed row, so it is important to alleviate any adrenaline inducing factors if you can. That leads me to my last point…

4.   Reduce Limited Intake Days


MealMeter feed dispenser
Prior to the MealMeter’s inception, our farm had difficulties getting gilts up to optimal feed intake prior to being bred in their new environment. Consultants said gilts just need to get used to their individual maternity pens and that just takes time.

After observing gilts in their new environment, Dave realized it was less the individual maternity pen and more how a gilt is fed. Gilts are used to eating what they want, when they want it throughout the day like a market hog. Then we move them to individual maternity pens and drop a large amount of feed in a trough and expect them to consume it in a short amount of time before the water turns on or the feed becomes stale.


The MealMeter has become a tool that transitions gilts from eating like a market hog to eating like a sow. We increased our parity 1 production and in the long term increased the overall production on our farm by implementing the MealMeter pre breed and in lactation. 


By focusing on gilt development and their success out the gate, you allow each animal the ability to reach their genetic potential, which proves to be a long term return on investment throughout the animal’s lifetime.


For more information, please call 888-354-0112.


Until next time,


Katie 




This blog post is Part #2 in a series on the long term benefits of the MealMeter. Sign up for email updates to be notified when the next post is featured.

Thursday, June 23, 2016

MealMeter to avoid Early Culling


Culling sows have been brought up in a past blog post as the MealMeter has catapulted Klocke Farms’ (KFI) pigs per sow lifetime past 60. While many focus on Pigs per sow per year, pigs per sow lifetime is an equally important number especially in terms of cost of production.

Jason, KFI's Breeding Manager with
a P18 about to be culled.
Love or hate it, farm records tell a true tale of successes and areas of improvement throughout a sow farm. These records served as the starting point to most of our products. Dave would see an area of concern, dig deeper into it and come up with solutions.

Recent KFI PigChamp records have us looking at sow longevity from a different angle, one that we feel is important to point out and discuss.  There has been a lot of buzz in the industry on early culling and we discussed it briefly in a post last year. We stressed that because a sow does not reach profitability until after her third parity, maintaining good condition is extremely important.  Looking beyond parity performance, pigs from multi-parity sows have higher wean weights and perform better in thegrow/finish sector.

While looking at the Quarterly Culls by Parity spreadsheet, we were able to compare the number of culls by parity from 2011 through 2015. Not surprising to us, the total number of culled sows dropped after the MealMeter was implemented in 2012 along with overall replacement rate.

The MealMeter was implemented in 2012 at Klocke Farms

Additionally, taking another look at the number of sows culled shows an even more significant success with the MealMeter. Since the MealMeter’s inception, KFI not only lowered the total number of culls, but they also dramatically lowered the number of early culls. This means the herd as a whole is more productive, more economical and stable.



To compare these numbers, we calculated the percentage of sows culled in each parity by year. The year before the MealMeters were installed we had 1098 total culls. Out of these culls, 10.28% were culled before their first parity, 13.41% were culled after Parity 1, Parity 2 consisted of 8.36%, Parity 3 was 10.74%. In total, 42.79% of our culls were culled before that sow became profitable.

The year the MealMeter was developed and installed, the percentage of sows culled between Parity 0 and 3 dropped to 36.20%. The percentage was down to 24.45% in 2015. That’s over an 18% drop in 4 years!

Again, our farm records are telling us something. With no other major change at KFI, the farm is able to keep productive sows in the herd long past the point of profitability. The total number of sows culled is decreasing in addition to a huge drop in the percentage of lower parity sows culled within that number. Our herd is doing what it’s supposed to.

How does the MealMeter increase herd production?


The MealMeter’s overarching advantage is to avoid and eliminate limited intake days at critical times in a gilt/sow’s reproductive cycle. This is achieved by allowing each sow the ability to eat her daily ration throughout a 24 hour period without feed loss.

Dave gives the example of a sow going into standing heat as the feed is dropped in a typical gestation setting. That sow is off feed for half of a day and unfortunately that is when the sow is expected to consume its daily ration. When does that sow get the chance to catch up? If the farm waters in the trough, feed is washed down the row for neighbor sows to consume. Otherwise, the dropped feed gets stale and unpalatable for the sow. This sow just lost her daily feed ration without the opportunity to make up for it. While that sounds very little, it is a substantial amount at a significant time in a sow’s reproductive cycle.


By allowing each gilt/sow to decide when she wants to consume her daily ration with the MealMeter, you are giving her the ability to maintain and gain condition when she needs it most. Your herd is a huge investment and every gilt purchased should be looked upon as a valued asset to production. By giving each gilt and sow the tools to remain in condition when she needs it most, investment is spread over more pigs per lifetime and that makes sense economically.



This blog post is Part #1 in a series on the long term benefits of the MealMeter. Sign up for email updates to be notified when the next post is featured!




For more information on the MealMeter, you can visit the PigEasy website, www.pigeasy.com.

If you’d like to talk to us about its benefits on our sow farm and how we can help you get started with the MealMeter, please call 888-354-0112.

Monday, June 6, 2016

To the World Pork Expo We Go...

The 2016 World Pork Expo is upon us and once again we have a lot going on in the PigEasy booth (#V729).


PigEasy’s Farrowing Crate takes center stage with its unique design that gets every pig person excited. Built with durability in mind, the front and rear gates and frames are made with stainless steel. As the first function of its kind, the PigEasy Flip Over feature is the leading solution to power washing farrowing rooms. By flipping the feeder 180 degrees, it completely drains the water and cleaning solution, keeps feeders out of the walkway and takes away the headache of water spraying back at the operator. Another key component of the PigEasy Farrowing Crate is its quietness. All pig people know the hardships of one startled sow in a rattled crate and the domino effect that takes place on the entire room. Visit the booth and see for yourself how PigEasy’s exclusive crate design alleviates a lot of issues that arise from your standard farrowing crate.



The Chuck-It Bucket is offered as a show special in this year’s PigEasy booth. The Chuck-It Bucket simplifies the handling of pig mortalities and afterbirth as a transition dumpster. We will have additional Chuck-It Buckets on hand that will fit in the back of a truck. Get a leg up on your upcoming industry audits and pick up a Chuck-It Bucket at the booth this week!



As always, the MealMeter feed dispenser is and will be the hot
topic of the PigEasy booth. Not only does it greatly save on labor and feed, but its biggest benefits are increase production and longevity. All of these benefits and more make for a quick return on investment. Head on over to the PigEasy booth at the World Pork Expo to learn more.





For the Klocke family, the World Pork Expo is a time to catch up with old friends and meet new. We hope to see you there! 


World Pork Expo
Iowa State Fairgrounds
PigEasy Booth #V729 in the Varied Industries Building