 |
| 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
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.
