“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
