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Frank Harris, Head of Hog Slat’s Engineering Department, spoke with us about the development of the GrowerSELECT product line.

What is the focus of the GrowerSELECT product line?

Hog Slat wanted to directly source products to reduce final cost to the end user. We knew we could lower the cost if we reduced the number of people that handled a product, and in many cases improve the quality.

Replacement motors for fans and feed systems were the first items we started to direct source.  OEM Fan and feed auger companies do not produce their own motors; they all buy from the same motor companies.

We did not just buy off-the-shelf motors. We specified certain improvements in the motors based on our experience.  For instance, one problem according to our service department was motor shaft breakage.  We changed the shaft diameter blend radius and specified a hardened shaft of 1144 steel. We eliminated the problem.

Some people may have the perception that GrowerSELECT products are just cheap generic copies. How would you answer that?

I am not going to tell anybody that we invented feed systems or fans. However, in almost every case we are able to look at existing products and make improvements.

We evaluate every item developed for the GrowerSELECT lineup in three different ways.

First, from an engineering standpoint.

Can we make this product out of different material? Can we make it easier to manufacture?  Can we change the shape or size to eliminate problems?

Second, we evaluate from a repair standpoint with feedback from our service departments.

What are you fixing out in the field?  Where is this product failing?  What would make the product easier to service?

Third, and most importantly, we evaluate from our customer’s standpoint.

Is this the right product? Is this the right size?  What is giving you the biggest headache in using this product?   What changes would you make?

After gathering this information, we conduct the Process Failure Effect Mode Analysis or PFEMA.  Simply put, this is a logic method for determining why a product fails and how to correct it.  We document the process and can refer back to it when problems arise.

We then create detailed 3D computer models of the proposed product and subject it to computer-simulated stress tests.

Wait a minute; you can test the product before it is even built?

Yes, here’s a good example.  When we first designed the blue plastic hopper for the SowMAX, we did not have a lip at the top.  When tested via computer simulation, we realized it might crack when impacted, for example if a feed cart banged into it.  We added the lip to strengthen the hopper and eliminated a potential problem.

Another example is the GrowerSELECT® clear upper boot, injected from impact-resistant polycarbonate.  It does not have to be as thick as plastic boots used by other manufacturers to have a superior breaking strength.  We were able to “tweak” the material thickness and avoid adding unnecessary additional cost to the end user.

The next part of the process is to send the drawings to a manufacturer and order sample parts to test against a quality control process known as PPAP or Production Part Approval Process.

Okay, what does that mean?

It is the same quality control process the automobile supply industry uses.  It means we take the sample products and measure them against the drawings we created.  We particularly identify those measurements most critical to the quality of the product.

Once we are satisfied that the sample batch is correct, we then order a small production run.  This first-production run is then field tested.  Our service group installs them on farms, and we monitor the results.

After field-testing is completed, we release the product to manufacturing.

Before receiving those released products into warehousing, our Quality Control department conducts a series of QC checks.  Keith Riley, QC department head, creates an Incoming Inspection Document for each item.  This establishes a benchmark of quality checks used to test production parts.  This is not only done the first time we receive the product, but every time that product arrives from the manufacturer.

How many people work in Hog Slat’s engineering department?

We have nine engineers and six Quality Control members. We have a good core of experienced engineers with several younger guys that we have hired…I like to say we have just the right blend of “gray hair” in the group. I have to say the younger guys have a great “toolbox” they bring with them. They are contributing with new technology.  A good example is the 3D printer we recently added to the department.  It is allowing us to perform some things we had not been able to do before.

What are future goals for your group?

Continuous improvement of products.  Just because we have a product developed doesn’t mean we quit trying to make it better.  We think we can improve motors. One of the principle reasons we are able to offer a two-year warranty is that we have such a very small percentage of motors returned under that warranty. But, we have some ideas that will improve these motors even more.

Hog Slat has a very unique position in the industry.  We are responsible directly to the end user.  It is our own people installing and servicing the products we sell.  We cannot pass off problems to someone in the supply chain; we are the entire supply chain to the end user.

We have access to company farms to test new products.  We have feedback from our own service crews.  Our goal is to use these resources to improve product offerings and get those improvements to the market faster.

One of things I think we are the best at is identifying the optimum place in the world to manufacture a product.  We are not just throwing everything to Southeast Asia.  In fact, we have moved several products back to the United States. A good example is Classic Flood feeders, we started overseas but now these parts are molded in the U.S.

We do a lot of final assembly at our locations in Clinton, NC and Humboldt, IA.  We source items from the U.S. and other parts of the globe, bring those components in to test, then assemble the end products.  Using this process we have more control over the quality of the final product.

The old saying, “ You can’t improve what you can’t measure,” applies to measuring wind speed in a hog or poultry house.  Gauging wind speed of tunnel ventilation or velocity out of an inlet without an anemometer (wind meter) is like trying to regulate building temperature without a thermostat.

The WeatherFlow wind meter is a great new product that allows you to use your smartphone as an anemometer.  At only $35, it is so affordable that every producer should add it to their ventilation “toolkit.” View our setup and use demonstration below to see just how easy the WeatherFlow wind meter is to use.

First download the FREE app
at either the Apple store or Google play store.

Then open the app and click on

the small green box in the upper left-hand corner.

Click on Settings

Click on Speed Units and set it to Linear Feet per Minute

Next click on Maximum Sample Period and Set it to 30s

Now just plug the WeatherFlow into your smartphone’s earphone jack,
and you are ready to take your first measurement.
Click on Take a Reading 

Hold the wind meter away from your body and about five feet off the floor.

Take the measurements at least 40’ from the tunnel fans.
Measurements should be taken on a calm day as windy days can influence readings inside the house.
For the most-accurate results, take a reading 30 seconds long and repeat with a pause of one minute in between.

To order your WeatherFlow wind meter go to http://www.hogslat.com/weatherflow-wind-meter.

The handbook begins by comparing merits of different systems available for group housing. Complete with illustrated pictures of equipment and diagrams of building layouts, this 16 page handbook contains practical details needed to build new sow housing or convert existing stalls to group housing.

Download your FREE Stanchion Handbook

In our blog post highlighting Hog Slat’s engineering department (see Engineering Grower Select) Frank remarked, “In almost every case we can look at existing products and make improvements.”

The GrowerSELECT® Curtain Machine is a great example of making changes to existing products to improve performance and reduce maintenance.

If you have ever “hung” a curtain machine, you will appreciate this feature. After placing a lag bolt in the wall about ½” short of flush, you simply hang the machine from a single keyhole slot in the back of the cabinet. It is much easier to level and add the four mounting lag bolts because the unit remains supported.

The Curtain Machine includes three sealed ball bearing head pulleys instead of two.  The extra pulley is added to increase the choices for installing the main cables.  Use the two outside pulleys to cable the machine on both sides of the building.  Single-sided installations have the off side cable routed through the top pulley.

One of the highest mortality items on a screw type machine is the load block.  Other curtain machines use bronze, brass or nylon. However, the GrowerSELECT machine utilizes a self-lubricating, low friction acetal plastic for both the insert nut and load block slides.   For a more in-depth comparison see our blog post, “More Than You Ever Wanted to Know about Curtain Machine Load Blocks.”

The Curtain Machine features dual limit switches.  The primary limit switches set the travel length, with secondary or redundant switches backing these up. If the first switch fails and engages the secondary switch, the machine shuts down and must be serviced before operating again.  Also included is an auxiliary switch, used to activate a fan after the curtain closes.  Other brands charge extra for this feature.

Another feature you will appreciate is the local control switches, standard with the GrowerSELECT Curtain Machine.   A toggle switch sets the machine in manual and overrides the ventilation control.  This is a great safety feature that prevents anyone from activating the unit while it is being serviced.  In addition, it certainly makes it easier to set the limit switches compared to performing this task from a remote controller.

Eventually, any curtain machine will have to be serviced, and this is where the GrowerSELECT Curtain Machine shines.  Note the cutouts in the galvanized housing. You can slip the entire motor assembly out of these slots after loosening three mounting bolts.  It is much easier to service the motor outside of the cabinet.

The entire screw assembly will also come out through these cabinet slots.  It’s still a big job, but it’s possible to slide the entire assembly out for servicing rather than dismantling the screw inside the cabinet.

Although not groundbreaking, the GrowerSELECT Curtain Machine is an example of Hog Slat’s commitment to engineering better products.  Click on Curtain Machine for pricing and ordering information.

Hog Slat/ Georgia Poultry stores just received their first shipments of a new type of feed tray.  Manufactured from post-consumer waste, the Pur-Chick Clear Feeder Tray is different than the paper or plastic trays currently in use.

They are crystal clear, lightweight, disposable and appear to have some advantages over red plastic and paper trays.

There seems to be less Darkling beetle activity in the clear trays.  I asked several industry “bug experts”, and they weren’t sure why.

“Maybe it’s because they can’t hide under the clear tray.”

“The sides might be too slick for the beetles to climb.”

“They can’t eat through the plastic as easy as the paper tray.”

Watch the first part of the video and see for yourself.

Chicks seem to be attracted to the clear trays over paper or red plastic.  Again, not sure exactly why.

 “They can see the feed better because the trays are clear.”

“The reflective surface might look like water.”

“When they walk on the tray, it makes a crinkling sound which they are familiar with from the hatchery.”

Maybe. Watch the video and decide for yourself.

To order go to http://www.hogslat.com/pur-chick-clear-feeder-tray

Part # for individual trays is 521102-CLR
Bundles of 200 are part# 521102-CLR-BUND

Nearly all of Hog Slat’s competitors try to dismiss the GrowerSELECT® product line as “just a cheap copy.” However, every time I work with Hog Slat’s engineering department I realize how misguided this perception is.  Nothing is ever “just copied.”

I was quizzing Hog Slat engineer, Tim King, about the features and benefits of GrowerSELECT’s Curtain Machine.   He explained to me that one of the highest replacement items on a screw type machine is the load nut. As the load block moves up and down the Acme screw, the friction generated causes the insert to fail.  If friction is reduced, wear and maintenance of the insert is reduced.

1. Grower Select – Aluminum Block/Acetal Insert
2. Brass Block
3. Aluminum Block/ Brass Insert
4. Steel Block/ Nylon Insert

For the GrowerSELECT Curtain Machine, Tim selected acetal plastic to be used for the insert and cabinet slides.  Acetal is one of the strongest non-reinforced plastic available to replace metal bushings.  It is able to reduce friction within the curtain machine because of its low friction coefficient.  So why is this plastic a better choice than the brass or nylon inserts shown in the pictures?

To get a better understanding of Coefficients of Friction, consider these ratings of various materials used for bearings.

Steel on steel dry contact is .80, if you apply grease it becomes .16

Brass on steel dry contact is .35, grease it and it is now .19

Nylon on steel dry contact is .25 and with lubrication moves to .15

Acetal on steel dry rating is .15.

1. Nylon
2. Grower Select Acetal
3. Brass block
4. Brass insert

These ratings aren’t telling anyone anything they didn’t already know. Keep a bearing greased, and it will last a long time. What is interesting though is the rating for an acetal load nut without grease is the same as any of other insert materials with grease.

As a matter of fact, the acetal load nut does not even have a grease zerk.  However, we still recommend greasing the Acme shaft with general purpose Lithium grease, primarily to prevent surface rust on the shaft.

I wish you could put your hands on the four inserts in the picture.  The acetal has a slippery, almost oily feel to it; different than the nylon insert.  It is a denser, heavier plastic that is less brittle compared to nylon.

The real advantage is in the day-to-day maintenance on your farm.  The best intentions (like greasing a curtain machine) get lost in the bustle of all the work.  Why not choose a curtain machine with features that reduce maintenance?   Click on Curtain Machine for more information.

Having the right tool makes any maintenance chore easier and Hog Slat’s Pen Vise is the perfect tool for cleaning clogged brooder and heater orifices.

Instead of  looking for a piece of wire or a drill bit close to the right size, the Pen Vise keeps tapered cleaning needles at your fingertips.  This tool features a screw-tightened jaw on one end with a 12-needle storage compartment on the opposite. An additional benefit;  you’re not as likely to lose the five-inch long Pen Vise if you happen to drop it into the liter.

Dan Yates, the hands and voice in the video, has used the same Pen Vise for over five years.  He offered these suggestions,

Click here to order your  Pen Vise today.

Located in McLeansboro, IL, L&L Farms began their hog farming operation in 1994 raising 400 sows. Since then, Jeff and his family along with the help of quality employees have grown their breed to wean operation to 4,000 sows housed in 2 locations.  We spoke with owner, Jeff Lueke:

Jeff, you have purchased several Grow-Disk™ systems, why did you decide to install this feeding system?

I really felt like we were gaining efficiencies in the farrowing department. We saw how it could provide advantages to our employees, allowing them to be more efficient and manage more sows. Within our operation we also set target goals. These goals consisted of narrowing down the wean to first service interval, drive a heavier pig out the door at weaning, and increase lactation length leading to subsequent larger litter sizes for pigs. In our management plan, we felt that these two products, SowMAX and Grow-Disk, would be a big help to reach our target goals by getting more feed to the sows.

How many Grow-Disk™ systems have you installed?

3. All have been installed into our farrowing barns, but I would not hesitate to install them into any application.

How do you use Grow-Disk™ to feed the sows?

We combine the Grow-Disk with the SowMAX. We feel that the combination of these products delivers a very good program. We basically want the sows to have access to full feed. Between these two products we feel that we can deliver that to our sows very efficiently. The system still gives us flexibility to limit feed intake because we include the Sow Drop. The Sow Drop allows us to limit feed intake if we want to, whether it is in early lactation, pre-farrowing, or for the first three days post-farrowing. In post-farrowing we schedule to feed five times throughout the day, in pre-farrowing we schedule to feed twice a day.

How have the Grow-Disk™ systems performed for you? What benefits have you seen?

I have no complaints; I do believe that we are getting more daily feed intake from our sows with the system. The system is hands-off, requiring less labor to feed. With this automatic feeding we are able to keep feed available, and produce less wastage.

Why did you choose Grow-Disk™ instead of a flexible auger system for your project?

My local sales contact, Carl Herrmann, shared with me some of the advantages that Grow-Disk can offer. Knowing that it was a new product, and knowing that I’ve had success with Hog Slat products in the past, it made me anxious to try it. I think its heavy duty, reliable, and I have not been disappointed.

Switching gears, tell us about your routine feeding with SowMAX.

The system that we set up is basically designed to keep feed available for the sow to access at all times, but not have so much feed supply that if there was a malfunction we would have a pit full of feed. The system allows us to make that work. At most any time there’s 12-20 lbs. of feed available to the sow. If that particular sow wants to get up at 6 a.m. and eat 15 pounds of feed, it’s there. If a sow wants to eat five small meals throughout the day she has the opportunity to do that as well. I think that we forget that hogs are somewhat individuals like people, and may all have a little different idea of how they want to eat. In the past when we fed with a scoop and cart, the sows got trained to jump up and eat whenever it was time to feed. Even if a litter of piglets just started nursing, the sow still jumped up to eat. The sows are much more content and apt to eat at their convenience than they are when you decide when it’s time to feed.  For daily management of the SowMAX, we clean and make necessary adjustments to the feeders twice a day. We have been able to keep SowMAX feeders cleaner compared to other systems. The feeders are simple and easy to utilize and maintain.

What advantages have you noticed with SowMAX over how you fed sows in the past?

We have been able to accomplish our management goals by incorporating SowMAX into our operation. I do believe we have raised heavier pigs. We have noticed that SowMAX wastes less feed and requires less maintenance compared to a solid tube. Having the ability to keep fresh feed in front of the sow all day has been a great benefit.

Do you use any other Hog Slat equipment?

We incorporate Hog Slat’s concrete slats, penning, boar carts, Sow Drops, farrowing crates, and Tridek flooring, among others into our operation.  I’ve found this equipment to meet my standards for over 20 years.

Do you have any suggestions for other hog farmers looking into the GrowerSELECT® product line?

It’s a viable program that should be looked at. I think it is cost efficient for the performance. It would be an asset to any building project.

1. Incandescent bulbs are being phased out by numerous countries (US included) making it now illegal to manufacture many incandescent bulbs leaving only those bulbs still in supply to sell. Usually the higher the wattage the more expensive and more difficult the bulb is to find now with the new laws in effect. LED bulbs do not face this issue and benefit from newer technology that is developing each year.

2. Incandescent bulbs are not efficient at all in terms of converting energy for just light production. Most of the energy is released as heat and not as light thus making them very inefficient. In contrast, LED bulbs convert nearly all their energy to light production and are very efficient. For example a 40 watt incandescent produces roughly 400 Lumens which is a little less than the average 8 watt LED bulb that produces about 450 Lumens. This fact alone makes it easy to see how LED bulbs can pay you back in energy savings over time, by giving you the same Lumens (light output) for much less electrical usage.

3. Incandescent bulbs have a typical lifespan of about 2,000 hours or less, CFL and Cold Cathode bulbs around 10,000 hours, and LED’s can have a lifespan over 25,000 hours. This means less time and labor required to change bulbs by switching to LED bulbs.

4. LED bulbs don’t lose their intensity like Cold Cathode does. Some research shows that after time Cold Cathode bulbs lose light intensity the older they get.

5. Our LED bulbs are fully dimmable and can be dimmed as low as 1%. They do not have issues like CFL bulbs do when dimming at lower levels and work on nearly all dimmers.

6. LED bulb warranties are longer. Most agricultural rated LED’s have a minimum of a 3 year warranty and some go as high as 5. Incandescent bulbs do not have a warranty and CFL and Cold Cathode bulbs usually only have a 1 year warranty.

7. Not all LED bulbs are alike. Do not confuse Agricultural rated LED bulbs and residential LED bulbs. They are not the same, and do not dim the same and thus do not perform the same. They may be more attractive due to their lower price, but they will not hold up in your poultry house like the agricultural rated LED’s will.

8. Some electrical companies, co-ops, and federal grants offer rebates or cost share programs that may be available in your area. Contact your local USDA Rural Development office to inquire about the REAP program or ask your electricity supplier for any rebates they may offer

9. By changing out incandescent bulbs to LED bulbs some have shown a payback as quickly as a few flocks, and if you are changing from CFL or Cold Cathode bulbs the payback can be around 1 to 2 years depending on your lighting program and setup. Regardless, know that by changing to LED you are cutting your energy usage, putting money back in your pocket, having a more durable and longer lasting bulb, and a bulb with a better warranty. Take the next step and invest in LED bulbs today!

I was scrolling the web for information on sow housing and ran across this piece authored by John J. McGlone, PhD at Texas Tech University.  Here are some highlights:

First mention of sow stalls was in 1807 in Baxter, England.

Lubbock Swine Breeders housed sows in stalls starting in 1964/1965.  These stalls featured a sand area behind them.

To read the full article, click the link below:

The Crate (stall, case,cage, box, etc): Its History and Efficacy – John J. McGlone, PhD

I found it to be interesting reading and hope you do too.