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Here’s a thought provoking list of 20 factors that effect feed conversion in swine production.  We pulled this information 0ut of Jim Long’s Pork Commentary on Dec 17th which he cited Vern Pearson PhD and Mariela Lachman PhD.   As Jim noted with the cost of feed rising so dramatically, effectively utilization of rations has never been more important.  Number one on the list?…… feed wastage.

Hog Slat manufacturers feeders that have been proven to save feed for over 25 years.  Hog Slat dry feeders are the industry’s standard in finishing and nurseries barns, our wet/dry and round fiberglass feeder are additional options and we continue to pioneer sow feeding in breeding and farrowing with SowMAX.

Bait rotation is an important strategy for effective control of rodents in livestock and poultry buildings.  Continued use of one active ingredient or bait type may increase the risk for potential resistance problems.  Rodent populations may also prefer the flavor or texture of one type of bait.

Liphatech’s recent introduction of the new soft bait Revolver gives producers even more choices in their bait rotation program.

FastDraw and Hombre both contain the same active ingredient, Difethlalone.  FastDraw is a soft bait and Hombre is available as a mini block or place pak. Revolver and Boot Hill are formulation with the same active ingredient, Bromadiolone.  Revolver is the soft bait version and Boot Hill comes in either a mini block or pellet place pack.

Now producers can add another element, texture into their bait rotations.  Note the double orange arrows in the rotation diagram illustrating the possible choices.  For example if the first bait used was FastDraw the next choice in the rotation could be either Revolver (soft bait) or Boot Hill (mini blocks) as they both contain a differen active ingredient Bromadiolone.  If Boot Hill was selected the next step in the rotation back to Difethlalone could be either FastDraw (soft bait) or Hombre (mini blocks).

Also note on the diagram the rodenticide Gunslinger highlighted with the blue circle.  We highly recommend Gunslinger be inserted into any bait rotation at clean out as it most effective when animals aren’t present and feed sources can be removed. Gunslinger contains a completely different active ingredient, Bromethalin and its “knockdown” on rodent populations is impressive.

As animal and poultry housing became larger and we develop more sophisticated feeding methods, the use of multiple bins in tandem became common.  While this set-up allowed for greater flexibility in feeding, the front bin of the pair was prone to plugging.

If we look at the anchor bearing that is present in the rear bin, we would notice that it has a restrictor tube over the shaft.  This restrictor tube fills core of the flex auger and prevents feed from filling up the core and overloading the auger.

This restrictor is not present in the front bin.  When the slide is opened feed overloads the system faster than the auger will move it away.  The obvious solution is to cut the opening down by closing off the slide to restrict feed flow.  This can cause other problems as a feed flows tends to flow only down one side of the bin.  A better solution is to use baffles in the boot to restrict feed flow.  This works to prevent plugging but can cause feed bridging in the bin. 

Over the last several years Hog Slat developed and tested a unique solution to this problem.  The final product is called the Extended Anchor Bearing.

Described simply, the Extended Anchor Bearing extends the rear tube restrictor to the front bin.  The auger core is filled in and feed cannot overfill the system.

The Extended Anchor Bearing ships complete with a 14’ restrictor tube, replacement bearing and fastening hardware.  The 14’ restrictor tube is cut to length and inserted it the auger core.  The new bearing is installed and the auger reattached.

A 105-year-old Texas woman has earned a place in almost all headlines by revealing the most unlikely secret to her long life.

Strangely, her key to longevity is bacon. Yes, you read it right; 105-year-old Pearl Cantrell loves to eat bacon and feasts on it almost every day. Her story, for sure, will be a subject of research for most health scientists.

Pearl Cantrell, who’s mostly referred to as the ’105-year-old bacon woman’, said in an interview with a local NBC station, “I love bacon and I eat it everyday. I don’t feel as old as I am, that’s all I can say.”

Resident of Central Texas, Cantrell, a mother of seven, has outlived three of her kids, as well as her husband. Her recent 105th birthday bash was a three-day affair that included more than 200 guests.

Reports according to KRBC state that Cantrell’s love for bacon grabbed the attention of the American meat and cold cut production company Oscar Mayer. A representative of the company was present at Cantrell’s birthday. The spokesman reached her home in a Wienermobile and gave the ‘bacon woman’ a ride in the hot dog-shaped truck, gifting her tons of bacon, with more to come in the future.

“We’ve seen a lot of stories on the road, but nothing quite like this one, so we’re excited to be here,” Abraham Luna, one of the representatives, told KRBC, of the 105-year-old bacon woman. “Pearl is an inspiration for the community, and her friends and family, so we had to make a special stop here for her today.”

Cantrell’s daughter Anno says that her mother taught them to work hard and think about living everyday they woke up. She never spoke about dying. She is very active and still loves to dance.

This story comes as a challenge to the latest study conducted by the University of Zurich, which clearly states that eating too much bacon elevates the risk for bowel cancer.