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Farrowing to Nursery: Barn Remodel with Hog Slat Flooring

The pork industry is constantly evolving, with producers seeking innovative solutions to enhance their facilities and optimize production. Renovating existing barns is a practical and cost-effective way to meet the changing needs of a farm. This remodel offers a glimpse into how a traditional farrowing barn was converted into a modern pig nursery using Hog Slat’s manufactured plastic flooring.

The Original Barn:
The barn originally consisted of seven farrowing rooms, each measuring 22' x 60' and containing 24 farrowing crates. While this design served its purpose, the farm needed a space that could better accommodate its growing operation.

22'x60' Farrowing Room
(Photo of 22'x60' room once used for farrowing)

Strategic Remodeling: Optimizing Space
To create a more efficient layout, the center wall between two of the farrowing rooms was removed, expanding the space into three larger nursery rooms (44' x 60') and one smaller room (22' x 60'). This change allowed the remodeled nursery to house up to 800 pigs in the larger rooms and 400 pigs in the smaller one. By allocating 3 square feet of usable space per pig, the design maximizes the area effectively.

(Photo of wall removed, opening floor plan for nursery)

Installing Hog Slat Plastic Flooring
The remodeled nursery was equipped with Hog Slat plastic flooring, a durable and easy-to-clean solution designed for nursery barns. Manufactured at Hog Slat’s facility in North Carolina, our ability to produce the flooring in-house gives us control over both the quality and consistency of the product, ensuring it meets the needs of modern pork operations.

(Hog Slat plastic nursery flooring installed)

Why Hog Slat Plastic Flooring?
Hog Slat plastic flooring offers several advantages:

  • Simple Installation: The flooring’s interlocking tab system simplifies installation and enables wider spans with fewer support beams, resulting in cost savings for the producer.
  • Durability You Can Trust: Designed to withstand the demands of a pig nursery barn, Hog Slat flooring provides lasting performance, helping producers minimize long-term replacement costs.
  • Easy to Clean: With a smooth, self-cleaning surface, Hog Slat flooring makes barn maintenance easy, reducing downtime and promoting a healthy environment for the pigs.
  • Optimal Traction: Featuring a textured surface and 3/8" slots, the flooring provides excellent traction, ensuring the pigs' safety as they move around the space.

(Photo of feeders and gating installed in remodeled nursery space)

The Benefits of Barn Remodeling with Hog Slat
By renovating barns and integrating solutions like Hog Slat’s plastic flooring, producers can optimize their facilities for greater efficiency and performance. Whether you’re upgrading an existing barn or converting a farrowing barn into a nursery, Hog Slat’s experienced team can help you design and implement a system that fits the specific needs of your operation.

Ready to start your own remodel? Contact Hog Slat today to discuss your project with one of our knowledgeable representatives.

HS/GPE/ESPS/SAS Sales Representatives Contact Information | Hog Slat


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Extend the Life of Your Concrete with Vantek V-Gard
Extend the Life of Your Concrete with Vantek V-Gard

Concrete surfaces in agricultural environments are subjected to harsh conditions, including constant pig traffic and exposure to corrosive acids. These conditions can lead to cracks, spalling, and deterioration, compromising the safety and functionality of facilities. Vantek's V-Gard system offers an advanced concrete restoration and protection solution for these challenges.

Why Concrete Restoration is Essential

Concrete in agricultural settings, especially around wet/dry feeders and high-traffic areas, is prone to rapid wear due to constant exposure to moisture, feed contents, or a combination of both. Damaged concrete can result in safety hazards, increased maintenance costs, and potentially costly repair downtime. 

Restoring and protecting concrete with V-Gard not only addresses these issues but also extends the life of floors, saving time and money in the long run. With a life expectancy of over ten years, V-Gard outlasts other solutions, making it a wise investment for any agricultural operation.

The V-Gard Solution: Versatile and Durable

V-Gard is a versatile system designed to meet the specific challenges of agricultural concrete restoration. Whether needing an overlay, sealer, crack repair, or protective coating, V-Gard can handle it all. Its flexibility in application makes it ideal for various settings, from high-traffic slat floors to non-slip flooring in animal housing areas.

Engineered to withstand the harshest conditions, including acids and continuous pig traffic, V-Gard has demonstrated zero wear over extended periods, even in demanding environments, making it a reliable choice for farmers.

Application and Benefits of V-Gard

Applying the V-Gard system is straightforward. The process typically involves combining V-Gard epoxy with an admix to create a slurry that can be trowel-applied over the damaged surface. After broadcasting the selected aggregate to saturation over the wet slurry, the surface is left to cure, resulting in a robust, long-lasting finish.



For pig farmers, maintaining concrete surfaces ensures the safety and efficiency of the entire operation. Vantek's V-Gard system offers a comprehensive solution for restoring and protecting concrete, extending its life even in the most challenging conditions. With proven results and a straightforward application process, V-Gard is an essential tool for any farm looking to protect its investment in infrastructure.

Invest in V-Gard today to save your concrete's life before the cold weather sets in and enjoy the peace of mind that comes with knowing your floors are protected for the long haul. Visit any Hog Slat store or Concrete & Metal Repair | Hog Slat to learn more.

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Protect your farm's most important asset with Hog Slat's Fall Arrest System.
Protect your farm's most important asset with Hog Slat's Fall Arrest System.
Ensuring workers' safety is paramount in the agricultural industry. Hog Slat's Fall Arrest System provides reliable fall protection while permitting freedom of movement when climbing feed bin ladders.
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Maximizing Swine Production with Flexible Feeding Solutions: GrowerSelect Grow-Disk Feed System
Maximizing Swine Production with Flexible Feeding Solutions: GrowerSelect Grow-Disk Feed System
When evaluating feed system options, pork producers must assess the upfront costs, overall efficiency, maintenance requirements, and long-term savings potential.
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Diversifying Farming Operations: A Fourth-Generation Farmer's Journey into Turkey Farming
Diversifying Farming Operations: A Fourth-Generation Farmer's Journey into Turkey Farming
Marlowe Ivey is a fourth-generation farmer in Wayne County, North Carolina. Her family has been raising hogs for the past forty years and recently expanded into the poultry industry to diversify their farming operation. 

In a recent interview, Ivey shared her experience expanding their farming operation with six new turkey houses. "The number one thing I needed to do was find who would build my farm. I met with the Hog Slat team, and I just felt very secure with their knowledge of how to build a good farm," says Ivey. 



The new turkey barns are 54'x600' and hold approximately 9500 birds each. A partition separates the brooder and grow-out sides. One design feature is the ability to open the barns by rolling up the partition, allowing the birds to move into the grow-out area. 

The buildings are tunnel-ventilated and equipped with cool cells and heaters, ensuring optimal environmental conditions for the birds. 

"I chose GrowerSelect as my feeding system because I believe in the technology that Hog Slat has engineered on that feeding system. It's a product that is made locally. They had a lot of research and science behind the engineering of their equipment."



For further insights into Marlowe Ivey's journey and her firsthand account of building a turkey farm, you can watch the full video on YouTube titled "Building a Turkey Farm | Customer Testimonial."

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Helping pig farmers adapt to changing conditions with innovative solutions.
Helping pig farmers adapt to changing conditions with innovative solutions.
Innovative solutions to help pig farmers adapt to changing conditions. Discover how Hog Slat's commitment to producers drives innovation in an ever-evolving industry.
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Spring check list for evaporative cooling systems.
Spring check list for evaporative cooling systems.
Improve the efficiency of your farm’s cool cell systems by cleaning and adjusting them this spring.
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It is time for preseason fan maintenance.
It is time for preseason fan maintenance.
A list of maintenance items to ready your exhaust fans ready for summer.
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Test day at BESS Labs
Test day at BESS Labs
Here's a quick look at the process behind testing fans at BESS Labs.
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DIY feed auger repairs
DIY feed auger repairs
Do your own feed auger repairs with this series of easy-to-follow instructional videos from Hog Slat.
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