AgSpeak Blog

During winter we use minimum ventilation to balance fresh air intake with heat conservation. House tightness should be the first thing on your winter prep checklist. Heat lost through building air leaks causes the heaters to run excessively and waste fuel. Air leaks can also cause cold air drafts that can chill livestock, create cold…

Winter farming comes with a unique set of challenges, especially where litter and air quality are concerned. Respiratory diseases are common in winter when there is less ventilation, and their prevalence has only been increasing since the use of antibiotics has been on the decline. Brooding is arguably the most important developmental stage and eliminating…

Whether you use brooders or tube heaters, they both need regular maintenance to keep them working flawlessly. Be sure to always unplug and disconnect the power supply and fuel supply, and never work on a hot heater. Be safe this winter. Take care of your heaters. Subscribe to our blog! [grid-1-3] [email-subscribers namefield="YES" desc="" group="Public"]…

Litter is a combination of bedding material, excreta, feathers, and spilled feed and water. Bedding material is a crucial component to litter, as its role is to absorb the excess moisture from droppings and drinkers and promote drying by increasing the surface area of the house floor. Bedding acts as an insulator to protect chicks…

Watch your change-of-season ventilation in swine barns Diane DeWitte, Extension swine educator Originally published by University of Minnesota Extension. Quick facts Ventilation removes excess heat, moisture and gas from swine barns. During weather changes, make sure your controller is set for proper ventilation. Management practices such as removing manure, cleaning and preventing dust and repairing…

Predators: Thieves in the Night By: Joe Berry, Oklahoma State University Originally published in Exhibition Poultry Magazine. Playing Detective In many instances, predators leave clues to their identity when they have visited a poultry house. From these clues, the poultry producer may be able to identify the culprit and take the necessary steps to prevent…

The ideal bird environment can pay back in dividends, but if mismanaged, be costly to a farm. Investing in the bird environment will always pay better in the end. There are several primary goals to ventilation. Ventilation should: Evenly distribute fresh air to the entire flock. Remove excess heat and moisture. Limit the accumulation of…

Equipment maintenance is imperative to keeping things running smoothly. By cleaning the nests regularly, you can prevent transmission of disease from one flock to the next, as well as preserve the health and hatchability of the eggs. The lifespan of equipment is also prolonged when it is properly cared for, allowing farmers to catch potential…

This spring, The Center for Disease Control (CDC) issued a final update for its investigation into the outbreak of Salmonella Reading, which according to its investigation, caused 133 hospitalizations and 1 death across 42 states. The outbreak was linked to raw and ground turkey products and resulted in product recalls in 2018. Despite this particular…

AgSpeak - Fall 2018 VAL-CO offers top quality products for animal protein production, but we are about more than just equipment. We also offer knowledge, expertise, and innovation in the field. And because both great products and great operators are required for outstanding performance, we are always striving to share our know-how with the people…

AgSpeak - Spring 2018 VAL-CO designs and manufactures our equipment to assure that quality is built in. This is our top priority. In this and in previous editions of AgSpeak, read about the results you can experience in your barn with our world-renowned watering systems, our rugged feed systems, and our top-performing ventilation and control…

AgSpeak - Fall 2017 At VAL-CO, we strive for continuous improvement. Providing our customers with industry leading products and services demands that we better ourselves relentlessly. Our goal is to provide that best value to our customers by supplying products and services that are the best in the industry at the most competitive price. In…