AgSpeak Blog

Bryan is the Owner/Operator of 8 broiler barns in northwest Arkansas. His farm has been in operation for just about two years and has just finished its 10th flock. Every single flock has finished in the top 3, and he attributes his success to the VAL-CO system. Each of his 46x520 houses are equipped with…

[grid-2-3] Africa is the second-largest continent in the world both in size and population. As of 2009, about 14.7 percent of the world’s population resides in Africa. As diverse as it is large, over 1500 languages are spoken across the continent. Each country also brings with it a unique culture, economy, and climate. Each of…

This old riddle gets new life when we pause to consider what the simple act of opening the door on your power-ventilated livestock barn can, and can’t, tell you about static pressure and barn tightness. Consider the humble deep-pit hog building with ceiling inlets – if the farmer goes to open the door to the…

Four important factors play into a successful brooding period. Temperature, air quality, water, and feed are all necessary to give baby birds the best jump start in life. It’s easy to focus too much on temperature, after all, day old chicks lack the ability to maintain their body temperature on their own. But the modern-day…

There are four factors that make a pig productive: feed, water, environment, and stockmanship. They all require careful management to result in the best performance, but they can be ranked based on necessity. Stockmanship: It’s important to use mindful stockmanship to have great performance, but pigs will live with or without it. Stockmanship can alter…

Is biosecurity a cultural norm on your farm? If it isn’t, then you’re not fully protecting your investment. There is ample evidence that biosecurity works. There is a threefold risk of campylobacter on broiler farms if there is no physical barrier between clean and dirty areas in the barn entrance, and an outbreak is 5…

Summer time heat. Everyone’s least favorite seasonal challenge. If only cooling the poultry farm was as easy as cooling our homes. Alas, there are very few barns where you can close up the windows and blast the A/C, but most barns can garner a few degrees of relief thanks to evaporative cooling systems. Pad cooling systems are…

We've all seen it before - it's the middle of the day and your broilers are hunkered down on the floor, wings slightly spread, and panting fast. Your birds are too hot, and are spending their energy trying to cool themselves rather than eating, drinking, and growing. In swine we see similar actions - pigs…

The automation in today's swine industry has made it easier to maintain house conditions, but it isn't always as easy as it sounds. Here are some of the most common problems seen in swine ventilation, and simple solutions for them. Not understanding the controller Most modern barns rely on a controller to keep track of…

The increasing influence of activist groups in the poultry sector has led to some recent modifications in broiler rearing. Groups, such as the Global Animal Partnership, have outlined welfare practices designed to create natural environments and have found increasing support as more businesses, integrators, and producers adopt these standards. The goal of welfare standards is…

Have we underestimated the power of the circulation fan? You probably have circulation fans in your poultry house. Maybe about 8 or so that are 1/10 horsepower. They move a little bit of ceiling air, but you really don’t pay them much mind. You put them in to minimize fuel usage… it may or may…

Over the past few years producers, integrators, and manufacturers have worked hard to develop an antibiotic-free production system that works. Many of these systems use a series of supplements such as probiotics, prebiotics, essential oils or additional electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals to encourage healthy intestinal flora and build resistance to disease. However, with time, we’ve…