Resources

AgSpeak Blog

Explore the AgSpeak Blog for expert agricultural resources.

Poly belt care for cleaner eggs

Recently, there have been many food recalls due to contamination such as e.coli and Salmonella. Controlling the spread of these diseases – to consumers and to other flocks – requires a careful cleaning and disinfecting program through every step of the rearing process. Every farm has its own checklist of chores to complete in between…

Litter Management to Improve Flock Health

The reduction in antibiotic use in poultry farming requires a reduction in bacteria and pathogens that birds are exposed to. One way to do this is to tighten biosecurity. Another method is to improve litter management. Modern poultry farming often uses bedding for repetitive flocks. Chickens shed bacteria in their excrement, exposing subsequent flocks to…

Grower Spotlight: Bryan Essex

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…

VAL-CO in Africa

[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…

When is a door not a door?

[grid-2-3] 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…

Feeding Frenzy: Developing Healthy Appetites

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…

Avoid Heat Stressed Pigs by Avoiding These Ventilation Problems

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…

Normalizing Biosecurity – Complacency to Compliance

[grid-2-3] 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…

Seasonal Challenges – Summer Heat Slideshow

Summer heat can be stressful. Learn how to handle it here. [slideshare id=99983777&doc=seasonalchallengesheatstressppt-180601203313] Subscribe to our blog! [grid-1-3] [email-subscribers namefield="YES" desc="" group="Public"] [/grid-1-3]

Caring for Air Conditioning – Keeping cool cells… cool

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…

Mitigating Heat Stress in Livestock

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…

Common Problems in Swine Ventilation

[grid-2-3] 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…

AgSpeak Blog

The Ultimate Poultry Watering Guide

Thank you!