ISU workshops will focus on hog facility maintenance. (ISU Extension photo.)
Workshops for Iowa hog producers are being held this week in four locations. Kapil Arora , an ag engineer with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, says they’re targeting the owners of swine buildings with some cost-saving tips.
“Focus on the maintenance long-term because there are things in the building that can really be expensive to fix if we let them scoot by on the side,” Arora says. “We can make changes and modifications as well as ongoing maintenance. We’re going to be going into a vendor that can bring some real good energy savings.”
The workshops, called “Protecting Your Swine Building Investment,” include suggestions that could double the lifespan of metal roofs, which otherwise will rust quickly and need to be replaced.
Arora says, “There’s condensation issues which are accelerating the rusting on the roof which then are translating back to, can we make ventilation modifications on the building which will then help to reduce or minimize the roof rust.” Concrete slats in hog buildings are also subject to a lot of wear and tear. Arora says they’ll discuss ways to make sure the concrete is right at construction and offer suggestions for ongoing maintenance.
“These are high-dollar items and they are really expensive to fix,” Arora says. “If we can extend the life or even double the life on it, that’s savings back into the livestock producer’s pocket.”
After Tuesday’s workshop at the Plymouth County Extension office in Le Mars, today’s workshop is at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds in Webster City. Thursday, a workshop will be held at the Bourlaug Learning Center in Nashua, and again Friday at the Washington County Extension Office in Washington.
For more information, call the ISU Extension and Outreach office in your county.
(By Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City)