Our family farm went through a massive farrowing remodel a few years ago. This summer we are moving forward with breeding/gestation housing updates. Our 25-year-old sow farm has 25-year-old gestation stalls that need to be modified or replaced.
A lot has changed in the last 25 years, especially equipment designs. Installing something new on something old is not without its struggles and headaches.
With that in mind, we have come up with ways to make converting to the MealMeter feed dispenser system (pig)EASY.
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Lactation
If you are in the process of planning a farrowing remodel or equipment update, you have a few options to choose from when implementing the PigEasy MealMeter feed dispenser.
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Option #1: Retrofitting existing feeder
Less expensive, but less benefit
Let’s say your bowls are in good shape and your budget is tight, but you’re wanting to ad-lib feed your sows. Some customers choose to put the MealMeter into their existing bowls.
The MealMeter’s Lactation Boot was designed to easily install on either the outside of a feed bowl (you would have to cut a hole into the side of your feeder) or inside the 90 degree angle of the back wall of the bowl.
To reap the benefits of ad-lib, we recommend having water in the bowl and that should then be the sow’s ONLY source of water. Our water pipe with button nipple should be installed close to the bottom of the feeder so the sow can’t over-dispense water. By having this as her only source of water, the sow doesn’t over-dispense feed and that keeps her feeder mostly clean.
Overall, you get the benefit of ad-lib feeding and you will have reduced waste. But with the feeder size, you may have feed build up like you would with any ad lib dispenser. Here’s why: typical sow feeders are designed to hold large amounts of feed and have deep corners. With ad-lib feeding, the sow dispenses a little bit of feed at a time until they are satisfied. However, feed buildup in the corners can happen with these “big bowls.”
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Option #2: Investing in the PigEasy feeder
Use a feeder that is made for ad-lib feeding
The PigEasy sow feeder is the only feeder designed for ad lib feeding.
We eliminated deep corners in the PigEasy feeder and focused the bottom, so feed flows directly to the center and stays in the center. The sow finds it easier to consume all her feed. The water pipe with button nipple is installed low into the feeder so the sow automatically cleans up her feeder with every drink.
In conjunction with the MealMeter, the sow feeder maximizes feed intake because
- Sows can efficiently eat what they dispense, and
- The feeder stays clean.
The PigEasy feeder comes ready to receive the MealMeter on either side and fits most head gates with some modifications. Because of the focused bottom, the bottom of your existing head gate will need to be closed in.
However, if you are considering new head gates, we have a (pig)EASY option for you.
The PigEasy feeder comes ready to receive the MealMeter on either side and fits most head gates with some modifications. Because of the focused bottom, the bottom of your existing head gate will need to be closed in.
However, if you are considering new head gates, we have a (pig)EASY option for you.
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Option #2b: PigEasy head gate for easy install
Simple design and built to last
Often when sow feeders need to be updated, so do the head gates. We designed a complete stainless steel head gate that we custom build to fit on any existing farrowing crate. Because of its simple design, the head gate is light and easy to flip over for washing out. It can be made for the PigEasy quick latch (check out :30 of this video) or we can add eyelets for drop pins.
Whatever you decide, we made converting to the MealMeter in lactation (pig)EASY.
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Breeding
While most breeding stalls have common components, the different variations in our industry is endless. PigEasy has a process to make converting breeding stalls to the MealMeter system as simple and painless as possible.
The most common question I receive when a customer is gathering information on the MealMeter system in breeding is:
“Can I just use my existing feed tube?”
My answer is, “Most likely, no.”
While there are rare exceptions, most of the time your existing feed tubes will not work. Your feed tubes would need to be:
- The right size. (There are several variations of feed tube sizes in the swine industry. The MealMeter can only fit in 3” OD tubes.)
- In the correct position. (The position of the feed tube is crucial for the sow to easily dispense the feed while having access to the feed that is dropped. Just like the numerous feed tube sizes, there are even more variations in tube bends and placements.)
- Perfectly round and without any imperfections. (This is the big one. Even if your feed tubes look perfectly round at the bottom, they are likely distorted to a degree in which the MealMeter doesn’t fit. We’ve found that feed tubes need to be bent with a mandrel bender in order to receive the MealMeter.)
Because most feed tubes don’t fit these parameters, PigEasy is set up to custom build new feed tubes ready for MealMeter application for each project. This ensures (pig)EASY installation and correct set up.
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“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the ax. ” – Abraham Lincoln
First, it’s important to look at the existing stall/feed tube set up. We’ll ask you to send photos so we can help determine what is needed to convert to the MealMeter system. If we conclude new feed tubes are needed, we’ll ask you to fill out a form that includes a list of measurements. This may seem time consuming, but like good ol’ Abe Lincoln implied: the more we information we have upfront, the easier install is going to be for you.
Because we’ve worked with countless different styles and variations of breeding stalls, we have an arsenal of bracket options for the feed tube and breeder bowls. This has proven to be useful and effective for retrofits and other situations where welding tabs on to the divider is not simple.
After we determine the feed tube design and breeder bowl set up for your stall, we will send you a sample set up to verify we got it right before we manufacture all the pieces.
This may seem like a lot of upfront work, but no one wants to sit on hundreds of tubes that almost fit.
After MealMeters are installed, we’d love to have a chat with you and your staff. MealMeter management is (pig)EASY when everyone understands how it works.
Let us help you get your staff on board with smart and simple feeding at critical times in the sow’s reproductive cycle.
For more information, call (888) 354-0112 or email info@pigeasy.com.
