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Ralph Biesterfeld is shown with his
son, Jacob, 11, who likes to assist
his dad in training pigs in the new
FAST II facility. |
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Ralph Biesterfeld took a big technological leap
in January 2004 when he built a new 800 head
automatic sorting barn after raising pigs for years in a variety
of older remodeled barns at his
Beecher, IL, farm. The food court style facility is a 40’ x
160’, naturally ventilated barn with a
deep pit. It is equipped with two FAST II scales, Farmweld Jumbo
Feeders, Farmweld cups and
gating. Biesterfeld says there is “no comparison” in
how this facility operates versus the older
barns.
Primarily a grain farmer, Biesterfeld says one
of his goals in building the facility was to
streamline his work in the hog barn and eliminate his reliance
on extra help for loading out
pigs. “I can now do everything myself if I have to,” he
says.
Better sorting accuracy is another big advantage
with the new technology. Three recent loads
were sold with only nine, six and three cents deducted respectively
per hundredweight for sort
loss. “That’s money in my pocket,” says Biesterfeld,
an independent producer who raises
purchased feeder pigs.
The system has helped Biesterfeld change his
feeding strategies and target certain diets for
certain pigs. When pigs reach approximately 120 to 130 pounds,
Biesterfeld uses the FAST II
scale to create light and heavy feeding groups. Light pigs are
fed a higher protein density diet
and heavier pigs are given a lower cost, lower protein diet.
Farmweld’s Jumbo Feeders are also working very well and Biesterfeld
says they are easy to
operate. “I just follow the guide provided by Farmweld and
that works out well to set the
feeders,” he says.
Biesterfeld says he couldn’t be happier with his new barn. “Whatever
Farmweld told me the
barn would do, it is doing it,” he says. “I’m
ecstatic.”
 Click
here to learn more about Farmweld Automatic Sorting Technology
Click
here to learn more about Farmweld’s Jumbo Feeders
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