Brian Torgerson

 
This Minnesota operation sees fewer setbacks and less lag time with feeder pigs who don’t have to adapt to wet-dry finishing feeders after starting on dry nursery feeders.

Three years ago when Pork Royal Farms, Jackson, MN, first installed dry style Farmweld Jumbo Feeders in two new and two remodeled finishers, partners and employees noticed that the feeder pigs responded better in the new and updated facilities compared to pigs going into the operation’s finishers equipped with wet-dry feeders. The operation obtains 2,000 early-weaned pigs every nine weeks from a sow cooperative. Pigs are started in Pork Royal’s nursery unit, equipped with Farmweld dry nursery feeders, then moved to one of several finishing units.

“When a pig is moved, it is a stressful period,” says Brian Torgerson, who is an employee at Pork Royal. The pig must adapt to a whole host of factors, including a new thermal environment, new penmates, new sounds, new caretakers, etc. A new style of feeder can be an added stress. “If they can’t figure out how to use the feeder, that’s going to contribute to growth and efficiency,” Brian says. Pork Royal’s new and remodeled finishing units were designed for large pen size, with 100 pigs per pen. Each pen is equipped with one five-hole Farmweld Jumbo Feeder and four Farmweld DRIK-O-MAT® Water Cups.

Brian’s father, Wayne, says feed mixing records clearly indicate that during the days immediately after finishing barns are loaded, consumption remains steady for pigs on Farmweld feeders and dips down in buildings with wet-dry feeders. “It takes pigs three to four days to figure out how to use the wet-dry feeders,” says the elder Torgerson, a partner in Pork Royal.

To counteract poor consumption and any resulting delays in growth, Brian says extra management is required to help pigs learn to use the wet-dry feeders. “We sometimes have to go into the pens and jiggle feeders to let feed out,” he says.

With dry feeders, “the pigs don’t have to learn all over again,” says Wayne, who is a former high school ag teacher.

His son agrees. “When you move pigs from dry feeders to dry feeders, they know how to work the feeders and they don’t lose a beat,” concludes Brian.

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