Keeping Livestock Warm

Keeping Livestock Warm. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Line On Agriculture.

If you are like me I keep the thermostat a little lower in the winter and put on a sweater. Livestock though does not have that option. The Propane Education and Research Council has a new partnership focused on the performance of a propane-fueled livestock heating system.

LEITMAN: PERC partnered with LBY to develop a more advanced heating system for swine buildings. Basically we’re taking existing heaters and we’re adding variable rate technology and some new controls and we’re testing not only the efficiency of that system but the effect that has on productivity of livestock, in this case, swine. And we hoped to learn a lot more about how the animals will perform and more ideal temperature environment.

That’s PERC Director of Ag Programs Mark Leitman - who says variable rate control will provide a more consistent temperature at the desired warmth for animal health. With field trials running through the winter months - he says this research project will verify the cost savings swine producers can enjoy using variable-rate technologies and electronic controls on propane-fueled heating systems.

LEITMAN: The whole goal of the technology is to keep a more consistent heat within the swine facility. That is, we’re removing the cold spots, we’re removing the temperature variation in hopes that overall animal comfort will improve and we believe it will and we believe that will also translate into productivity gains.
 
According to Leitman - the Smart Box and the Smart Sense heater - a variable-rate heater in the L.B. White Guardian forced-air agricultural heater product line - are being demonstrated and tested. He says the swine industry shares PERC’s excitement for the product - with the Smart Box named one of the Most Promising Products at the 2011 World Pork Expo by National Hog Farmer magazine. Leitman says it’s just another example of how propane can go to work on the farm

LEITMAN: PERC is consistently trying to advance the efficiency of propane technology though improved heating systems, through improved grain dryers and improved vehicles. There’s a multitude of information at our website at agpropane.com that will tell you more about who we are and what we’re trying to do to help farmers get more and more out of their energy dollar.

PERC is the checkoff organization striving to benefit the U.S. ag and propane industries through the development and improvement of propane-fueled technologies that increase farm productivity, reduce environmental impacts and enhance safety.

That’s today’s Line On Agriculture. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.