The Rural Voice, 1991-12, Page 46i
NEWS
THAMES BEND OPENS
MODERN HOG BARN
Over 2,000 visitors toured the new
swine evaluation facility at Thames
Bend Farms Ltd., Tavistock, on Novem-
ber 9. This new state of the art building,
designed to house 2,000 weaner to
market weight animals at one time, is
environmentally controlled to reduce
temperature fluctuations; supplemen-
tary propane heat is available for each
room, and the animals have slatted and
solid floor areas to walk and lay on,
making the unit animal friendly. Cost-
ing a total of $600,000, it will be used in
the evaluation of Thames Bend's high
health, high lean "Stein Pig" genetics.
The building and surrounding yard
has a lighting system designed by On-
tario Hydro to be energy efficient, with
electrical savings that would have a
fixture pay back of less than two years.
Of the several loading areas around
the building, two are enclosed in a
heated garage environment, which al-
lows animals to be loaded and unloaded
regardless of temperature, wind, day-
light, or dark, reducing animal stress.
The feeding system, a Big Dutch-
man unit from Germany is an automatic
ad lib liquid feeding system which
Thames Bend had custom designed for
them. This system feeds the growing
rooms through five different pipe cir-
cuits. Each of those five circuits can
feed a different ration automatically as a
computer controls the whole feeding
operation. Three different feeds are
available — a starter, a grower, and a
finisher, as well as any blends of any of
these feeds, are possible automatically.
All pens are monitored automati-
cally for feed conversions, and this in-
formation is used in ongoing selection
for animal feed conversion. The ani-
mals will be full fed using high moisture
corn as a base grain. The system can
feed more or less feed during any one
day as the pigs demand. As the water
and feed are delivered together, excess
water wastage can be avoided.
As well, 25 trade exhibitors had dis-
plays and were on hand to visit with all
interested people. One exhibitor, with a
German base, from the United States,
was present, making this an interna-
tional event.0
GIVE YOURSELF A CHRISTMAS PRESENT THAT
WILL LAST THROUGHOUT THE YEAR!
RECORD KEEPING MADE SIMPLE
FOR YOUR SWINE OPERATION
* management lists *
* informative reports *
* sow cards *
Buy your own program or let us
input the information for you!
46. Ali of us here wish you and yours
a wonderful- holiday season.
ONTARIO PigCHAMP
310 Davidson Ave., Listowel, Ontario N4W 3A6
(519) 291-3276 (519) 291-5080 (Fax)
THESE HONDA SNOWTHROWERS
WON'T GIVE YOU THE GEARS.
Our newest models are both equipped with our revolutionary
gearless Hydrostatic Transmission. That means you can
change speeds, without stopping, to suit any snow condition.
Of course, all our snowthrowers feature Honda's tough, fuel-
efficient 4 -stroke engine that'll pull you through the roughest
winters.
But, you better act quickly and beat a path to our door.
Before you need to clear a path to yours.
Lynn Hoy Enterprise Ltd.
Hwy. 86 just east of Hwy. 4 by Wingham 357-3435
Hours: Monday to Friday 8 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Saturday 8 a.m. -12 noon
HONDA
Power
Equipment
DECEMBER 1991 43