Photo screenshot of The National Hog Farmer website. (http://www.nationalhogfarmer.com
A recent study by the University of Illinois was spotlighted by an article on The National Hog Farmer website. It discussed how production health can be impacted by dust. The type and level of dust in barns can cause respiratory stress for you and your animals. The study compared the dust levels between poultry, swine, and cattle barns. While every barn deals with dust, hog barns have the highest level of dangerously sized particles compared to the other two types of livestock. Air quality is important for you and your hogs. What are some things a producer can do to protect himself/herself and the hogs? First, it is crucial to wear a mask at all times while working in the barn. Also, make sure proper ventilation systems are in place. Here's an article, "Straight Talk About Hog Barn Ventilation Screw-Ups," that discusses some mistakes that a producer can check for in their barn. Finally, feed is dusty, use a feeder that efficiently feeds and waters with limited dust. One of the benefits of using wet/dry feeders is that it decreases the amount of feed clouds kicked up by the hogs. Visit our hog feeder page to learn about even more production benefits with wet/dry feeders.