Building Maintenance & Longevity - John Boleyn, Hog Slat, from the 2020 Iowa Pork Congress, held January 22 - 23, 2020, Des Moines, IA, USA.

1. Gating & Feeding Equipment
Field Guide
John Boleyn, Hog Slat

2. Gating & Feeding
Equipment
Adapting gate design and layout to maximize
strength and durability to changing building
designs and animal weights.
Determining correct feeder requirements for:
- Pen Size
- Feed Type
- Animal market weight

3. 40’ Wide Barn
Small pen design, 25-30 Head Pens
Target Market Weight Animal: 240 lbs.
9’ to 10’ panel lengths and bolt on feet
adequate for supporting gates and animal
pressure/forces
Hog Slat, Inc. | www.hogslat.com
1990-2005 Standard Building Designs

4. 50’, 60’, 70’, and 80’ wide barns are being
utilized for cost savings and pig flow/group
size as market moves to larger sow units
and wean groups.
Challenges presented to design penning to
accommodate increased head per pen and
increased target market weight of animals.
Hog Slat, Inc. | www.hogslat.com
2001-Present Standard Building Designs

5. Bolt on Foot
Standard bolt on foot with a few variations on design
used by manufacturers.
- Leaves spaces that are hard to clean where
manure sits and will increase the deterioration of
the metal.
- All animal pressure/side force on the gate is
carried by the rods where the foot is fastened.

6. Stainless Steel Foot
Bolted to bottom angle on gate.
Majority of side forces transmitted into the weld of the
bottom angle to the uprights.

7. Flat Bar Post w/Supporting Gussets
Base of the post is long enough to ensure
that you can install two fasteners to the
slat.
This is critical to increase the longevity
of the gate system and the slats.

8. Flat Bar Post
Helps distribute animal force/side
pressures into the full gate panel.
Limits deflection of the panels with the
gussets and fasteners.

9. Stainless Steel Foot at Panel Joint Bolt on Leg on bottom rods
Hog Slat, Inc. | www.hogslat.com
VS

10. Flat Bar Post w/ Heavy Duty
Flip Latch Hardware
- Gussets
- Two Fasteners
- Flat bar supports the length of the upright

11. Flat Bar Post w/ Heavy Duty
Flip Latch Hardware
- Gussets
- Two Fasteners
- Flat bar supports the length of the upright

12. Posts for Sort Pen/Quick Load Alley
- Thicker baseplates
- Gusseted on three sides
- Slots to install 4 fasteners

13. Alley Posts/
Large Pens
- Important to install 4 fasteners

14. Keys to Maximizing
Penning Longevity

15. - Replace deteriorating feet/posts and weld/repair gating every turn of pigs.
- When replacing gating, evaluate design and equipment for the pen size and layout.
- Keep gate panel lengths under 9’ if possible.
Hog Slat, Inc. | www.hogslat.com
Keys to Maximizing Penning Longevity
Existing Barns

16. - Supporting the gating is key to longevity. Keep panel length under 9’, utilize more flat bar
posts for rigidity.
- Investigate costs to use galvanized finishes and stainless steel materials. An incremental
increase in percentage of cost will translate into a longer life of the gating/penning system.
- Use thicker raw materials in key areas of the penning, where it has the most stress from animal
pressure or deterioration from water, feed, or manure.
Hog Slat, Inc. | www.hogslat.com
Keys to Maximizing Penning Longevity
New Construction

17. Feeder Design &
Sizing
There are two major types of feeders in the
industry today:
Dry feeders: usually sized for a pen using 2” of
feeder length for each pig in a pen. Used in
combination with a nipple waterer or water cup.
Wet/Dry feeders: usually sized for a pen using
1” – 1.4” of feeder length for each pig in a pen.
May have supplemental water in a nipple
waterer or cup in the pen.

18. Example of Standard Box Dry Feeder
- Feeder has solid dividers for use in a
wean/finish application.
- 60” in length, with 12” wide feeding
stations.

19. Example of Wet/Dry Shelf Feeder
- 15” Feeding Stations
- When sizing Wet/Dry feeders, do not
oversize for pigs/pen. Feeder will not
perform properly. Slightly undersize if in
between correct size for pen.

20. Using two smaller feeders to get required amount of
feeder space for the pen size.

21. Securely fastening
feeders is key to long life!
- No other single piece of equipment in a finishing
barn takes the amount of abuse and pressure from
the pigs as the feeder.
- Extend feeder life and minimize repairs by
investing in proper equipment to keep feeder
tightly secured to the finish floor.

22. Wet/Dry Paddle
Type Feeder
- Flanges on each end to secure slats
- Use of flat bar posts with heavy
baseplates to put one feeding station in
Quick Sort/Sort Pen Alley at the front of
the pen

23. Keys to maximizing
Feeder Life and
Performance

24. - Size feeder correctly for pigs/pen utilizing the feeder.
- Securely fasten the feeder to minimize movement/flexing of the feeder frame.
- Use Stainless Steel materials in the 300 series of steel, specifically 304
whenever possible.
- Routine maintenance and repair if needed every turn of pigs.
- Become an educated consumer!
- Know what you are purchasing!
Hog Slat, Inc. | www.hogslat.com
Keys to Maximizing Feeder Life
and Performance

25. Resistance to Corrosion Scale
304 Series Stainless Steel 18
- Austenitic
- Cr and Ni based composition
- Easily welded, non-hardenable
- Use proper filler material
- Highest raw material cost
439 Series Stainless Steel 17
- Ferritic
- Cr 16-18% based composition
- Easily welded, non-hardenable
- Lower raw material cost vs 304
419 and 429 Series stainless Steel 12
- Martensitic
- Cr 12-18%, High Carbon
- Not easily welded, hardens
- Prone to Hydrogen cracking
- Includes 419 and 429 grade
- Lowest raw material cost vs 304, 439

26. Questions?

27. 515-332-4014
jboleyn@hogslat.com
1112 20th St. North
Humboldt, IA 50548
www.hogslat.com