The University of Alberta, a top 5 Canadian University, was ready to update their sow stall barn into an ESF. They contacted the team at New Standard to begin the design process. By the Spring of 2018, they had finalized the plans. They needed a design for 120 head of sow. The team was in contact with Jay Willis, the Research Stations Manager, Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences.
The New Standard team started renovations in July of 2020. The sows were moved out of the barn while the team did the installations. They installed 3 Nedap Feeding Stations, a Separation Unit, a Weigh Scale, and a Heat Detection Unit.
Why Nedap
One of the main factors in U of A choosing Nedap as the ESF was for the reporting and tracking capabilities of the system, especially the incorporated weigh scale system.
The data that the Nedap Velos system gathers from weighing and feeding is critical for the research the University needed. The ability to gather data, analyze it, and make changes was important. Using this software allows for the change in variables in the barn. The University can be able to re-evaluate the data, which allows the University to do research projects with the goal to provide producers valuable information that could be applied to their individual farming operations.
Other Equipment
The New Standard team continued the installation of equipment during September 2020. Along with the Nedap equipment, they installed PanelTim panels and S.S. post, supplied by New Standard. The team installed waterers as well. They had feed lines and bins installed in the penning supplied by a sub-contractor.
Sows were back in the barn in November 2020. The University was thrilled with the final finished design and set up of the new ESF barn. They enjoyed working with the New Standard West team and Kase van Ittersum. “It was an exceptionally good experience.” The setup and training on the new system went well due to the knowledge of New Standard and Kase especially. The knowledge of the product and the quick response to questions alleviate any concerns the University had.
The Result
The system is working as promised. The University would not hesitate to recommend New Standard to anyone looking for a great ESF system.
