Arno van Brandenburg is the eminence grise of the electronic feeding industry. His name is well known throughout the hog world, and working with Nedap since 1984 has given him an insider view to the rise of many new technologies that have changed the swine world for the better.

PanelTIM's polypropylene panels have taken off in the North American hog industry with their combination of lightweight materials, durability, cleanliness, and quality design. On a molecular level they are stronger and cleaner than PVC, not to mention they hold up to years of abuse, something hogs are notoriously good at providing.

Those of us in the hog building industry get really excited about products like this, but we want to give you a producers perspective on the product. We interviewed three producers from different states to see how their PanelTIM penning and gating has held up to the test of time...and pigs.

Installing new feed equipment in a group housing barn has been credited with enhancing production, feed efficiency, and the overall health of the animals. While precision feeding technology certainly provides the opportunity to step up your production and barn operations, new equipment alone will never leave you with the high-functioning barn you desire. You should never just buy electronic sow feeding equipment and expect a group housing barn to work. Keep reading to find out why. 

Over the last few months we've featured our team members so you can get to know the experts behind New Standard. Keep reading to learn more about Dwayne Morrow!

Steve Horton has been working with Thomas Livestock for eight years. He currently serves as the farrowing supervisor for four sow barns. In his 42 years in the hog industry, Horton has seen plenty of barn management styles and observed firsthand how that can impact worker and sow productivity. We sat down with Horton and asked him about barn management habits that negatively impact sow production. Keep reading for Horton's thoughts. 

Let's imagine you’re at a large workplace that has a cafeteria where all workers eat. You can even have it catered by your favorite restaurant if you want; after all, this is your analogy. 

Every day at lunch time, you head over to the cafeteria to grab lunch along with your friends. The cafeteria analogy works well as you’re given free choice on where you sit and who you hang out with.

This will probably seem like a no-brainer, but one of the biggest factors determining success on a hog farm is making sure the sows that are supposed to be pregnant are actually pregnant. In traditional gestation stalls workers are tasked with performing ultrasound on each bred sow, a job that can be dangerous both for workers and pigs. Time consumption is a big factor with this method.

Even after switching to group housing, some farms still struggle to find a good system for identifying sows in heat. Watching for visual signs of estrus is a skill that takes time to develop and require close staff monitoring. Thankfully with New Standard and Nedap Livestock Management, the task of identifying and dealing with open sows gets a whole lot easier. 

There are plenty of schools of thought on barn design; some design for the health and happiness of the sow, some design for the most functionality in a small space, some design for the convenience of the owner or producer. But only a sow could design her space exactly how she wants it. Here are four things we believe a sow would include in the blueprints of the barn if she was the one in charge!  

At New Standard, we strongly believe that forward exiting electronic feeders facilitate the best barn layout for sows. In addition to being supported by research, forward exiting just plain works. Forward exiting is vital to ESF success for several reasons.

Service and knowledge in the industry is what sets New Standard apart. But it doesn't seem fair to ask you to trust us when you may not know us! Read on and learn more about one of the founding partners, Tim Kurbis!