While summer break is over for many, summer temperatures are far from gone. August heat has swine producers across the country working to limit the detrimental effects of heat stress on sows and piglets. Signs of heat stress include panting, increased water consumption, lethargy and intestinal distress.

The saying ‘do one thing and do it well’ has been referenced many times in business, and has helped countless professionals gain the focus necessary to deliver a game-changing product or solution. In many business cases, that phrase is applicable. When it comes to SWASHEQUIPMENT™, however, more really is possible.

During brooding and conditioning (day 1 to 29 weeks), the goal of a breeder farm is to produce a healthy, uniform flock that is ready for reproduction. Meeting this goal requires an environment that allows producers to carefully control reproduction and keep birds healthy. This means carefully constructed and well-maintained barns that focus on biosecurity to keep out disease agents.

When it comes to poultry house ventilation, it’s vital to remember that the lower the total house static pressure can be kept, the easier and cheaper it will be for fans to move air through the house. While this is vital at all times of the year, it is especially crucial during hot summer months when heat stress can negatively impact birds. In the winter, if target static pressure is not reached additional fans can be turned on. In the summer fans are more easily maxed out.

As part of the Jones-Hamilton Co. line of products, SWASHCOOL-CELL™ benefits from the same level of continuous research and development as all JH products. Over the last year, SWASH™ leaders have diligently worked with producers, integrators and leading names in academia to better understand how SWASHCOOL-CELL™ can benefit users the most in extending the life of evaporative cooling pads.

While the performance of evaporative cooling systems is most crucial during hot months, it’s important to consider what maintenance steps can be taken throughout the year to ensure system performance and pad longevity.

During hot months, evaporative cooling systems are crucial to maintain target temperatures within broiler houses, turkey barns, and sow farms to help producers eliminate the costly effects of heat stress in animals. Heat stress can not only cause welfare challenges and mortality, it also decreases production and reduces profits. Common signs of heat stress are reduced feed intake and growth rates, panting, weakness and watery droppings.

Water quality is one of the biggest driving factors that affect the longevity of cool cell pads. Cleaner water typically means cleaner pads. However, even clean water can lead to damaged pads if pads are not properly maintained. Why does supposedly clean water lead to pad quality issues? It comes down to the composition of the water going through the cool cell system. Understanding what kind of water you have on your farm (mineralogy, alkalinity), the better you are able to develop a routine pad maintenance program to extend the life of your pads.

The detrimental effects of heat stress can be seen across all types of birds: increased mortality in broilers, decreased egg production and quality in layers, and decreased weight in turkeys to name a few. Evaporative cooling and ventilation systems work to create growing environments ideal for bird performance. But what happens when systems aren’t functioning at their target capacity?

As the earliest phase of a chicken’s life, hatchery conditions, including both incubation parameters and exposure to pathogens, set the stage for flock well-being. Environmental threats present in a hatchery have the potential to cause considerable harm or loss of future performance, especially for flocks designated to be part of a raised without antibiotics program.