—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 12,1979
18
Lebanon County farm features new concepts
LEBANON -
Lancaster County farmers
from the Lititz and Manheim
areas who collectively are
spending $450,000 for a 480-
sow feeder pig production
unit in Lebanon County,
expect to have their venture
ready by May 23. Before that
takes place, however, there
will be an Open House.
That’s slated for next
Thursday and Friday. It will
be sponsored by Thomas
Farm Systems of Leola,
designers and builders of the
facility.
The brand new unit
features a 480-sow Northco
Complex with roof ven
tilation, stainless steel panel
fencing, automatic feeding
for gestation, stainless steel
slatted floors in the
farrowing area and nursery,
and a gravity flow manure
system.
The investors, who are
going under the name of L
and L Pig Producers, plan on
producing feeder pigs at the
facility and will remove
them at about 10 weeks of
age for finishing' ’fit'“their
respective farms. The 480
sows and gilts will be mated
New 4-H club formed
INTERCOURSE A new
4-H club has been formed in
Lancaster County and it
holds its first organizational
meeting on May 21 in the
Pequea Valley High School
vo-ag room. Actvities begin
at 7 p.m. The high school is
located northwest of here
along Route 772.
Any youths aged 8 to 19 are
Goat meeting slated
LANCASTER -
Lancaster County Dairy
Goat Club will hold a two
part program this coming
Tuesday evening, beginning
at 7 p.m. in the Farm and
Home Center. One part of
the program will be for
youths, the other for
everyone.
with 24 boars. Breeding
stock will be supplied by
McClean, Inc.
Four
Two main buildings
comprise the production
unit. In one, there are four
rooms and five nursery
rooms. Each farrowing
room contains 20 farrowing
crates. The nursery has ten
pens per room, with a
capacity of about 20 pigs per
pen.
Featured are automatic
floor feeding which allegedly
produces faster gains and
better feed conversions. The
feeders turn on
automatically every two
hours, even during the night.
In fact, there is no such thing
as night or day inside the
totally enclosed and en
vironmentally controlled
unit. Low-level lighting
remains constant throughout
the time that the pigs are in
the building. Bright lights
are turned on only during
cleaning or maintenance
work.
The young pigs are fed
only that what they’ll clean
up, says a spokesman for
Thomas Farm Systems. The
welcome to attend and join
the club. Parents are en
couraged to share in the
experience. For more in
formation, contact either
Clair Witwer, Pequea Valley
High School vo-ag in
structor, 768-8211; Mrs.
Sherry Bagshaw, 442-4657;
or the Lancaster County 4-H
office, 394-6851.
The youth program, slated
to get underway at 7 p.m., is
open to youngsters aged 8 to
18. At 7:30 the session will
turn to feeds and forages.
Glenn Shirk, County agent
for dairy concerns, is in
charge. He can be contacted
by calling 394-8851.
The
manager of the unit will be
able to adjust equipment
accordingly. '
The second building is for,
breeding and gestation
purposes. As in the first
house, it will featurte
stainless steel paneling and
slatted stainless steel floors.
These parts 'and the ven
tilation system are provided
by A.R. Woods Mfg. of
Luvem, Minn.
The ventilation system
features a roof exhaust
which is reportedly unique in
the industry. In case of
possible power outages or
malfunction, there is a bd«.U
up generator. If that fails,
there is an “emergency fail
safe system” which comes
on to enhance the natural
flow of air.
To handle the manure,
there are shallow pits under
all of the animals. The
manure flows by gravity to a
lagoon where the waste
material is aerated. Two 5-
horsepower motors provide
the energy for the aeration
process.
Liquids from the first pond
move on to a second lagoon
which is said to be capable of
supporting aquatic life.
Designers of the system say
the lagoons are odor free and
manure handling will be
eliminated.
Interested fanners are
invited to see the new feeder
pig production unit. L and L
Pig Producers is located
about five miles north of
Lebanon, off of Route 343 on
Greble Road. Open House is
May 17 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
and on May 18 from 10 a.m.
to 4 p.m.
THE LOWEST POURING
HEIGHT ON THE
MARKET TODAY • 34"!
1 : 1500 gal. Mueller
Hi-PerfsoLD
1 - 940 gal. Gi'soldD-5
0-4 500 gal. Girton
0-2 500 gal. Girton
500 gal. Mueller w/tank
washer
i
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SHENK'S FARM SERVICE
i I *4 y PAYMENT PUN
lS{\ IT*. AVAIUBLE
501 E. WOODS DRIVE LITITZ, PA. 17543
PHONE: (717)626-1151
.Bulk Tanks • Therma*Stor After 5 P.M. - Call Titus Burkholder - 717-859-1620
Our Service Trucks Are Radio Dispatched 24 Hr. Service Offered
Four Lancaster County farmers have invested in this new pig production farm
north of Lebanon.
USED TANKS
600 gal. Mojonnier vacuum
(2) 500 gal. Mojonnier
\ vacuums
800 gal. Dari-Kool, direct
expansiosoiD
500 gal. Esco Ice Bank - $3OO
Performance Speaks
der Than Words”
• PLANNING LAYOUTS
• SALES • INSTALLATION
• SERVICE
D-2 300 gal. Girton
735 gal. Sunset
625 gal. Sunset
VAliry fcr.
shenk-sfarm
SE * V, CE
MIIIPORTRD
■ AIRPORT
INCASTER
rAUFFER