Jobs within a modern hog barn are typically well-defined, but it never hurts to review what needs to be done.
That’s where the ‘Walking the Room Handbook’ can be a useful reminder for barn managers and staff.
The book is the fifth in a series of book from the Prairie Swine Centre, explained Ken Engele Manager, Knowledge Transfer at PSC. Each of the publications has focused on a specific area relevant to hog production; feed costs, energy efficiency in barns, quality of life for producers etc.
“There’s lots of good information. The publications are designed to provide pertinent information which is specific to a rather focused of an operation,” Engele told Prairie Hog Country. The idea is to give producers things that they might change, or improve on, to the benefit of the production union.
The topics for each “comes from talking to producers at different events,” he said.
‘Walking the Room’ takes readers through each room in a hog operation, looking at what is expected of a worker in that room each day, outlining some of the best practices for walking rooms and further information on why your day-to-day observations are important for the barn to run smoothly.
“In a hog barn, every day counts. Starting each day with careful observation of each room, pen, and pig can help catch small issues before they spiral out of control. To make valuable observations, you must understand how things are supposed to function and be able to identify when something is wrong,” detailed the PSC website.
“Effectively walking the room benefits animal welfare as well as the function and longevity of the barn. Walking rooms requires use of your senses – sight, smell, hearing, and feel – turning your surroundings into valuable observations that will help direct your activities for the coming day(s), weeks, and even months.”
Engele said the handbook provides a “list of what I need to do.” While he said much of what is included is typical to barn managers and staff, reading the handbook reinforces what needs to be done, and reminds where some things may be being overlooked.
Certainly producers want to do everything 100 per cent correct every day, but realistically things can become overlooked, so a reminder in always a good thing, he said.
The handbook is also a resource for managers, something they can give to new staff as both a guideline, and also something they can refer back to as needed.
The handbook outlines that standard things which need to done “every day in a room,” said Engele.
“Everybody knows what do to,” he added, but even veteran staff can let things slip on occasion, so the handbook refreshes things.
“The goal of walking a room is to ensure that everything is functioning as it should,” states the Handbook. “Most days, walking a room won’t result in any alarming observations, because of this it is easy to become complacent over time. Everyone can always use more time, and there always seem to be more pressing issues or urgent tasks. By taking a methodical and strategic approach, we can use this time to identify issues such as tail biting, hernias, leaking drinkers, or plugged feeders. These observations will help you in managing herd health, supporting animal welfare, and ensuring pigs grow efficiently.”
There are even room checklists which can be posted in the barn, again to reinforce the best practices.
Engele said the handbook will be available at various events attended by the PSC, and it can be downloaded as well at https://www.prairieswine.com/publication/managing-your-costs. •
— By Calvin Daniels