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New products launched at Pork Congress

By Staff | Feb 2, 2013

Richard Muller, president of Tri-M AI?LLC, based in Boone, holds the new Vet Scan equipment that he says allows for accurate backfat measurement on sows. The system can help to measure the same location on the sow each time she’s monitored, regardless of the skill of the operator.

By LARRY KERSHNER

kersh@farm-news.com

DES MOINES – For hog breeders, measuring back fat is essential to knowing when sows are physically ready for the demands of gestating pigs.

But a real problem for breeders, said Richard Muller, president of Tri-M AI LLC, based in Boone, is getting an ultrasound probe positioned into the same place each time the sow’s back fat is monitored.

To meet this need, Muller and company have a probe that can use the animal’s last rib to insure that backfat measurements are taken at precisely the same place every time, no matter what the skill level of the personnel using the ultrasound equipment.

This solves the problem that has plagued the swine industry when it comes to using backfat measurement to score sows, Muller said, which is consistently getting a measurement from the same place every time on every sow.

A 7-inch screen with 256 shades of gray give the image users need, while a slide-in lithium ion battery gives them three-plus hours of running time.

Muller said to have accurate data is essential for timely sow breeding. He showed test results where multiple users measured the same animal on several different scanners. The results, his chart showed, were far from consistent, since the measurements were not derived from the exact position on the hog.

His product, called a Vet Scan, comes with two different probes, one for backfat measurement and another to confirm pregnancy. Previous designs had the display monitor and the probe as a solid unit, which was cumbersome for the user to see the screen.

“So we told the company to put the probe on a cable,” Muller said, “and they did.” The cable allows the user to hold the probe where needed, while the monitor is easily viewed without moving.

The Vet Scan, Muller said, holds 64 scans in its internal storage. A USB portal allows for the images to be downloaded, so they can erased and more scans taken.

New products launched at Pork Congress

By Staff | Feb 2, 2013

TERRY JOHNSON, who heads up the engineer department for Marting Manufacturing, based in Britt, compares the new Cutless Post that he’s holding, with an existing post in the industry.

By LARRY KERSHNER

“mailto:kersh@farm-news.com”>kersh@farm-news.com

DES MOINES – It’s not a better mousetrap, but it is a better gate post.

Marting Manufacturing of Iowa Inc., based in Britt, introduced its new gate post design on Jan. 23 at the 2013 Pork Congress.

According to Terry Johnson, who heads up Marting’s engineering department, the post has no flanges that stick out from the post whose sharp edges and corners often scratch and gouge pigs as they pass through the gate, especially when they are crowding each other.

THE CUTLESS POST has no sharp edges or corners sticking beyond the post, as is seen by a typical gate post. The old style can cut and pigs as they pass through the gate.

Each post is a one-piece, laser cut product. The gate lock is laser cut from the post, which can be broken free with a screwdriver or similar tool.

Johnson said the post is designed to go with Marting’s existing gate system, but has retrofit designs to fit another company’s fencing and dividers.

Johnson said the company has several posts out for beta testing and a patent is pending.

Marting is a long-time manufacturer of Smidley products, which is in its 90th year.

Marting also manufactures feeder systems, both wood and stainless, swine watering systems and scales for small livestock.