Built to Last

Can you identify the old vs. new panel? Matt Kneller, left, displays a Farmweld Flooring System panel used in his nursery for 11 years while his herdsman, Martin Diaz, holds a brand new panel.

When Dave Kneller of Silver Lake, IN, started a contract nursery eleven years ago he had a paramount goal when he selected equipment: durability.

“My dad wanted the equipment to last so I wouldn’t have to go into debt again and remodel seven, eight or even ten years after I bought it,” says Matt Kneller, who purchased the facilities from his dad in 2005.

Matt is glad his dad selected the Farmweld Flooring System, Farmweld nursery feeders, vertical rod gating and Farmweld DRIK-O-MAT® Water Cups. “I’ve never replaced a feeder or a single piece of flooring and I can’t see any wear—anywhere,” says Matt.

The Farmweld Flooring System is manufactured from high quality polypropylene, designed for precise molding and superior strength. The flooring panels’ stabilized corners and full inch of vertical beam support keep it from tipping or buckling underneath the pigs even as they run and shift positions.

The bright orange flooring is easy on the eyes, too. “I like the orange color; it is appealing, and you can see exactly what’s going on with the pigs,” says Matt. Sick or struggling pigs are easy to spot and so are signs of diarrhea or other problems.

Farmweld gating, feeders and DRIK-O-MAT Water Cups are also performing well at Kneller’s facilities. Farmweld’s accurate feeder adjustment system controls feed flow to match the pigs’ eating behavior and helps minimize feed waste.

The DRIK-O-MAT Water Cups promote good water consumption for even the smallest pigs. “Seven or eight pound pigs have no trouble finding the water,” says Matt.

The Kneller facilities, which hold 4,000 and 2,000 pigs, were converted from veal barns and are tunnel-ventilated with open ceilings. "No one in our area had a tunnel-ventilated nursery with radiant heat and no ceilings, and that was pretty scary when you've never raised hogs before," says Matt, who is now a contractor for Signature Farms, Rushville, IN.

Farmweld put the Knellers in touch with several Minnesota producers that also had open-gabled ceilings in nurseries. The Knellers learned the radiant heat warms the plastic flooring and provides a nice surface for pigs to rest.

Matt and herdsman Martin Diaz pay close attention to pig comfort and environment in order to maintain excellent health and performance for Signature Farms. “It has all worked very well,” says Matt.