Prepare Your Barn for Winter: A Profitable Approach to Maintenance and Efficiency

Dec 02, 2024

As winter approaches, ensuring your barn is ready for the season is critical for maintaining productivity, reducing energy costs, and protecting your infrastructure. Proper facility maintenance is not only easy but also highly profitable when part of a regular routine. Here’s a comprehensive guide to tackling winter preparation while integrating long-term maintenance strategies.

The Value of Routine Maintenance

Facility infrastructure is a major investment, and neglecting it can lead to costly issues like inefficient energy use, damaged equipment, and even barn fires. Regular upkeep supports optimal pig performance, creating a healthier, more productive environment.

Steps for Routine Maintenance:

Daily Inspections: Check penning, feeders, water systems, and ventilation daily for damage or clogs.
Repair Scheduling: Address safety issues immediately and prioritize other repairs based on urgency and complexity.
Documentation: Maintain a checklist for all inspections and repairs, ensuring nothing is overlooked.
Professional Support: Engage specialists like electricians or engineers for complex tasks to prevent further issues.

Click here to see more...

Video: Residue Management

Residue Management conservation practice manages the amount, orientation, and distribution of crop and other plant residue on the soil surface year-round while limiting soil-disturbing activities used to grow and harvest crops in systems where the field surface is tilled prior to planting. This video explores how Ryan McKenzie implemented this conservation practice on his farm in Samson, Alabama.

Practice benefits:

• Increases organic matter

• Improves air quality

• Decreases energy costs

• Reduces erosion

• Improves soil health

The Conservation at Work video series was created to increase producer awareness of common conservation practices and was filmed at various locations throughout the country. Because conservation plans are specific to the unique resource needs on each farm and also soil type, weather conditions, etc., these videos were designed to serve as a general guide to the benefits of soil and water conservation and landowners should contact their local USDA office for individual consultation.