System Saves Pigs From Being Crushed

System Saves Pigs From Being Crushed HOG EQUIPMENT & IDEAS As a teenager working on an Iowa pig farm Mathew Rooda was always upset when a mother sow crushed one or more of her newbon piglets “One morning I walked into the farrowing house and saw that a sow had crushed 8 of her piglets That’s when I knew something had to be done ” A few years later as a student at the University of Iowa Rooda and his good friend Abraham Espinoza invented a solution to the problem that they call the SmartGuard Monitor The electronic monitoring system has undergone two years of testing and is now being used by large hog farms in Iowa Rooda says the device works by electronically monitoring the wavelengths and frequencies of a piglet’s squeals then sends a gentle electronic vibration to the sow’s lower stomach through a small wearable patch When the sow feels the vibration or impulse she shifts positions or stands up “If the first vibration doesn’t work another is given 5 seconds later and then 2 additional vibrations are given until the sow moves ” Rooda says “We’ve consulted with veterinarians during the development process to ensure the device isn’t painful to the sow The vibrations are 25 to 50 percent milder than those from an electronic dog collar ” Rooda says their tests show that the SmartGuard system is typically triggered 2 to 3 times during the 4 to 6 days when it’s in use after piglets are born “If each of those triggers saves the life of a piglet which is worth about $38 we’re saving that producer a lot of money ” Rooda says Swine Tech developed the SmartGuard over the past two years running pilot tests on commercial farms that showed a 74 percent success rate The company has since raised close to $2 million from startup contests grants and funding from outside investors to market the product Swine Tech is also developing a device that provides real-time health analysis of each sow It enables producers to detect isolate and treat a potential viral outbreak in their facilities The SmartGuard bundle which includes the monitor two wearables and 140 patches costs $1 219 Each unit covers 140 sows annually because it’s moved every 5 days According to Swinetech’s ROI calculator the device should pay for itself in one year Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Swine Tech 1820 Oxford Ave New Sharon Iowa 50207 ph 641 670-0744; mrooda@swinetechnologies com; www facebook com/swineguard/; swinetechnologies com

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