Feed silos pig and layer houses: “No segregation and the feed never sticks”
Harm Rijkers has been working with two Polem horizontal floor silos since July 2021. After a year, he shares his experience: “The horizontal floor silos are great. The feed never gets stuck and there is significantly less segregation.”
On the farms of family Rijkers in Vessem, Netherlands, there are several silos near the pig and laying hen houses. In late 2020, they set up their two-story barn for 1-star Better Life hens.
In the new barn, Rijkers installed two horizontal floor silos of 70 m³ each and a classic hopper silo for spreading the grain. Harm Rijkers says that he mainly followed the advice of his Polem dealer. “As a poultry farmer, you don't often buy a silo. After all, they last for years.”
No segregation
In consultation with the supplier, Rijkers chose Polem flat-bottomed silos. “Most of our silos have funnels. The feed can sometimes get stuck there, especially with humid weather. We have now experienced both summer and winter with the new silos and the feeding goes super: no segregation and the feed flows well.”
At the new barn, Rijkers installed 2 horizontal floor silos of 70 m³ each and a classic funnel-shaped silo for the straw cereal. Harm says he mainly followed the advice of his Polem dealer. “As a poultry farmer, you don't often buy a silo. After all, they last for years.”
Robust discharge system
The discharge system with sweeping auger prevents bridging. This keeps the flow of feed constant and prevents segregation.
At the end of the laying round, the silo has to be emptied completely. Harm: “Near the auger is the manhole. The sweeping auger goes right over the floor there. We will then have to scoop out the bottom layer. I don't expect any problems with it.”
Out of sight
For good venting, the silos are interconnected. Harm: “We had weighing rods installed under them. Via my cell phone I can see how much feed is still in them. If the bulk truck is a little early, I quickly check to see if the feed fits in.”
The 2 horizontal floor silos are installed behind the egg room next to the barn. “We like the look of the farm better without the silos in the foreground. The disadvantage is that the feed truck driver cannot reach the silos directly. With the air cleaner system, he doesn't have to use a dust bag,” says Harm Rijkers. With this volume, he can order full trucks of feed and thus receive the maximum discount.
Rijkers is very pleased with the new barn: “We have bet on ease of work and efficiency. The horizontal floor silos are part of that.”
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