What exactly is a LONGARM?
Our LONGARM gate is a retractable fabric gate that enables one person to move any number of hogs, in a fraction of the time and with far less effort, than it takes to move pigs using the conventional method via a crowding board. It promotes sustainability in agriculture due to its ease of usage. It saves stress on animals and farm management as it is lightweight, portable and incorporates colours, which the animals are sensitive to, thereby stimulating the animals to move away from the barrier.
|
Why should I use the LONGARM?
The LONGARM ia a commercial unit for the following reasons:
Animal codes of practice dictate, that animals be handled in a calm and stress-less fashion.
As the average age of farmers creeps older and we need to work with more brain than muscle.
More farmers today are working off-farm, leaving children and spouses to care for the animals so that we are in need of effective, safe tools that get the job done.
In the farming industry, reliable, dependable manpower is too difficult to secure. Plus, sustaining that extra expense is difficult within current market returns.
The marketplace is demanding that the hogs be finished at an all time heavy weight: therefore, we require smart management tools for the health and safety of the farm workers.
Auto sort technology is in its' infancy and has not developed the accessary tools required to capitalize its' effectiveness.
|
What's new or innovative about it compared to the traditional way of handling hogs?
The LONGARM is a smart management tool as it utilizes minimum effort for maximum value, turning what was once a task requiring two or three people into a one-handed operation. Hogs can be herded by a single user at least 70% faster than with traditional crowding boards and chase sticks.
|
How exactly does it work?
The user simply hooks the LONGARM gate to existing stabling by dropping the rod through the loops on the handle and the stabling loopholes on the gate post closest to the expected exit of the pigs. The pigs to be moved are encircled with the curtain part of the LONGARM. The operator taps the pull rod on the floor to create a bit of movement in the fabric as he or she moves around behind the pigs. The optical illusion of the coloured wall moving behind the pigs stimulates them to move away from the curtain. As the animals become aware of the moving wall, they will advance forward with zero force. The constant tension on the curtain maintains a clear directional option for the pigs to move in. The operator can give the hogs all the time required to move without overcrowding.
|
What is it made of?
The LONGARM is made of nylon fabric that retracts into a durable plastic spool, designed and rigorously tested to withstand conditions in the pig barn. The LONGARM is both lightweight and durable enough to resist the rigours of a 3000-pounds-per-square-inch pressure washer used to clean the barn and all equipment between pig batches, thus meeting Canadian Quality Assurance Standards for bio-security.
|
How many people are needed to use it?
The LONGARM can be used easily by a single operator using one hand. This represents significant savings of time, effort, and money for what was formerly a multi-person job.
|
What recognition and awards has the LONGARM received?
In 2012 the LONGARM received a prestigious Premier's Award for Agri-Food Excellence in recognition of innovation in Ontario's agricultural sector. During its public debut at the 2006 Ontario Pork Congress, the LONGARM was selected by peers in the hog industry to receive first place in the Industry Innovation Competition. Since then, it has also been featured on CKNX radio as well as in a variety of publications from Ontario to Germany including Ontario Hog Farmer and Country Life.
|
How much time and money does the LONGARM save?
In our typical barn, the LONGARM saves about 70% of the time spent moving hogs to prepare them for auto-sorting. Thus, if you spend 2 hours per week sorting hogs for market or moving hogs, the LONGARM will return your investment in less then 1 year.
|
What advantages are there for the animals?
Besides its ease of use, the LONGARM reduces stress on livestock, helping managers meet current and developing standards for the humane treatment of animals by eliminating the need for shock prods and chase sticks.
|
Where do I get one?
To place an order or to receive further information, contact via email at info@thelongarm.ca
|
