Dear FFA Leader:
Hoop Buildings are in the news, and they are a hot conversation topic for many
producers. Marting Mfg. has designed a special FFA Smidley
Complete Hoop Building Project package. Now, you can provide young people the
opportunity to study hooped confinement and related issues. There are many potential
projects, both of an original nature, or to duplicate existing research. Here are
but a few:
- Study of differences in deep litter bedding material types, and how it affects composting, social behavior, litter pack temperatures, and finishing weights.
- Study of which rations work best in cold weather/deep litter bedding situations, and what changes need to be made in the summer months.
- Do certain genetics work better in these buildings?
- Composting and manure practices. (Including, compost as a secondary source of income.)
- Comparison to traditional confinement, or other hog finishing methods.
- Environmental conditions and impact. (i.e. working conditions, leachate, neighborhood effects)
- Differences in labor, in working with hoop finishing.
- Other uses for hoop buildings could be explored.
The possibilities for study in a real world environment are limitless. Our FFA Hoop Packages are patterned after the full size of buildings, and are designed for finishing 10-15 hogs. After hog finishing studies are done, they could be used for sow housing, storage, or other uses.
The project building even provides the practical experience of assembling a hoop building.
The Smidley FFA Complete Hoop Building Project Building includes all hoop and hoop components, fasteners, mounting hardware, fabric covering, fabric end panels and doors, treated lumber, two 8' solid rod gates with "pop and lock panels", 1 drink stainless steel Smidley hog bar, 1/2 #2 Smidley finish feeder, and detailed assembly instructions. (Concrete, crushed rock, and assembly not included.)
I have included a drawing of this 12 x 12 building. These smaller buildings vary from our larger buildings in that they have 4 foot, rather than 5 foot, tongue and groove side and end walls, and they have 3 purlins (with a smaller arch), instead of 5. They still have a 2 foot draft board above the sidewalls, just like the original.
Please call if you have any questions, or would like to know any additional information.
Sincerely,
Dan Gapinski
Director of Hoop Building Sales
Marting Mfg. of Iowa, Inc.
551 3rd Ave. SE
Britt, Iowa 50423
Fax: 641-843-4432
Phone: 800-392-5632