Extension Communications
Extension 4-H Youth Building
Ames, Iowa 50011-3630
(515) 294-9915
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Extension Communications |
8/4/04
Contacts:
Mark Storlie, ISU Fayette County Extension Office, (563) 425-3331, mstorlie@iastate.edu
Mike Brumm, University of Nebraska Lincoln, (402) 584-2816, mbrumm1@unl.edu
Sherry Hoyer, Iowa Pork Industry Center, (515) 294-4496, shoyer@iastate.edu
Water Usage Chart Now Available from Iowa Pork Industry Center
FAYETTE, IA -- A new management tool in the form of an electronic spreadsheet is now available for pork producers. Iowa State University (ISU) Extension swine field specialist Mark Storlie said producers can use the barn forms from the spreadsheet, "Water Usage Chart," to track total water usage by individual groups of pigs on a daily basis.
"Several operations have water meters and are recording data; however, most operations are not using the information to help manage the pigs. The 'Water Usage Chart' creates a barn form to not only collect meter readings, but also immediately create a graph," he said. "This graph is the key. When a change in water usage is visual, it can act like a yellow, flashing light to serve as a warning. Although the exact cause might not be identified, the caretaker is alerted."
Storlie collaborated with two University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) colleagues
to develop the spreadsheet. UNL Extension swine specialist and animal science
professor Mike Brumm and research technologist Sheri Colgan worked with Storlie
to create forms and pages that would be easy for anyone in a pork operation
to use.
The spreadsheet includes an overview page, examples of a completed chart
and a water disappearance, and a place for user notes. The producer will
enter
specific group information on the data input page, and then print a form
appropriate for that group.
Those interested in using the spreadsheet are invited to download it free of charge from the Iowa Pork Industry Center (IPIC) Web site. The spreadsheet, "Water Usage Chart," is available at http://www.extension.iastate.edu/ipic/information/WaterchartV100.xls. The spreadsheet works with Microsoft (r) Excel 97 and newer, and requires the security level be set no higher than medium. Also, the user must enable macros in order for the program to work.
"Water is an important nutrient, but it's often overlooked," Storlie
said. "Water
intake leads feed intake, so you want to be sure your pigs are getting the
water they need. You or your employees simply read the water meter once a
day at the same time each day, record the information and update the graph
on the
form. The graph provides a visual awareness of water disappearance and makes
it easier for a caretaker to identify changes in the growth process of a
group of pigs."
For more information, contact Storlie at (563) 425-3331, Brumm at (402) 584-2816
or IPIC at (800) 808-7675.
IPIC was established in 1994 as a coordinated effort of the colleges of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University. Its mission is to promote efficient pork production technologies in Iowa, maintain Iowa's pork industry leadership and strengthen rural development efforts. IPIC focuses its efforts on programs that are integral and complementary to ISU Extension. Through IPIC, Iowa producers receive accurate and timely information to make their operations more efficient and profitable.
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