Pork producers attending Ohio State University’s (OSU) Farm Science Review Sept. 16-18 can learn more about managing the environment in their hog barns that can help improve production efficiency and save money.

OSU Extension staff will demonstrate its new ventilation trailer, with all of the features found in standard ventilated livestock facilities to simulate various ventilation scenarios and troubleshoot specific problems.

The ventilation trailer will be on display during the show at the Molly Caren Agricultural Center in London, OH.

“Most modern swine facilities depend on mechanical ventilation to make animals as comfortable as possible,” explains Glen Arnold, an OSU Extension educator in Putnam County. “The more comfortable the animals are, the faster they grow and the more productive they are. But it’s easy to lose track of proper ventilation maintenance – to warm the building more or to run the cooling fans longer than need be – or to miss small problems with the system that could be costing a producer money.”

Arnold will demonstrate the benefits of the ventilation trailer during Farm Science Review. He and colleagues have been conducting training sessions throughout the state.

Arnold says producers can save on energy costs simply by improving the efficiency of the system.

“Producers can often save $2,000 to $3,000 a year or more in propane expenses just by tweaking the system to make it more precise,” he says.

To learn more about the show, go to http://fsr.osu.edu.