As America’s pork producers face rising input costs and a challenging labor market, innovative ag-tech companies are racing to provide solutions. For instance, traditional heat lamps use lightbulbs which are not always efficient and reliable. Thankfully, pork producers can opt to use FarrPro’s new DownFire, an innovative overhead farrowing heating solution, as an alternative to high-maintenance traditional lamps.

Since stepping onto the scene in 2017, FarrPro has been inventing a new generation of tools for pork production, including the NanoMat. Steve Hoff, Ph.D., FarrPro’s director of engineering, describes what drives the company as “utilizing existing technology to improve upon methods that have been used for years in our industry together into robust solutions for our producers.”

One of FarrPro’s latest innovations addresses daily issues that pork producers face in the farrowing barn. “We’ve seen a reduction in heat lamp bulb quality over the years,” says Hoff. “The availability of heat lamps is an issue, the ruggedness and cleanability is an issue, and finally, the heat pattern for lamps is non-uniform. You have a hot center zone, surrounded by a rapidly cooling outer zone.”

FarrPro’s answer to this problem: the DownFire, a unique, energy-efficient heat solution that doesn’t require a single bulb change in its lifetime.

Inside the device is a graphene heating panel that evenly radiates heat overhead to the piglets below. In addition, the design includes an insulated top to ensure safe handling and that heat flows down to the piglets instead of being lost in the room. As a result, the DownFire can keep an entire litter comfortable.

The DownFire’s zero-maintenance design means fewer dollars and hours spent changing heat lamp bulbs. Jeff Hill, president of Livestock Welfare Strategies, says, “It’s a better product than the heat lamp. It replaces overhead heating. It’s very energy-efficient, and there’s no bulb to break.”

Animal safety, labor and maintenance costs are common problems for producers. “Anything we can do to reduce the need for mundane things like securing and changing bulbs is a plus for the industry,” says Hoff.

The DownFire integrates into existing control systems. “We’ve continued to develop new and innovative methods to satisfy microclimate needs for piglets,” Hoff explains. “This was a natural extension of what we’re doing with microclimate heating that can withstand the rigors of farrowing room use and be trouble-free.”

FarrPro’s top priority is to create technology that satisfies the customer. “The customer, of course, being piglets in this case,” Hoff emphasizes.

Jeff Hill agrees that the DownFire technology will provide a better climate for piglets. “It’s that radiant heat that provides a comforting feeling,” he says.

FarrPro will formally launch the DownFire and other technologies to build the future of pork production at this year’s World Pork Expo in Des Moines, Iowa, held June 8 through 10, 2022. With their innovative microclimate and smart barn solutions, FarrPro has grown into a national company with technology across many production environments.

Learn more by visiting farrpro.com.

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