Maintenance:
Out of Feed = Out of Profit:
How to Help Producers Protect Performance with Smarter Feed Delivery Systems
Dealer Guide | Featuring Insights from PigTek’s Engineering Team
By: Casey L. Bradley, Ph.D. – ANIMISTIC
Why Every Missed Feed Cycle Matters
Out-of-feed (OOF) events may not always make it into barn logs, but they are quietly draining profitability from even the best-run swine operations.
Producers have invested heavily in genetics and precision nutrition, but without reliable, verifiable delivery, those investments are at risk. As their trusted advisor, you can help them protect margins and minimize emergency repairs by upgrading outdated equipment with modern, feedback-driven solutions.
“The reality is, if you’re not monitoring the system, and if you don’t have redundancy in design, you’re gambling with every feeding cycle,” says Chris Elvidge, Engineering and Tech Service Manager at PigTek.
The Case for Selling Feed System Upgrades
PigTek’s feed delivery systems are designed with reliability, visibility and control in mind. This makes them not just another equipment line, but a way for you, as a dealer, to solve a hidden and costly production problem.
Here are potential issues your customers face:
- Single-prox switch systems: These stop the auger based on the end of the line, even if half the drops are still empty.
- Dead-end feed lines: No recirculation means one mechanical hiccup can starve an entire pen.
- Labor-reliant bin switches: Missed tandem bin switches (especially on weekends) cause preventable OOF events.
- No alerts, no feedback: Most older systems don’t tell producers what didn’t happen; they just silently fail.
3 Things You Can Offer as a Solution-Focused Dealer
- Feed System Redesign with Recirculation and Sensor Feedback: Upgrade producers from dead-end flex augers to recirculating loop systems or chain disc systems that give each drop box multiple fill opportunities and reduce reliance on a single endpoint signal. This can improve feed consistency throughout the barn while adding real-time feedback with motor monitoring and sensor integration.
“It’s not just about pushing feed—it’s about knowing it got delivered,” Elvidge says. “That’s what producers need you to bring them.”
- Remote Control with an Automatic Bin Slider: This is your premium upsell item and one of the easiest values to prove. With PigTek’s Automatic Bin Slider, producers can switch between tandem bins remotely using a smartphone app. “It’s the easiest ROI story you can tell,” says Elvidge. “The cost of one missed bin switch on a Saturday is more than the cost of the Automatic Bin Slider system.”
When paired with a bin-level sensor, the system provides real-time bin fill data, notifications before bins run dry, and elimination of missed weekend or overnight bin switches. Position this upgrade around labor savings, feed assurance and remote peace of mind to help secure the sale.
- Value Added Maintenance Kits
Sell maintenance kits that may include some of the following items:- Shear Pins
- Anchor Bearings
- Short Auger Flighting
- Gear Oil
- Agitator Balls and Baffles
- Hand tools
Offer these as a “Bin Maintenance Kit” or bundle them during install visits. Fewer panicked service calls equal happier customers and more substantial service margins.
How to Frame the Sale
PigTek Solution:
Recirculating loop system
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Dealer Selling Point:
Protect ADG, reduce weight variation
PigTek Solution:
Automatic Bin Slider + Sensor
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Dealer Selling Point:
Remove labor bottlenecks, avoid downtime
PigTek Solution:
Feed motor + drop sensors
Dealer Selling Point:
Add data to nutrition program, reduce guesswork
PigTek Solution:
Maintenance kits
Dealer Selling Point:
Proactive service, faster fixes, higher uptime
How to Lead the Conversation
Start with questions like, “Have you ever walked in Monday and realized pigs didn’t get fed Saturday night? Are you sure every feeder gets fed on every cycle? What’s your plan if the bin doesn’t switch over and no one’s there?”
Then offer a solution, not a product. For instance, you could say, “Let’s walk through how a remote-controlled bin slider and a sensor could eliminate that risk completely. It’s one less thing your crew must remember — and one less way to lose a weekend.”
Bottom Line for Dealers
Out-of-feed events are silent profit killers. PigTek equipment allows you to bring your producers a more innovative, safer, and resilient system, while positioning yourself as the go-to expert for feed flow reliability.