Poultry Manure Conveyor Success Story
"Moves what we need to move, where we need to move it."
"Reliable, simple conveying."
Chore-Time® Egg Production Systems, a division of CTB Inc., has been designing and manufacturing equipment for egg production facilities since 1952. To supply their customers with industry-leading technology, Chore-Time® operates its own research and development centers out of their manufacturing facilities in Milford, Indiana, and Decatur, Alabama. Their goal in designing these facilities is to provide a safe, comfortable environment for the birds in addition to optimizing egg production and egg quality.
Over the past decade, the style of housing and equipment in commercial egg production has evolved. Now, instead of manure from the laying hens dropping to the lower level of the building, equipment moves the poultry manure from inside the poultry house to a separate storage building. Rick VanPuffelen, Sales Manager for Chore-Time® Egg Production Systems, was recently involved in a new installation which would implement this new design. According to Rick, "This style of housing and manure removal from the production house requires a reliable, simple conveying system." To find a conveying system that would meet his customer’s needs, he contacted Patz Corporation, Pound, WI.
Pictured is a Patz Model 1608 Belt Conveyor windrowing poultry manure into one of four piles in the storage building.
To operate the conveying system, Rick purchased and installed five Patz Trough Slider-Bed Belt Conveyors: (2) Model 1608 and (3) Model 2405. The system of Model 2405 Conveyors transports poultry manure across the production house and up an incline to the storage building. Here, the poultry manure can either be loaded directly into a truck with an optional plow-off or is moved the length of the building by two Model 1608 Conveyors with automatic plow-offs, windrowing the litter into four piles. The windrowed poultry manure in the storage building is left to compost naturally until it is ready for field application. In effect, pathogens and odors are reduced quickly and naturally without any additives. Ammonia and flies are also reduced, resulting in a cleaner, safer environment for both birds and humans in the production houses.
Pictured are both Patz Model 1608 Belt Conveyors and the four windrows of poultry manure they stockpiled.
After completing the installation, Rick reports that the Patz system of conveyors has successfully met his customer’s poultry manure-handling needs. He said, "The design of the installation has given much flexibility in where the managers can store or load out the manure. The key to a good conveying system is that it simply does its job of automatic movement with workers only needing to turn it on and off. This is happening. The equipment is operating very well."
Rick also recognizes and appreciates Patz personnel’s contribution to the success of the installation. He commented, "I appreciate their personal involvement in helping to design systems for the applications. They have worked closely with us to meet individual customer’s needs…and have been out in the field when needed to assure that the equipment does what it is intended to do."
"The systems are high-quality and have the versatility to handle a variety of layouts and applications. The conveyors are very good and durable…and do what they are expected to do in generally tough, dirty environments," Rick stated. Because of this, Chore-Time® Egg Production Systems recommends and utilizes Patz equipment with other customers’ installations on a regular basis. Rick simply put, "Patz has a great record of moving what we need to move, where we need to move it."
See how Patz conveyors can handle your poultry litter!
Click here or on the YouTube icon!