Clare and Drew Schilling are a brother-sister team from Illinois that manage their family’s breed-to-wean hog operation.
They recently added the EDGE 2 controller to their operation and have already seen a host of ways in which AP is using its expertise to make their lives easier and help their operation run more smoothly. The EDGE 2 controller lets the Schillings keep an eye on their whole operation. From one screen, they can get a full overview of everything that is happening in each of the rooms at all times. It gives them quick access to their set points, average temperatures – all the important things they need to know. When they walk in each morning, they can see all the information that helps get the day started.
“I just click on it and I have a whole overview of everything that’s going on in that unit at all times,” says Clare.
One feature that is especially helpful to the Schillings are the opportunities to create programs. In their nursery rooms, the Schillings run an all-in, all-out scenario. This means that when they move a newly wean group of pigs in, with the click of a button, they can have the ventilation and feeding programs set for the next seven weeks of production. And they can continue to do that each time a new group of pigs is weaned.
Like many operators, the Schillings have a bilingual team. With some controllers, information can literally get lost in translation. However, the EDGE 2 controller makes the swap from English to Spanish and back smoothly – keeping all the settings and giving everyone the confidence that each room was set up correctly.
The controller can even help producers with equipment maintenance. Through the data the controller collects, they can preemptively address potential concerns with a feed or ventilation system – maybe save a costly fan motor just by reading an amp draw!
“Your feed motors, your fan motors, anything that’s on there – it’s going to tell you when it starts to go bad and where the issue is,” Clare says.
But the most talked about feature of the EDGE 2 controller? The opportunity to have remote access to their two farrowing sites and systems, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year via their smart phone. Heaters can be adjusted from the living room of your house. Temperatures can be checked from the cab of the tractor. Alarms can be assessed in the middle of the night, without having to drive to the barn or call someone and hope they can rush over. The newest updates to the EDGE 2 controller include a more touch-responsive interface that resembles a smart phone. Its quick responsiveness has been a significant time saver for Clare and Drew. They can keep an eye on both farrowing sites from their smart phone and have peace of mind that their hogs are in the ideal environment – making the operation more profitable.
Want to hear more about the EDGE 2 controller from Clare and Drew? Visit the AP YouTube channel for this and other solutions that are saving producers time and money.
