Patented cooling pads developed by animal science experts keep boars and sows cooler, improve their feed intake and milk output, and increase piglet wean weight
IHT Group, a division of Decisive Dividend Corp. (TSXV: DE) based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, is bringing patented cooling pad technology for hogs to the North American market in spring 2024.
The pads are 2-foot-by-4-foot aluminum tread plates on top of copper pipes that circulate water. Sensors in the pads determine if the hog is too hot and circulate new water to keep the pad cool. The technology was designed by researchers in Purdue University’s Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering and Department of Animal Sciences.
Heat harms hogs
Record heat across North America impacts not just people but also animals, including farmers’ livestock. Francisco Cabezon, research president at Pipestone Research, which specializes in swine health research and recommendations, said overheating can cause problems for hogs.
“Under heat stress conditions, lactating sows reduce their feed intake and milk output to attempt to reduce their metabolic heat production. In consequence, their piglet growth and subsequent reproductive performance is negatively affected,” said Cabezon, who earned his PhD at Purdue University. “In boars, some negative impacts of heat stress are decreased sperm motility and concentration and an increase in sperm abnormalities.”
Chris Grant, IHT president, said farmers benefit when their swine aren’t affected by heat stress.
“Animal welfare and well-being improve when heat stress is reduced,” Grant said. “Farmers will have a larger, healthier animal that can grow better and has a better chance of survivability at the next stage.”
Tests prove benefits
Allan Schinckel, a professor in Purdue’s Department of Animal Sciences, and Robert M. Stwalley III, associate clinical professor in Purdue’s Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, designed the cooling pads.
“The Purdue-developed IHT active swine cooling pads will represent a paradigm shift in hog production, increasing both operational efficiency and animal welfare,” Stwalley said. “We are refining the pads and their materials, currently testing stainless steel pipes versus copper pipes to continue optimizing their performance.”
Rendering of a hog cooling pad designed at Purdue University that will be manufactured and sold by IHT Group of Winnipeg, Manitoba. (Photo provided by IHT Group) Download image Schinckel said the initial research showed the cooling pads make sows more comfortable.
“We saw a decrease in their overall respiration rates, slightly lower internal temperatures and lower daily maximum temperatures. The sows also produced more heat, which corresponded to an increase in their feed intake and milk production; this improves animal welfare and well-being,” Schinckel said. “Piglets who were on the cooling pads had a 26% increase in weaning weight and 7.2% increase in feed intake.”
The initial research at Purdue also showed the cooling pads maintained boars’ semen quality by reducing heat stress abnormalities. The pads kept the boars cool even at high environmental temperatures and high humidity. They also kept the boars’ respiration rate low.
Peer-reviewed papers about the initial research have been published in journals including Applied Engineering in Agriculture, Applied Animal Science, Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, Journal of Animal Science, Livestock Science, The Professional Animal Scientist and the Journal of the ASABE (American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers).
Schinckel will present a poster about the effects of cooling pads on sows prior to farrowing and mid and late lactation at the Allen D. Leman Swine Conference, which takes place Sept. 16-19 at Saint Paul RiverCentre in Minnesota.
Initial research on the cooling pads’ effects on boars, sows and gilts conducted at Purdue was funded by grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the Agricultural Science and Extension for Economic Development, or AgSEED, program from Purdue’s College of Agriculture. IHT Group supported beta tests at Pipestone Research in Minnesota, led by Cabezon, and at Purdue and two commercial facilities in the U.S. IHT Group funded a graduate student at Purdue during the beta test period. Data from those tests is being complied for summarization for analyses.
Manufacturing and sales
IHT evaluated pads for their commercial assessment under a Commercial Evaluation Agreement with the Purdue Innovates Office of Technology Commercialization. Based on the results of the evaluation, IHT and OTC negotiated an exclusive license for manufacturing and selling the pads.
“We will sell the pads across North America in spring 2024 as farmers prepare for the heat stress of the summer,” Grant said. “That launch date will also allow us to compile and analyze final data from the boar stud tests, which will be available in October.”
About IHT Group
IHT Group is committed to providing energy-efficient heating and lighting solutions for a wide range of agricultural and commercial applications. We care about animal health, welfare and offering reliable equipment manufactured to save our customers time on maintenance and money on their electric bills. With over 25 years of experience in manufacturing equipment for the agricultural industry, IHT is committed to researching new innovative technologies and providing reliable customer support.
About Decisive Dividend Corp.
Decisive Dividend Corp. is an acquisition-oriented company, focused on opportunities in manufacturing. The company’s purpose is to be the sought-out choice for exiting legacy-minded business owners, while supporting the long-term success of the businesses acquired, and through that, creating sustainable and growing shareholder returns. The company uses a disciplined acquisition strategy to identify already profitable, well-established, high-quality manufacturing companies that have a sustainable competitive advantage, a focus on non-discretionary products, steady cash flows, growth potential and established, strong leadership.
About Purdue Innovates Office of Technology Commercialization
The Purdue Innovates Office of Technology Commercialization operates one of the most comprehensive technology transfer programs among leading research universities in the U.S. Services provided by this office support the economic development initiatives of Purdue University and benefit the university’s academic activities through commercializing, licensing and protecting Purdue intellectual property. In fiscal year 2022, the office reported 157 deals finalized with 237 technologies signed, 379 disclosures received and 169 issued U.S. patents. The office is managed by the Purdue Research Foundation, which received the 2019 Innovation and Economic Prosperity Universities Award for Place from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. In 2020, IPWatchdog Institute ranked Purdue third nationally in startup creation and in the top 20 for patents. The Purdue Research Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation created to advance the mission of Purdue University. Contact otcip@prf.org for more information.
