Iowa Company is Working to Save Lives - the Four-Legged Kind

Gray Field™ LLC is a leader in Iowa in hog slat replacement services and is urging hog producers and growers to keep a cautious eye out for concrete slat failure warning signs inside hog confinements across the Midwest.

The horrifying sound of pigs splashing into the manure pit is what keeps Gray Field slat replacement employees up at night – literally.

With hog confinement buildings approaching 10, 15 and even 25 years of age, the slatted concrete flooring is aging and failing at an alarming rate. This can cause the loss of livestock and a significant disruption to a producer’s operation.

“Just last month, we received a call shortly before midnight from a hog producer that experienced slat failure. He had already lost a significant number of pigs. These are calls that you just hate to get because it’s too late. We do what we can to help our customers, even in emergency situations, but prevention is the ultimate goal,” said McKee Clark, Owner of Gray Field slat replacement.

Unlike traditional concrete slabs or floors, hog confinement flooring is slatted and suspended above a manure pit. Due to more wear, tear and extreme conditions, cracks in the concrete slats start to form. Once this happens, it doesn’t take long for moisture to reach the steel rebar and begin to wear away at the remainder of the slat. This causes the hallmark warning signs of sagging, exposed aggregate or rebar, and more severe cracks. These are warning signs that Gray Field urges producers to pay close attention to.

 “We care about our customers and their livestock. That is why we feel it’s important to get the word out on what signs to look for and what to be aware of. This not only saves the lives of pigs, but timely replacement of aging slats increases the safety for workers, prevents costly downtime, improves operations, and extends the life of the building” states Clark.

Gray Field is a leader in Iowa in hog slat replacement serving customers throughout Iowa and the Midwest. Custom engineered machinery and processes have been designed to replace concrete hog slats quickly and effectively under the motto of Done Right. Done Fast. Minimal downtime without damage to the building structure is Gray Field’s area of expertise. Learn more about Gray Field at the company website – http://www.grayfieldslat.com. Producers or growers interested in hog slat replacement services should contact McKee Clark at 712-450-0112.