When I started out in the business one of the old hands told me, “You don’t even need to see the records to know if a farm is meeting its production targets. If the grass is mowed, the interior is clean and the all the equipment is working they’re doing a good job raising the pigs.”

Every farm operation faces the challenge of having too many things to do and too few resources to do them. It’s easy to start using reactive maintenance (if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it) compared to planned preventive maintenance that prevents costly breakdowns. Good feeding, watering and ventilation equipment certainly isn’t cheap and the better it’s cared for the longer it will last.

Preloaded task list can be customized by an operator

The new smartphone app, BarnRX, reminds producers when it’s time to perform basic maintenance tasks. Available for either Apple or Android phones, the app comes preloaded with a monthly task list that can be checked as completed. In addition, the app allows an operator to add unique tasks to customize the maintenance list. Further customization is also possible by setting up multiple buildings.

Separate task lists for each building

The BarnRX app also contains an industry news feed, a listing of service techs on call and a direct link to the Hog Slat website for ordering repair parts. The final feature is a promotion section with cost-saving specials and mobile coupons only available with the BarnRX app.

To see more, watch a video and download the app, visit www.barnrx.com