How Cool-Fx Protects Livestock From Extreme Heat
Jan Vogels is the owner of the Pig Hotel, a pig farm located in Erp, North Brabant. There are currently around 1,200 breeding pigs staying at this facility, with Jan working hard every summer to create a pleasant living environment for the animals.
REDUCING HEAT STRESS
Most of the stables are well isolated, however, the 900m2 covered outdoor area where the pigs are also housed is not isolated. To counteract the excessive heat in his stables during the hot summers, fans have been installed. "To further reduce heat stress on the animals, the heat-resistant roof coating Cool-FX has been applied to my barn roof every summer for five years," Vogels explains.
"When the pigs come out of the nursery barn, they often go into the barn which is not isolated. To prevent heat stress to the pigs, fans are hung to cool the barn. The fans hanging there help, but not enough. With hot weather, more passive cooling is really needed and this is where a coating like Cool-FX really comes in handy," he says. He notes that a significant difference in temperature can be observed between outside the barn and inside, where differences of seven degrees have been measured.
APPLY
Previously, Vogels had tried coating his barn roof himself, but this was a bit more difficult than expected. "Then I got in touch with the contracting company Van Wijnen. They informed me about the coating Cool-FX. Since then, I have had it applied every year," says Vogels.
He also sees more advantages in having the heat-resistant coating applied by a professional. "It is applied evenly, quickly and professionally to the barn roof. Cool-FX eventually wears off gradually over a period of a few months. For me, this is the ideal solution and means it works well and is therefore definitely worth the investment," Vogels said.
ANIMAL WELFARE: PRIORITY AT PIG FARM
Animal welfare is paramount for him, as the name of the Pig Hotel suggests. With Veehouderij Nederland, Vogels has long been active in promoting #noheatstress. He also invests a lot in the farm to make the pigs feel as comfortable as possible, such as an innovative misting system and a lounge area for sows. In terms of barn cooling, the heat-resistant coating Cool-FX is the icing on the cake. So all in all, Vogels has been very satisfied with the results for years.
"Another pig farmer around here also had Cool-FX applied to his roofs on my advice. Even though it only makes a few degrees difference, it really improves the indoor climate and that's worth a lot. Next year I will just have Cool-FX applied to the barn again," says Vogels.
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