FUTURE WATCH f you think robots have invaded only the factory floor, you haven’t met Agnes, the robotic sow. This promises to be the greatest develop- ment in pork since the laser cutter and blast freezing. It will go a long way to reducing produc- tion costs, minimizing early litter loss and produc- ing a healthier product. With these advantages, the volume of bacon sales should increase due to lower retail prices. Picture this scene from the more profitable robotic SOW-equipped farm: Baby piglets sunning themselves under infrared heat lamps are summoned by “mother” Agnes with a “dinner call” grunt. The light over their resting deck goes out and the one over the nursing robot, simulating the sow’s body warmth, lights up. One minute after dinner call, milk formula containing all the proper ingredients for that stage of life flows by gravity from a refrigerated unit (holding a 24-hour supply), Agnes is non-union, performs 24 hours a day, needs no rest, eating breaks or holidays and can handle several litters simultaneously. The robot a sow adjusts food, medicine or growth stimulant B content automatically, based on the piglets’ growth fA stage. Agnes has a robust body that resists abuse = by piglets. She also leaves no mess to shovel. The unit operates on a safe 12-volt system and incorporates miniature heat pumps developed by NASA for cooling satellites. They are only one inch With a prototype developed at the University of Guelph by animal psychologist Dr. Frank Hurnik, the unit was upgraded to commercial pro- duction by Farmatic Inc., a specialty farm equipment company that is changing the whole concept of farm produc- ==—Dr-lomioerrow- By FRANK OGDEN a built-in micro-processor. tion. Agnes has some advantages over Mother Na- ture’s model. It’s no secret that young piglets have a tough life. Some say adult pigs are so aggressive because they had to perform that way when young to survive. Many litters have piglet mortality rates of between 15 and 25 per cent. There are various causes. Mother sows often roll over and crush or smother the piglets. Almost every litter has a runt who gets pushed out of the feeding line. Sometimes the milk runs out and other times the sow just can’t produce. When that happens they all could die. Often the litter is larger than the number of nipples available. Another factor is post-partum Separation. After delivery some sows refuse to feed the litter, have mean dispositions or resort to outright killing of the baby pigs. Agnes has a far more pleasant temperament. located in the feeding pen. En route the milk Passes through a thermal bath that warms it to 40.3 degrees C. (102.6 F). Immediately another faster-paced feeding grunt signals food is available. Because these present up to 16 nipples, no one gets left out. Extra space between nipples prevents crowding. Every piglet in the litter obtains Te- quired nourishment. At the end of two busy minutes the nipples shut off and receive an automatic flushing. The nursing light fades as the resting deck light comes back on. The piglets scurry to the new heat source and fall asleep until the hourly feeding cycle is renewed. Another litter can be fed during the intervening 55 minutes. Mixture and volume is adjusted from 15 ml (half-ounce) for newborns to 50 ml (1.75 ounces) for three-week olds. lle Seawest Quay of Maitland Street 325 Maitland Street Sales Centre 389-1129/385-4663 EXCITING OPPORTUNITY Seawest Quay “21 Sold at Grand Opening”’ Open Daily 1:30 to 4:30 * 12 floors of spectacular harbourfront 2 bedroom condominiums * secure reinforced concrete construction ¢ Wall-to-wall picture windows * Marble foyer > Gas fireplace - 7 appliances > Secure parking + PRICES FROM $154,900 TO $242,900 + Spectacular Views Proudly Presented By David Philips bot-reared piglets never have to compete for nip- ples or milk. Blair Gordon, farmatic marketing ] manager, says the only thing they haven’t incorpor- ated into the units so far is an appropriate sow { aroma. I suggest they might as well include that in _ any future deluxe model they may be thinking of | developing. For the farmer, payback depends on the current selling price of hogs and the cost of hog food but repayment time for a 16-nipple unit should be between one and two years, including the human labor factor. Twenty-one day weight gain averages 3.75 kilograms. The unit costs around $8,000. More information: Blair Gordon, Marketing Manager, or Elise Amyot, Robotic Specialist, Far- matic Inc., 45 Meg Drive, London, Ontario N6E 2V2. Tel 519/ 686-7881. Square and perform both B heating and cooling functions. & Grunting sounds are digitally & encoded on a micro-chip and } programmed into the cycle by — Piglets raised by Agnes are | reported to have better dispo- | sitions, some animal psychol- | ogists say this is because ro- | FINALLY! ‘COMPLETE’ ==3| ALL UNDER ONE ROOF ng or Renovating a Home? Featuring quality brand name products: ¢ MOEN » VENCO AMERICAN STANDARD * B.C. MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS * RENTALS + PARTS, ACCESSORIES, KITS and much, much more. 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