Destroked 450
Well-known Member
- Location
- Harned, Ky
Part of our farming operation includes 3 500 ft broiler houses.
Monday the catch crews came and loaded out all of the chickens.
Normally I start windowing the litter and cleaning equipment a day or so after the birds leave, but with the temps so low I decided to wait a fee days for the warmer temps they had forecast.The building where closed up with only a minimum ventilation fan operating on a timer.
To my surprise a little after 7:00 last night we got a alarm call from the poultry barns indicating low water levels in the well feed reservoir, this reservoir holds 40,000 gallons and the alarm is set to go off when levels drop below 20,000 gallons.
At first I thought something had happen to the well and it wasn't filling the reservoir, but the water's been shut off for 4 days so we shouldn't be using water to cause the reservoir to get low.
Jumped in the pickup and drove the 1/2 mile to the poultry barns, we have 3-4 inches of snow on the ground and as I got to the control rooms in the center of the buildings I noticed there was no snow within 2 ft of control room 2, I thought darn we've got a water leak. When I stepped out of the truck I could here water spraying and could see water running out of every crack in that little 8x10 control room plus it was pouring out a partially open door. Lucky the master valves where in control room 1 so I went there and shut off the water to building 2.
When we ship the birds out we store the feed line hoppers in the control rooms to keep them out of the weather, apparently one of the hoppers fell over and broke both water filters off causing a water leak at the rate of 30 gallons per minute, the only dry spot in that room was about 6 ft of one wall where the computers and electric panels are located, looks like we dodged a bullet on that part.
Had it not been to cold to open the buildings I would have been there working and possibly caught the leak before over 20,000 gallons of water had been pumped out.
Spent most of the day working with a cow that wouldn't accept her new born calf, but while putting out hay for the cattle I drove the tractor down to the reservoir and checked, It's full again, well pump's working fine.
Tomorrow I'll start cleaning and will add plumbing in new water filters to the repair list.
Monday the catch crews came and loaded out all of the chickens.
Normally I start windowing the litter and cleaning equipment a day or so after the birds leave, but with the temps so low I decided to wait a fee days for the warmer temps they had forecast.The building where closed up with only a minimum ventilation fan operating on a timer.
To my surprise a little after 7:00 last night we got a alarm call from the poultry barns indicating low water levels in the well feed reservoir, this reservoir holds 40,000 gallons and the alarm is set to go off when levels drop below 20,000 gallons.
At first I thought something had happen to the well and it wasn't filling the reservoir, but the water's been shut off for 4 days so we shouldn't be using water to cause the reservoir to get low.
Jumped in the pickup and drove the 1/2 mile to the poultry barns, we have 3-4 inches of snow on the ground and as I got to the control rooms in the center of the buildings I noticed there was no snow within 2 ft of control room 2, I thought darn we've got a water leak. When I stepped out of the truck I could here water spraying and could see water running out of every crack in that little 8x10 control room plus it was pouring out a partially open door. Lucky the master valves where in control room 1 so I went there and shut off the water to building 2.
When we ship the birds out we store the feed line hoppers in the control rooms to keep them out of the weather, apparently one of the hoppers fell over and broke both water filters off causing a water leak at the rate of 30 gallons per minute, the only dry spot in that room was about 6 ft of one wall where the computers and electric panels are located, looks like we dodged a bullet on that part.
Had it not been to cold to open the buildings I would have been there working and possibly caught the leak before over 20,000 gallons of water had been pumped out.
Spent most of the day working with a cow that wouldn't accept her new born calf, but while putting out hay for the cattle I drove the tractor down to the reservoir and checked, It's full again, well pump's working fine.
Tomorrow I'll start cleaning and will add plumbing in new water filters to the repair list.
