Bringing in crews to remove the snow
Up north, where winters routinely bring snow measured in feet instead of inches, there are businesses dedicated to snow removal for not only the ground but for roofs as well. That’s why Thomas Livestock Company of Broken Bow looked to North Dakota and Minnesota when they brought in crews to remove snow from the roofs of their hog barns.
“We didn’t have much of a choice,” Thomas Livestock Company Vivce-President Hunter Thomas said. “We didn’t have the manpower.”
Hunter, along with Bio-Security Supervisor Troy Smith, told the Chief there were four crews comprised of 20 to 50 members each. Snow was cleared from 16 sites.
While none of the buildings collapsed, Thomas did say that one barn roof had started to give in. Asked about seven foot drifts the Chief had heard about, Thomas said, “One site near Callaway had (drifts) close to that.”
Thomas said employees stayed 24/7 at some of the barns during the snow storm of Jan. 18-19.
“When we hear there is going to be a storm, we ask employees if they want to volunteer to stay,” Thomas explained. Employees who volunteer bring personal supplies for the duration and are paid extra for each night. Air-mattresses are available and, at the end of the storm, employees are helped with getting home, if necessary.
“We had some employees stay two nights and others stay three,” Thomas said of the mid-January storm.
He added that the company tries to get volunteers at each barn with hogs, however, if that can’t happen, animals are monitored.
“We make sure we have cameras to see that there is feed and water for them,” Thomas said. If there is a problem, employees get to the barn as soon as they can.
Thomas said the willingness of employees to stay overnight at the barns is greatly appreciated.
“We are incredibly lucky to have such dedication with our employees and that they take great pride in their jobs and are willing to do that,” he said.