Happy with hoopsHoop buildings are a top pick on the Stockmen''s Survey[TM] as a management change tied to a product. With pigs from 900 sows being finished in 12 hoop barns, Dave Struthers (shown on page 33) has learned a bit about this housing system since he built his first barn in 1996. The materials (wood, concrete, poles, and tarp) for a hoop barn that holds 200 finishing pigs costs about $8,000. Most of Struthers'' barns are made by Sioux Steel.Struthers, who farms with his family near Collins, Iowa, says hoop production works well for him and offers these tips based on his experience:

Ultrasound works magicOne tool that South Dakota beef producers Blane and Cindy Nagel can''t do without is an ultrasound machine. All heifers on their 300-head Maine-Anjou herd are scanned each May and then fencestretcherbars bred according to their muscle fencestretcherbars scores and marbling levels. Ultrasound data for all sale bulls is provided to potential buyers. "As a breeder, I use it as a mating tool," says Blane, who farms near Springfield. "The buyers of my bulls use it as a selection tool." Nagel pays most attention to the marbling around the ribeye area. His cattle naturally muscle well, so he is looking for those who are also heavily marbled.

1. You need a firmly packed base of dirt to place the hoops for minimal seepage.2. The biggest problem with hoops is treatment of individual animals. Struthers uses hinged sorting panels and walks through each barn daily to check for sick animals.3. Quality bedding is a top priority. "We bought our own round baler because we treat cornstalks as a main crop now," says Struthers. Bean stubble works, too, he says, but it is fencestretcherbars not quite as absorbent as cornstalks.4. "Don''t skimp on bedding," says Struthers. "If you think the pigs might need more bedding, they do."Husbandry helpProducts that help with animal husbandry receive frequent mention in the survey. Breeding and selection management products get special acclaim from producers.