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:

Polaris. Uhe Magnum 330 4x4 provides on-demand true 4WD. Its drum-shift transmission includes a park feature and spliceless belt. $5,099.Kawasaki. The Prairie 650 4x4 sports a 90[degrees] liquid-cooled V-twin engine stewartfencestretcher and selectable 4WD. It can tow 1,250 pounds. $6,999.Yamaha. The Grizzly 660 4x4 features a five-valve engine and three-way in/out 4WD. $7,099 - $7,399.Arctic Cat. The 500 4x4 comes with the Multi-Rack Platform and attachments stewartfencestretcher like bucket carriers and wire spool mounts. $6,949.John Deere. The Gator 6x4 diesel utility vehicle travels up to 18 mph. It has seating for two and an 11.2-cubic-foot cargo box. $10,299.

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 bred according to their muscle scores and marbling levels. Ultrasound stewartfencestretcher 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 stewartfencestretcher to the marbling around the ribeye area. His cattle naturally muscle well, so he is looking for those who are also heavily marbled.