English
Birds of a feather
Winter 2015
In a poultry operation with 8.5 million laying hens, eggs are not the only outcome. When that many birds of a feather flock together, they produce 500 million pounds of manure annually — that’s nearly the weight of 1,100 Statues of Liberty. A new Doosan DL250-3 wheel loader with exceptional agility, power and performance is helping drive a part of that collection business for Midwest Poultry Services.
Operating a branch of one of the nation’s largest shell egg production facilities in North Manchester, Indiana, means the 172-horsepower DL250-3 — with optional high lift for greater dump height — stays busy from dawn to dusk, managing the removal and loading of dry manure for storage and application as fertilizer on local farm fields.
“The aspects I look at most are bucket pin height, horsepower and weight,” says Complex Manager Dan Krouse, a sixth-generation egg farmer. “The DL250-3 had the best power-to-weight ratio of the units we considered, and the dimensions were also great. It can handle larger loads in a tighter space than most comparable units.”
Krouse had previously used another wheel loader brand to perform the work, but his evaluation of the DL250-3 revealed key advantages for maneuvering in the tight areas found in poultry production. Krouse says operators must enter a narrow manure storage barn, scoop up a load and turn 180 degrees to exit the building.
A careless operator could easily take out roof rafters or walls, but the Doosan wheel loader’s 20-foot turning radius allows for tight turns, to minimize damage to buildings or adjacent objects. “A machine that is nimble and has controls that are easy to handle is a great plus. Also, despite being considerably larger and heavier than our other brand, it actually has the same turning radius. It’s another feature that led us to buy Doosan,” says Krouse, who purchased the machine from B&W Equipment.
A quality filtration system is vital in this environment. The abrasive manure, along with small feathers, creates a dust that can quickly clog radiators and intakes. “I received great reviews about the DL250-3 from a nearby slag-crushing operation that also needs a good system. We haven’t had trouble with the radiator because the automatic reversing fan takes care of it.”
