Hog Door Seals – Making Pig Loading Easier and Safer

If you're in the hog business, you know loading pigs onto trailers has it's difficulties, specially with sunlight messing things up or gaps causing trips and falls. That's where our hog door seals come in. These are tough pads made just for swine operations, helping to block light, close gaps, and keep things running smoothly. We've pulled from real farm practices and some solid science on how pigs react to light to make sure these work for everything from big finishing barns to smaller setups. They fit right in with Pork Quality Assurance (PQA) Plus guidelines, focusing on welfare, and efficiency.

Our seals are designed for the rough stuff on farms; mud, weather, you name it. Whether you've got a high-volume site moving 1,000 pigs a week or a farrow-to-finish operation, these can cut down on stress and speed things along.

What Hog Door Seals Are All About

Basically, these are foam pads that compress when a trailer backs up to your loading dock or chute. Not like those warehouse seals—these are built for hogs. You get vertical side pads, and optionally a top header, forming a tight seal.

Loading pigs happens in all kinds of conditions: bright sun outside, dim barns inside, rain or whatever. Seals fix that by:

• Prevent gaps during loading to avoid injuries
• Minimize drafts and temp swings to reduce stress
• Couple with extra length dock bumpers to ensure pigs don't step between trailer and dock
• Increase overall safety for pigs and handlers

Pig Behavior and Light: The Chute Scoop

Pigs aren't fans of weird lighting—it stresses them out and slows loading. Experts like Temple Grandin point out they're sensitive to visuals, which can make or break a smooth transfer.

• They like moving from dim to brighter spots but hate total dark. Studies show they head toward light easier, so light up trailers but ditch glaring gaps.
• Contrasts and shadows freak them out—like sun leaking through cracks looks like danger. Pigs pause or bunch up in unknown darks, so even lighting cuts balking.
• For efficiency, tweaking light reduces stress. Pigs from dim barns hate bright outsides, leading to delays or piling. Seals block that erratic sun, making a steady path that drops vocalizing and improves meat quality by avoiding PSE issues.

Bottom line: Seals create a tunnel effect, ditching distractions for better flow. In hog ops, where stress hits quality and death rates (0.1-0.5% in good loads, USDA), this stuff matters.

Our Seal Features

Built with producer input, matching Hog Slat vibes:

• Tough build: Foam with reinforced 40-50 oz fabrics—stands up to pigs, trailers, and washes.
• Light/gap control: Opaque to stop sun; seals wonky spaces, no leg traps or escapes.
• Options: Two verticals for narrow doors or three pads for full wrap.
• Biosecure: Wipe-down surfaces fight PRRS/PEDv.

Why Bother? Benefits for Hog Work

• Welfare: Low-contrast path eases stress, drops cortisol—healthier pigs, less losses.
• Efficiency: Shorter loads (under 2 mins/group), more throughput for big ops, no downtime.
• Safety: No gaps means safer for you and crew—key with labor short.
• Money: Lasts longer, cuts costs; good welfare means premium pork, beats heat stress deaths (0.2-0.5% summers).
• Compliance: Helps PQA Plus for humane transport.

Tips to Get It Right

• Add bumpers for tight seals on bare docks.
• Use trailer lights to pull pigs in (Grandin tip).
• Custom size: We tailor for your doors/chutes.
• Check quarterly—easy in busy barns.

Quick Install

1. Clean up dock.
2. Bolt pads to frames (add header if three-pad).
3. Test with trailer.
4. Tools: Drill, screws, level—DIY or pro for tight fits.

FAQs

• Help with light? Yep, cuts contrasts pigs hate (Grandin, 1990).
• For all ops? Great for finishing; tweaks for wean-finish.
• Warranty? Seals are warrantied against manufacturing defects.