The Need for Security Cameras At Hog Farms

There are a lot of reasons these days that make security cameras a necessity at Hog Farms. We’ve all heard of vandals, thieves and activists targeting hog farms more and more each passing year. It’s only a matter of time before they hit your operation, so the need to bolster all types of security is rising. From gates, locks, lighting and camera systems, there are a number of relatively low cost ways to protect your property and investment.

A host of government agencies are starting to call for increased security at every level, no matter where you are in the food chain. Biosecurity is being discussed at every show and meeting these days, and it is time to start taking a look at some of the things you can do to help protect your operation.

Every year the number of break-ins at hog farms is rising. Sometimes it’s just vandalism, sometimes it’s sabotage or outright theft of animals, copper, motors or other equipment. When there is an incident of any kind, it is imperative that you be able to identify whether this was a random target or an inside job. If you can identify who is responsible, and see their vehicles, then law enforcement has a lot more to go on than simply tire tracks. When security cameras are involved, culprits are found more than 85% of the time.

Where To Install Cameras Outdoors:

It’s always a good idea to start with camera views outside the building. Aim at least one camera toward the gate, and get a good picture of the vehicle driving in and out. If possible, add a License Tag Capture Camera right beside the normal camera. If you are capturing license plates, you have a record of everyone coming onto your property. This is not only great for identification, but even without the License Tag Camera, can confirm that your employees are arriving on time, and your deliveries are happening when they should.

Then, add a couple around the property viewing areas where vehicles are likely to pass, or even the load-out areas. This shows you where the vehicle went, whether they cut too short and damaged the building or scraped a piece of equipment, or whether they loaded feed in the wrong silo. These views could also help to show if employees are slipping into unsafe practices or cutting corners as they go about their daily duties.

Indoor Cameras:

There are probably numerous points of entry into your hog buildings, and while you may not need cameras at all of them, choose the more obvious and well traveled entries and point a camera at them. You will want to see who came in, and what they may have been carrying in or out.

Once they are in the building, put a camera at each end pointing toward the center so that you will be able to see where they went and exactly what they were doing. Don’t forget to cover any areas where all the electrical wiring comes to, in case of copper or controls theft.

What Type of Cameras Should You Buy:

One of the most important things to look for when looking at prospective security camera systems, is that each camera is able to withstand the weather and temperatures outdoors in your area, and that they are totally sealed and rated to withstand the harsh conditions they will encounter indoors, such as high pressure washdowns and disenfectant fluids. This means that they should have an ingress rating of at least IP67 or IP68 (any camera specifications page should show these ratings). A rating of IP66 may not be good enough indoors, depending on where it is mounted, but should be fine when used outdoors.

The Recording and Networking equipment of the system will need to be in a protected room, and will also need to be under lock and key. If an area is not available, then either choose a system that is housed in lockable, sealed cabinets, or you may also be able to remote this equipment nearby at an office or residence if it is not too far away.

Wireless transmitters and receivers that can transmit one or more cameras back to an office or house has come way down in price lately, and can be accomplished for 2-300 dollars in most cases – as long as there is a clear line-of-sight between the antennas. Most security camera system can provide monitoring and control from your phone or tablet if you have Internet Service, but ask to make sure that this is possible.

Find A Reputable Security Company:

Make sure that you are either dealing direct with a Manufacturer or a Dealer that has been in business for a number of years, and can also provide you with some names of other farmers where they have installed systems recently.

You should be able to choose to install a system yourself with guidance from your Seller, or if you are having a system installed, be sure to ask about every step – how long it will take, if it includes junction boxes for wiring and whether or not they will isolate the cameras from the metal building structure, as this can cause interference issues at some facilities.

Be sure to get any Warranty and included Technical Support in writing. This is most often where companies stiff you, because they want to simply move on after the installation process, and you are usually left with a substandard Manual and the Installer is not answering their phone.

See our sample Hog Farm Camera Layouts to give you an idea of what we can do!