Performance Series | ProSort Systems

Executive Summary

When sorting performance starts to change, most producers naturally look at the sorter.

Is the equipment working properly?

Does something need adjustment?

Has accuracy declined?

After decades of working with producers, George Waldner has seen a different reality play out time and time again.

Most sorting problems don’t start at the sorter.

They start somewhere else in the barn.

A gate gets moved.

Pig flow changes.

Stocking pressure increases.

A routine evolves.

A shortcut becomes standard practice.

None of these changes seem significant in the moment.

Yet weeks or months later, producers begin noticing inconsistencies in sorting performance, increased labor requirements, or pigs that simply aren’t moving through the system as smoothly as they once did.

The sorter becomes the focus.

But the root cause often began somewhere else entirely.

The challenge is that these setup mistakes rarely announce themselves. They develop quietly, influence pig behavior gradually, and often go unnoticed until performance starts to suffer.

The good news?

Most of them are preventable.

Mistake #1: Assuming Pig Flow Will Stay the Same

One of the biggest misconceptions in automated sorting is that once a system is working, it will continue working exactly the same way forever.

But barns are constantly changing.

Groups change.

Stocking levels fluctuate.

Management practices evolve.

Employees develop new routines.

Over time, pig flow changes as well.

What worked perfectly six months ago may not be supporting movement in exactly the same way today.

George often sees situations where producers focus on the sorter while overlooking changes that have occurred throughout the rest of the barn.

The sorter hasn’t changed.

Pig flow has.

And because sorting systems depend on consistent movement, even small shifts can influence overall performance.

The highest-performing operations regularly evaluate how pigs are moving through the facility rather than assuming flow will remain unchanged.

Mistake #2: Small Layout Changes That Become Permanent

Many performance issues begin with a temporary solution.

A gate is repositioned.

A pen is adjusted.

A traffic route is modified.

Equipment is stored in a new location.

The change solves an immediate challenge and everyone moves on.

Months later, nobody remembers it happened.

What George frequently observes is that these seemingly minor adjustments can influence how pigs approach and move through the sorting system.

The impact is often subtle.

Pigs hesitate slightly longer.

Movement becomes less consistent.

Additional intervention becomes necessary.

No single event triggers concern.

But over time, small layout changes can gradually create larger performance issues.

The sorter is often blamed first, even though the problem started with a decision made elsewhere in the barn.

Mistake #3: Creating Friction Without Realizing It

The best pig flow feels almost effortless.

Pigs move naturally.

Employees intervene less.

The system works with pig behavior rather than against it.

When George walks through barns experiencing sorting challenges, he often looks for friction points first.

Places where pigs hesitate.

Areas where movement slows.

Locations where animals repeatedly encounter resistance.

These friction points can include:

• Congested traffic areas
• Poor gate positioning
• Inconsistent footing
• Bottlenecks near resources
• Areas with excessive competition

Individually, they may seem insignificant.

Collectively, they can influence how pigs interact with the entire system.

The important thing to remember is that the sorter cannot overcome poor flow.

It can only work within the flow that exists.

Mistake #4: Inconsistency in Daily Management

Technology thrives on consistency.

Pigs do too.

One of the most overlooked factors affecting sorter performance is variation in daily routines.

Different handling practices.

Different movement strategies.

Different responses to emerging issues.

Different expectations between employees.

Operations that consistently achieve strong sorting performance often have something in common:

They create consistency for both pigs and people.

Employees understand expectations.

Management routines are repeatable.

Small issues are addressed before they become larger problems.

The result is a more predictable environment where pigs interact with the system consistently.

And consistency is the foundation of performance.

Mistake #5: Waiting for a Problem Before Looking for One

Perhaps the most expensive mistake of all is waiting until performance visibly declines before evaluating the system.

Most sorting issues develop gradually.

They don’t appear overnight.

A little more labor is required.

Pig movement becomes slightly less efficient.

Employees intervene more often.

Flow isn’t quite as smooth.

Because these changes happen slowly, they often become accepted as normal.

Until eventually someone asks:

“What happened to sorting performance?”

By that point, the underlying issue may have been developing for months.

The most successful operations take a proactive approach.

They monitor trends.

They watch pig movement.

They pay attention to labor requirements.

They investigate small changes early.

Because small issues are easier to solve than large ones.

What George Sees in High-Performing Barns

After working with producers across countless facilities, one pattern continues to emerge.

The barns with the strongest sorting performance are rarely the barns with the most technology.

They’re the barns with the fewest obstacles.

Pig flow is protected.

Movement is predictable.

Management is consistent.

Small issues are addressed quickly.

The focus isn’t solely on the sorter.

It’s on the entire system surrounding it.

Because sorting success is not created by one piece of equipment.

It’s created by dozens of decisions working together every day.

Closing Thought

Most sorting problems don’t begin at the sorter.

They begin 20 feet away.

At a gate.

In a pen layout.

Along a traffic route.

Inside a daily routine.

Or within a small change that seemed harmless at the time.

The highest-performing operations understand this.

They don’t just monitor equipment.

They evaluate flow.

They observe pig behavior.

They look for friction.

And they recognize that long-term performance is built on protecting the conditions that allow the system to succeed.

Because in modern pork production, the most important sorting decisions are often the ones made long before a pig ever reaches the sorter.

About George Waldner & ProSort Systems

George Waldner and the team at ProSort Systems have spent decades helping producers improve pig flow, labor efficiency, and barn management through practical sorting solutions designed around real-world production environments.

Their approach goes beyond equipment, focusing on how technology, pig behavior, facility design, and management practices work together to create more efficient and consistent outcomes across the barn.