the shavings as well as a spreading
service for growers which puts
bedding directly into the poultry
houses.
“That has been a real key for
us to be able to spread the product
right in the barn,” Lavern says.
Before, bedding would have to be
spread with side delivery rakes.
The spreader allows bedding to
reach the wall of the poultry
house. “This way when we’re done,
the growers are ready to go in to
make their brooder rings, and it’s
all even. They don’t have to do a
thing.”
Shipped in from Arkansas,
rice hulls have
recently been
added to the
product line and
are becoming
especially
popular with
turkey farmers. Chicken growers
and dairy producers are also
becoming fond of the rice hulls,
which can also be blended with
traditional wood shavings.
“The rice hulls are something
that you can’t pack, and it keeps
the shavings loose and the
moisture goes down through the
bedding rather than just caking
over,” Lavern explains.
He adds that the bagged
product brings diversity to the
operation. “I like to be able to have
my eggs in several baskets rather
than just in one thing,” Lavern
says.
Most of the logs used at Eagle
Ridge are trucked in from areas in
Douglas, Howell, Shannon, Texas
and Wright counties in Missouri.
“We’re in between the
pine woods and the market for
shavings, so it works out well,”
David explains. “The loggers are
willing to drive a distance to get
here.”
While David handles
equipment maintenance and
day-to-day management of Eagle
Ridge and Lynette Ramer oversees
the office, Lavern’s daughter Missy
does much of the bagging. His
wife, Shawn, also helps out in the
office while son Tyler helps Lavern
with their farming operation.
be healthier for the birds. Now
Eagle Ridge only sells dry product.
Lavern says Eagle Ridge is
different from other mills. “We
used to have to notch our knives
to get the size product that we
want, but we ended up putting
in a hammer mill system that the
green product is sucked through,”
he explains. “It has been the most
efficient way of sizing product.”
When green shavings are run
through a hammer mill and then
dried, a more uniform product is
the end result. Dry shavings sent
through the same hammer mill
grind into smaller fragments.
Once
out of the
hammer mill,
the shavings
are blown into
a chamber
and then
metered into a furnace.
“After (the shavings) make
three passes through our drum,
it gets blown in and comes into
a shaker,” Lavern explains. “We
shake out the fines. That’s actually
what fuels our furnace.”
The inlet temperature for the
shavings is between 800 and 1,000
degrees Fahrenheit. “The hot air
floats around in the drum,” Lavern
says. “The drum is a triple pass
drum. When the shavings are dry,
it’ll suck out this way. The wetter
shavings won’t come out until
they’re dry enough to actually
float.”
Once dry, the product is
around 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
“I’ll never forget when we got
our first big order.”
Two additional children, Ladonna
and Regan, are still in school.
Wayne Ramer, Lynette’s father,
manages the mill. David’s family
includes wife Rachel, and children
Benjamin, Katriel, Josiah, Grace,
Adam and Hans.
ONE LOG AT A TIME
Turning logs into shavings is more
than simply shaving off wood one
layer at a time.
“When we first started, we
were making green product,”
Lavern explains. But, after a mold
formed from the damper shavings,
a dryer system was installed to
provide growers with a more
acceptable product that would also
HEARTBEAT | WINTER 2017 9