Farms with a strong focus on setting pigs up to succeed can earn dividends, both in more pigs produced and more quality pigs finished. To reach that success, it takes engaged employees who have been trained in the proper concepts and who understand what it takes to carry them out in a consistent fashion, says Sarah Probst Miller, DVM, Carthage (IL) Veterinary Service (CVS), who maintains a veterinary consulting office at Neoga, IL. “I see a lot of farms where employees might be going through the motions, but unless they are engaged and understand what they are doing and can multitask,” working in the demanding farrowing rooms may not be the right place for them. CVS promotes a “critical care” program that encompasses the importance of both sow and pig care in its Training Toolboxes software programs used to guide and educate farrowing room managers, according to Miller. Three goals are pursued: getting pigs off
to the best start, reducing mortalities and ultimately reducing variation, she says.