Being an advocate for your employees is one of the best things you can do as a sow farm manager because it pays off in their work and in their mental health, says Danielle Voelkel, a sow farm manager for New Fashion Pork in Thorp, Wis.
“If you give to their emotional bank account, they will make sure your farm is where it should be,” Voelkel says.
For Voelkel, this investment often starts with small things like saying hello to each employee in the morning. She says there have been multiple instances where she got caught up working and didn’t stop in to say good morning. She says little things go a long way.
“I’m always checking in and asking them how it’s going,” she explains. “I think it’s great to be out in the barn and spend time working alongside them. It’s a benefit to me because I get to see their happy faces and that motivates me as well.”
Proper onboarding and continuous training is essential so employees understand the why and how behind sow and piglet health, says Stacey Voight, Technical Service North America PIC.
“Why is it important that we treat a piglet or sow for the required amount of time? Why is it important that we recognize a lame/sick animal in a timely manner? Being equipped with that knowledge, improves the well-being of the employees and animals,” Voight says.
Employee Emotional Health:
The Crisis No One Wants to Talk About on the Sow Farm
It’s hard to work with 500-pound sows, Voelkel says. She believes it is helpful for her team to know that she understands how hard it is and how frustrating it can be at times to work on a sow farm.
“I try to lend a hand as much as I can and make sure that they know that they’re not alone in this either,” she says.
And when the worst things happen, knowledge and understanding are key to helping employees move forward.
“Employees need to understand that they did everything they could to provide those animals with proper care,” Voight says.
More from the Synergy on the Farm Series by Farm Journal’s PORK:
Employee Emotional Health: The Crisis No One Wants to Talk About on the Sow Farm
Lameness: The Leading Identifiable Reason for Sow Mortality
Study to Investigate Potential Mechanisms that Control Uterine Prolapse Susceptibility
Can Genetic Selection Lower Incidence of Uterine Prolapse in Pigs?
What’s it Worth to Reduce Your Herd’s Stillborn Rate?
Ease Your Gilts into Electronic Sow Feeding Systems
