PHOTO: ALLTECH
PHOTO: ALLTECH
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ONE: What constitutes the ‘best’ pig farm?
As Covid-19 has changed everything in 2020, the annual ONE conference by animal nutrition company Alltech was conducted virtually this year. On the topic of pig production, the presentation by Valerie Duttlinger of Summit SmartFarms jumped out.
BY CHRIS MCCULLOUGH, CORRESPONDENT A
ll pig farms strive to be the best in the business, but in order to achieve this some farms have a longer road to travel than others. Having a well- run pig farm is not just about having the best
equipment money can buy. Perhaps more importantly, it is about hiring the best people to work there. These were the thoughts expressed by Valerie Duttlinger, the chief analytics officer at Summit SmartFarms, during her presentation at the Alltech ONE conference, which was held 18–22 May 2020. Duttlinger is responsible for assisting the development of decision-ready products, delivered simply to assist in the creation of irresistible workplaces. In terms of what consti- tutes the ‘best’ pig farm, she cited a number of figures that act as parameters, such as 30 pigs/sow/year or a 95% farrowing rate. Putting people first on a pig farm is one of the key methods of running a good pork-rearing business. “When we think about putting people first, it is important to realise that all people are different,” said Duttlinger.
Job misery can be caused by anonymity, irrelevance and im- measurement, and pig farm owners should try to address these to keep employees working as a team and to keep workers’ morale high. The appreciation of every team member working on a pig farm is vital if that business is to succeed. Duttlinger said: “Anonymity is when someone sees himself or herself as invisible at work, feeling like they are replacea- ble or disposable and not known for who they are personal- ly. Irrelevance is when a team member feels no connection with what they do and the mission and success of the com- pany. Immeasurement is when you are not able to assess progress or success on your job.” It all boils down to good management if a pig farm and its workforce are to be successful. Duttlinger said, “Great coaches lead instead of demand; they say ‘we’ instead of ‘I’. They give credit instead of taking credit. They accept the blame instead of placing the blame. They ask for input rather than only do- ing it their way. And they celebrate the wins while addressing the errors. I believe no matter what role you have within your company, you are in a leadership position. And you can have an impact on the culture; so what are you going to do today to create an irresistible place to work?”
Tail biting The ONE conference had various other presentations related to swine. One of them addressed the issue of tail biting. De- spite the many improvements the swine industry is making in health, nutrition, productivity, efficiency and welfare, the challenges presented by tail biting and other vice behaviours continue to persist. The AllBite block, a molasses-based product incorporating Alltech technology, was developed to tackle such challenges. Dr Andrew Bents, swine technical veterinarian with Hubbard Feeds, outlined how it works. He said, “The block is edible, chewable and destructible, and the animals are able to ma- nipulate it within the pens. It is these four categories that al- low the pigs to exhibit normal foraging behaviours. One block should be given to every 25 head. This block also works well in gilt developer units and in pen gestation.”
Valerie Duttlinger 16 Dr Andrew Bents ▶PIG PROGRESS | Volume 36, No. 5, 2020
Other speakers focusing on pigs at the Alltech ONE conference in- cluded Dr Noelle Noyes, Dr Alex Yiannikouris and Jarrod Sutton.
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