My story on people Group Sow Housing Seminar management in group September 7, 2016 housing systems Julie Ménard , Agr, DVM F. Ménard Inc.
My personal background Swine practitioner and breeding herd director 29 years with F. Ménard Specialized in sow herd health, production and management
Swine integrated company Family owned business for 55 years From the farm to the market 1.1 million marketed pigs per year 28 000 sows 20 sow farms / 120 breeding herd managers
The consumer is the “master” Export market : More than 50 countries Local market : Our own butcheries Welfare = A standard
Animal welfare - Europe Group sow housing Compulsory – January 2013 10 years of experience Visit in 2010 – France I knew it was coming
Visit in Brittany France 2010
Visit in France - 2010
Animal welfare - Canada Group sow housing Renovations + new constructions July 2014 Existing buildings July 2024 March 2014
Sow welfare is a must F. Ménard – April 2013 2 projects Renovation of an existing barn 1. Build a brand new barn 2. What type of lodging to use? Crates or pens? The answer was easy : PENS !!
I started to question myself Which system to use? How many sows per pen? Which one fits the best to my existing barn? Which one fits the best for my brand new farm? I had to find the “best” system!
Summer 2013 Visit 2 companies in U.S. I saw 3 different feeding types Competitive – Shoulder system Free access stalls ESF
Visits in US - 2013 What I discovered? Advantages/disadvantages of each systems Amount of feed/sows Aggressions? Legs problems? *Very few on people management!
Fall 2013 Meeting with Dr Thomas Parsons University Pennsylvania Specialist of Group sow housing Especially : ESF Training of gilts and people
People Parson’s rule of ESF “Rate of success is directly proportional to the size of the payment the guy working in the barn has on the ESF system” And this was my challenge !
Spring 2014 Renovation Stepputat farm
Challenge at grouping Mixing multiparous sows – Never been in pens Fights +++ Legs problem ++ Dew claw lost ++ Aborted sows + ↑ culling rate/ ↑ NPD
With the help of my breeding herd manager We brought improvements 1. Grouped by parity 2. Increased amount of feed 3. Three meals per day 4. Fixed the flooring 5. Modified the water system 6. Adjusted the light
In this remodelling farm project I never asked my people about acceptance! Luckily : I felt on Mario He is open minded Enthusiastic Likes to acquire new experience Stimulated by new projects Brings solutions
Spring 2014 Second project : St-Dominique farm 2700 sow barn Brand new Great opportunity to try a new system, to compare, to gain experience
New project : Group sow housing Responsibility of making the good choice Built for 25 years and more Decision was made Brand new system Free access ESF (Gestal) Similar system in France Let’s support local dealer But…second farm in Quebec Had to tune it up!
St-Dominique project Choose best tech advisor Help engineer with blue print Knew very well production # pens/# sows per group He was the one to be in charge of following the construction
March 2014 St-Dominique project Things are not always the way we want! My tech advisor quit F. Menard I lost the “person” responsible of the project I had to find someone else to help me…
Summer 2014 – The project started up More and more questions from the builders team
September 2014 Information meeting Goals : 1. To expose the blue print 2. Explain animal flow 3. Find the best candidates to pilot the project
St-Dominique team The structure General manager = Conductor Team management Farrowing house Breeding manager manager Communication Manager Manager Manager Manager Manager Manager MUTUAL AID
Skills required for Farm managers 1. Respectful 2. Honest 3. Organized 4. Technically excellent Management Health 5. Problem solving 6. Driven to action and results
Other important features 1. Calm 2. Cares about animals 3. Hard workers 4. Able to work as a team 5. Adaptability Finally : taking the project as their own
Chief of the farm Diversified competence 1. Great ability to communicate 2. Good at production 3. Good in construction 4. Be the one to help me to build the brand new team
1 st candidate = Michel Big strengths Natural “leader” Natural communicator The people want to follow him Can make the people work together
MICHEL He vibrates on new projects Likes challenges Never sees problems Always sees solutions Excellent for my general manager
Second candidate = Martin Wanted to be the general manager Strengths Graduated from agricultural school Very good at numbers Come from a private farm background Bullish
MARTIN Weakness Only 6 months with F. Ménard No proof of his potency I offered him the position of breeding herd manager.
Rules at F. Ménard for upgrading Favor people internally Minimum 5 to 10 years of experience We know the candidate -> his potential Good motivation for my farm people Show others the potential opportunities
Farrowing house manager Position still open Nobody had the quality I was looking for Lessons I learned from Luc Ménard Be patient ….So I waited….
Fall - Winter 2014 Michel and Martin followed the project Went to the farm every week Tuned this and that Answered questions from the builders Adjusted the farm to their taste Made it like if it was their farm
March 2015 The team was partly in place Farm was to be newly populated No farrowing house manager yet! I had an idea : Make an “open house” of the new barn Exclusively to F. Ménard maternity staff
Two goals for the “ open house ” 1. Show the employees the most high tech building of F. Ménard 2. Attract a “king” as farrowing house manager
Sequence of events Saturday = farm visit Monday morning 10h00 : Phone call ROBERT Farm manager for 12 years Specialist in farrowing house L03 multiplier farm – 630 sows 3 people in the farm (including his wife!)
ROBERT He was moving to a 2700 sow farms with 9 employees! Reason for applying : He needed a new challenge A gift in my life!
The following months Martin left No ownership to F. Ménard Cannot have 2 chiefs in a barn Michel with the help of the tech advisor and me Built his team gradually ½ people with experience ½ people new at F. Menard
Personality profile : The team Developer Specialist Scientist Facilitator Idealist Facilitator Controller Controller Cooperative
Personality profile : The team Like new challenges Developer Positive motivator Rigorous Directive and Organized precise Specialist Scientist Dedicated Decision maker Facilitator Idealist Facilitator Controller Controller Cooperative Calm Analytical Patient Practical mind Open minded Bring solutions Social
Features of this team “ They complete each other” “ PASSION”
Features of this team “ MOTIVATED” Text message from Michel : First sow farrowing 16 B.A. Very calm sow It’s fun It’s just like Christmas ! September 14, 2015
Lessons learned People make the project work Motivate the people like making the project their own Put the good people at the good place Give clear objectives and make good follow up Listen to your people
Skills required for Group sow housing system Good sense of observations Detailed person
Group sow housing Skills required Quick to intervene
Group sow housing Skills required Good judgment Decision makers
Group sow housing Skills required Question themselves
Group sow housing Skills required Initiative
Group sow housing Skills required Calm Care about animal
Group sow housing Skills required Like to learn Adaptability
Group sow housing Skills required Motivated and positive
Group sow housing Skills required Always wants to improve
Group sow housing Skills required Collaborative
CONCLUSION 1. I learned a lot from Stepputat and St-Dominique project 2. Success of these group housing projects -> Great impact on all the future projects at F. Ménard
Group sow housing CONCLUSION What I discovered … Sows are very calm Express natural behavior Very fun to work with
CONCLUSION These are the people who make the projects work
Happy people makes happy pigs
Happy pigs makes people happy THANKS YOU VERY MUCH!
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