Mott GDU Once Again Wins Top SelectPride Honors
posted on Monday, December 20, 2021
For a farm to win top honors in their SelectPride category two quarters in a row, we like to understand what keeps their gears turning in the right direction. Mott, a gilt development unit (GDU) just north of Iowa Falls, is a dynamic group that continues to win.
“Chris, Shawn and Ryan continue to impress everyone with their outstanding production results,” said Jeremiah, director of breeding herd supply chain. “They are a hard working group that shares a dedication to exceptional animal care.”
Congratulations to Chris, Shawn and Ryan on once again winning first place GDU in SelectPride honors. A highly competitive group of farms, Mott continues to show its dedication to animal care and performance.
We sat down with these three to find out what works so well for them, and they had these top 10 tips of success to share.
Chris: Start with good communication—as a team, they are communicating constantly, both in and out of the farm. It’s important to know what is going on with the animals, but also each other. Every good team has great communication, and that’s what sets the tone for them.
Shawn: Prioritize animal health—receiving healthy gilts from within our breeding supply chain is critical. It allows us to focus more closely on smaller details and creates a healthy heard of pigs.
Shawn: Practice BeastMode Biosecurity: Keeping it at the highest level and practicing biosecurity 24/7 is critical to the health of our pigs. We read the BeastMode Biosecurity newsletters for refreshers and always hold each other accountable for this.
Chris: Continuously Training as a Team—they continually cross training in each other’s roles, and also keep up to date with Best Practice trainings to ensure they know about changing procedures.
Ryan: Draw on your animal husbandry experience—with a combination of 55 years between these three, they bring experience that allows them to give top notch animal care, 24/7.
Chris: Respect each other and the animals, always—we have a great respect for each other and our animals. Work is enjoyable when you’re with people you respect and are doing what you love.
Ryan: Create space for flexibility within your team—the team at Mott know that it’s important to prioritize great animal care, but schedules can change very quickly. They work together to take care of the pigs but are always understanding of a last minute schedule change amongst each other and continue to get the job done the right way every time.
Shawn: Keep a positive attitude—positivity impacts the attitudes of the entire team and the animals, too. We celebrate each other’s accomplishments and have constructed a healthy work environment through a positive attitude.
Chris: Rely on your supervisor and support teams—it takes a lot of effort of many to produce a safe, healthy pork product. Together, they celebrate everyone who supports them as a farm, from the director of breeding herd supply chain, Jeremiah, to the transportation team, to their veterinarian, Pete, and everyone in between that keeps their gears turning.
Ryan: be willing to improve and change for the better—change can be difficult, but it’s for the benefit of the animals and the people. The three of them are constantly working towards getting better, both personally and professionally.
It’s clear that Chris, Ryan and Shawn share a devotion to outstanding pig care and a team bond that keeps them at the top of their category. Thank you, Mott, for sharing these insightful tips of success with us.
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