Teresa: Keep Close Watch, Then Step In When They Need Help
posted on Thursday, October 6, 2022
“I truly care about the pigs,” said Teresa Schlotterback, a day one specialist at Erikson sow farm. “There’s no question about it; my heart is there for them every time, every day.”
In Teresa’s role as a day one specialist at Iowa Select Farms, she focuses on monitoring and providing care to newborn piglets and mother sows. Dedicated employees like Teresa help us achieve our company-wide goal to humanely raise healthy and productive animals in a comfortable and safe environment.
One step caretakers like Teresa take to reach this goal is conducting daily observations of every pig. When doing these observations, employees focus on the five domains of animal welfare: nutrition, physical environment, health, behavioral interactions and mental status. They learn how to assess these domains at annual training events and bring that knowledge back to their farms to implement every day.
“There’s always something to do on the farm,” said Teresa. “It makes the day go by so fast. I never feel like watching the clock and waiting for the day to end. I would never have imagined myself in this role, but now, I wouldn’t want to have any other job. Working with animals brings me so much satisfaction.”
Employees like Teresa, who care deeply about observing and caring for every pig every day, are critical to ensuring we reach our company-wide animal care goals. We couldn’t do it without them.
“Teresa has a personal commitment and dedication to her work as a newborn pig specialist,” said her supervisor, Mary Kraft. “Her experience and knowledge shine through and help her exceed in her job on a regular basis. She has a passion for the sows and babies, doing the right thing daily for them, and truly upholds what animal well-being is all about.”
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