AMVC Internship 2012

Yesterday I started my first internship EVER.

I am very excited to have joined the 2012 Intern's for AMVC yesterday in their New Hire Training. I was able to meet all the other 10 interns, as well as meet many of the staff and employees I will be seeing throughout the summer. We went through 7 hours of paperwork, PQA (pork quality assurance), TQA (transportation quality assurance), and different policies that AMVC has in action. Last night Brad and I were able to join the other interns and many of the AMVC Staff for a fun filled dinner and drink time in Audubon. I was able to meet many new people last night and I had a blast playing games (the dinner was Hula Dancer themed). Brad and myself returned home late last night (10:00 is late for me!) but I was able to get some sleep before my day started at 5:00 this morning!

Today I started at the farm. I got to learn how to shower-in right away upon arrival at 5:45 AM. We started out the morning with discussions with the 10 employees at the farm as to who was in charge of what duties/chores/work for the day. I was able to meet everybody that was there today and introduced myself. We started by touring the facility I will be working in all summer. Newell II is located just west of Brayton about 4 miles on a gravel road. It's about a 25 minute drive for me, but I can handle that! Our facility consists of 1 farrowing barn, 1 breeding barn, and 3 gestation barns, all connected together through a series of tunnels and hallways. We also have 2 isolation barns on site for replacement gilts we receive from other farms.

Today I learned the basics about the farm: paperowrk, protocols, feeding, duties, the 1,000 day calendar that they use (today was day 849, week 21), as well as how they process information and represent it up on their display board. I learned how to preg check sows using an ultrasound probe and monitor. I was able to identify the open sows from the bred sows, which was very interesting to see. I also learned how to heat detect using live boars. For the Gestating sows we load a boar (rather, he loads himself) into this little buggie, and it robotically "strolls" him around the aisles. For the gilts we used 4 boars through the fence to heat detect. It was very interesting to see how a gilt/sow stands and locks up when they are in heat when a boar is around. You can almost sit on their back without them even flinching due to hormones and the "estrus" present. I also got to learn how to pull out dead hogs using a robotic lift (they are too heavy to lift by yourself!), I was able to watch a euthanasia, as well as see aborted piglets from a sow and the signs and symptoms of abortion. When all of the main duties were done we were assigned to help with general maintenance around the buildings as well.

I had a lot of fun today, and it was only the first day. Tomorrow I get to explore the world of the farrowing barn, processing pigletts, weaning, moving sows, and breeding! I am really looking forward to this summer of events!


.... Now, if only my Food Laws and Regulations homework and readings would do themselves!

Nighty Night from one Tired Woman!

<3 Roz