The current labor shortage has been a challenge for many industries, including agriculture. Many factors have contributed to this shortage including impaired immigrant migration, an aging population, and the migration of younger generations to the cities. This week we will discuss some strategies for overcoming labor shortages.
Simplify
When there just isn’t enough help to get everything done evaluate activities that can be eliminated or modified and focus on doing the little things right. Maximize the time spent touching each calf, not only will this speed work up, but it is also less stressful on the animal.
Hone in protocols to prevent disease. Treating sick calves is one of the most labor-intensive activities involved in calf rearing. Review sanitation, colostrum, vaccination, and treatment protocols to ensure your calves have the best chance of staying healthy. Keep good records to evaluate the success of each protocol and aid in any adjustments that need to be made.
Technology
Nowadays there are so many ways that technology can streamline labor. Utilize equipment such as tagging systems to organize and report treatments, pen moves, vaccinations, etc.
Lung ultrasound is a tool that can aid in early detection of pneumonia. Early detection of disease gives the calf a much better chance of recovery and allows treatment to be quick and effective. Not only that but having the inside view of the lungs helps with visual assessment of the animal and learning what signs to look for when detecting early onset of respiratory illness. In addition, follow up scans after treatment allow decisions to be made on the effectiveness of particular treatments.
Auto-feeders are another technological development that may decrease the amount of labor needed. These systems can provide a lot of information about how each individual calf is eating and may help identify sick calves early. Keep in mind that although auto-feeders may reduce the number of employees needed to feed calves, group feeding systems are a totally different style of management than individual housing and protocols should be established appropriately.
It will be exciting to see what new technologies will be developed in the coming years that will assist farms in caring for animals with fewer employees involved. Work is being done in developing “facial recognition” for cattle and precision dairy technologies to monitor calf activity such as lying time, activity, rumination, and response to stressful events. All of which could be helpful in reducing the human labor requirement.
Employee Investment
While it’s hard to find good help, let’s not forget to maximize the manpower we already have. A few questions to consider are:
- Are we utilizing the strengths of our employees?
Get to know your employees on an individual basis. Find out their personality strengths and what aspects of their job they are most passionate about. Include them in discussions around effectiveness of current protocols and value their input on any changes that need to be made. When they feel heard and appreciated in the decision-making process, they will be more willing to stick to protocols and work towards common goals.
- Are we giving them the tools they need to be successful?
Sometimes we expect a certain level of performance, and then forget to connect all the dots to help our employees rise to those expectations. Take the time to teach employees not only the motions, but the why behind each task. When their level of understanding increases, they will be more likely to ensure that things are done correctly. Also help them to realize that although some protocols may seem more labor intensive at first, in the long run it will save them time when things are done correctly the first time.
One way to invest in yourself and your employees is to participate in regular training and continued education. We created the Calf Care MasterClass to provide producers with a refresher course of all the basics of calf care, and as a training resource to be used for employees or others who are new to calf raising. It is currently available in English and will also be available in Spanish February 2022.
The tight labor situation won’t be going away anytime soon and may get worse before it gets better. Set a goal to reevaluate your labor needs and make any changes needed to become more efficient.
Written by: Mariah Gull, M.S.