Animal care advice

How can you prevent your farm from becoming the subject of an undercover video?

“Here are a few ideas that seemed to work for us over the years,” says Doug Leman, executive director of Indiana Dairy Producers and a former dairy farmer.

• Train your employees. Help them to fully understand the importance of caring for your animals and how you want them to be handled and moved.

• Do not allow pipes, whips, broom handles or other “weapons” in the barn or parlor. This takes away the first line of offense when someone becomes frustrated and loses his cool.

• Use only a calm voice, no screaming. “I personally do not care for whistling, but a few seemed to get along fine with an easy whistle,” Leman says.

• Install a camera with the ability to record. Strategically placed cameras help to keep everyone honest. With today’s technology, you can view it from anywhere, even your phone.

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