“I’m excited to make relationships and connections in the swine industry and to learn what goes into the nitty gritty for large scale swine production,” said sow production intern, Abby.
Originally from Wellman, Iowa, Abby attended Kirkwood Community College for two years and will be transferring to Iowa State University in the fall to continue her education by studying animal science with a reproduction and genetics interest. That makes her a perfect fit for an internship at Iowa Select.
“I knew Iowa Select was for me because their internship offered the broadest spectrum of experiences within the swine industry as well as activities throughout the internship to give us a meaningful experience,” she said.
In her position, Abby gets to see behind the scenes of sow production and has many roles.
“I am currently on the breeding side of the sow farm, so I start my day walking pens choring and making sure all the sows get up and all feeders are dropping feed,” she explains. “Every other week we rotate responsibilities so I might be heat checking, walking the boar, moving sows, keeping records of pregnancies, making pens, marking rooms or more, just depending on the day.”
Abby’s manager, Reuben, can attest to her skill.
“Her experience with the swine industry as well as her excellent attitude and work ethic makes her a valuable team member and enables her to ask in depth procedural questions,” he said.
Have a great rest of your internship, Abby. Keep learning and working hard!
Be on the lookout for more #ISFInterns21 highlights coming soon.
