I. Today's work:
l Postpartum sow care
1. Observe the sow's respiration, body temperature and mental status every 2 hours, and find the sow weak after delivery (body temperature 38.5℃ normal range)
2. Assist the veterinarian to complete the post-partum cleaning of the sow (0.9% saline flush)
3. Prepare special postnatal feed (bran + brown sugar warm water to 40℃)
4. Change farrowing crate 3 times (use sterilised straw)
l Newborn piglet care
1. Handling of the umbilical cord (sterilised with iodine vapour + ligature spacing maintained at 2cm)
2. Assisted colostrum intake (2 weak piglets found to need manual assistance when fixing teats)
3. Holding tank temperature control (32°C constant temperature, check heat lamp every half hour)
4. Teeth clipping and tail breaking operation (assisted technician with 23 piglets)
l Environmental management
1. Sterilisation of farrowing pens (potassium persulphate compound 1:200 concentration)
2. Ventilation system commissioning (maintain ammonia concentration <15ppm)
3. Emergency treatment of clogged manure leakage board (timely dredging to avoid moisture)
II.work experience and reflection:
l Key cognitive breakthroughs:
1. Importance of colostrum management window (adequate colostrum must be consumed within 6 hours after birth)
2. Positive correlation between water intake and feed intake of sows after farrowing (18L of water intake and 2.3kg of feed intake recorded today)
3. Weak thermoregulation of piglets (piglets found with body temperature below 35℃ need to be rewarmed immediately)
l Operation error record:
1. Angle deviation when cutting teeth for the first time (resulting in slight bleeding of the gums of 1 piglet)
2. Untimely recording of holding tank temperature (0.8℃ fluctuation between 14:00-15:00)
3. Failure to detect abnormal vulvar secretion of sows in time (additional record after reminder from veterinarian)
l Skill enhancement direction:
1. Need to strengthen sow's ability to judge the traits of the malignant discharge (standard parameters of colour, odour and amount)
2. Learning the technique of nipple fixation for piglets (distribution rules for strong and weak piglets)
3. Master the operation interface of automated feeding system
l Tomorrow's key plan:
1. Track the weight gain of weak piglets today (target daily weight gain ≥200g)
2. Detect the progress of uterine recovery of sows (increase the frequency of rectal temperature monitoring to hourly)
3. Improve the shift handover process in the farrowing house (establish a standardised checklist).
III. career insights:
When I touched the regular and powerful heartbeat of newborn piglets today, I deeply experienced the sacredness of life relay. Observed the ‘call-response ’ behaviour pattern of sows when breastfeeding, and became very interested in animal behaviour. After completing the first case of umbilical cord ligation under the guidance of a technician, I learnt the iron law of the industry, which states that ‘millimetre-level operating errors will result in a percentage difference in the survival rate’. This profession, which requires both physical endurance and technical precision, is far more challenging and rewarding than expected.
