Webinar: Overcoming Barriers and Understanding the Psychological Impact of Livestock Euthanasia: A Study on Spanish-Speaking Swine Caretakers’ Pig Euthanasia Practices on U.S. Farms

Last updated on August 5th, 2024 at 01:14 pm

Summary: The webinar will be focused on the impact of pig euthanasia on Hispanic farmworkers, explaining the need to consider the cultural background of the people as part of effective training and welfare practices. We will delve into the importance of timely and humane euthanasia in maintaining both animal welfare and industry standards. This session will highlight the diverse demographics of the U.S. swine industry workforce, particularly the significant presence of Latin American workers who may face unique cultural and psychological barriers. 

Participants will gain insights into the findings from a comprehensive study conducted across 16 farms in Iowa, where almost 200 Hispanic caretakers were surveyed and answer that assessed their attitudes and challenges related to pig euthanasia.  

Key discussion points will include: 

1. The psychological impact of euthanasia on caretakers, with a focus on secondary traumatic stress and its higher prevalence among female workers. 
2. The critical role of customized training programs is to improve the ability to identify compromised pigs and perform timely euthanasia. 
3. By understanding these factors, attendees will be better equipped to develop and implement targeted training initiatives that address cultural sensitivities, ultimately enhancing worker satisfaction, animal welfare, and compliance with industry audits. 

Intended Audience: Swine industry professionals, farm managers and owners, animal welfare advocates, agricultural trainers and educators, human resource managers in agriculture, veterinarians and veterinary technicians, policymakers and regulatory bodies, researchers and academics

Objectives: At the end of this webinar participants will be able to:

1. Identify and understand the cultural and demographic barriers that Hispanic farmworkers face in performing timely and humane pig euthanasia.
2. Gain insights into the importance of timely euthanasia in the Common Swine Industry Audit (CSIA) context and learn strategies to enhance compliance with industry standards through improved training and practices.
3. Utilize the insights from the research to improve on-farm practices, ensuring timely and humane euthanasia processes that align with industry standards and enhance animal welfare. 

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