New pig team member Lucy Taylor takes on accounts across Norfolk and Suffolk

ABN believes in a partnership approach, working alongside farmers to provide high quality compound feed and exceptional support, identifying, and resolving issues with nutrition and livestock management. We introduce Lucy Taylor, one of the newest additions to ABN who started her role as an account manager for the pig team in January 2023.

A journey into pig nutrition

A career in the animal feed industry was perhaps inevitable for Lucy, with a long-standing love of animals, growing up in the Essex countryside, and having prior experience as a zookeeper.

Lucy studied Animal Management with Livestock Production at Writtle University College, graduating in 2018 with a BSc (Hons) Degree, and later gained experience working at an animal feeds supplier and an international dairy nutrition business.

“After graduating, the urge to travel called, and my love for animals grew, volunteering at a raptor rehabilitation centre in Alabama during my travels through America. On my return, I decided that?my real passion lay within the agricultural sector,” says Lucy.

Lucy later took on a technical role at Volac International, where she provided account management support for the UK, and was involved in milk replacer trials for ruminants. She also spent some time in an office-based sales role at?W & H Marriages & Sons, supporting quality and technical issues.

“With previous experience in breeding and showing quality poultry, the pig sector was new to me, but, already a few months in, I am really enjoying the role,” she says.

A week in the life

Following recent changes in the ABN pig team, Lucy’s role has seen her take on more responsibility, adding accounts across Norfolk, Suffolk, and some in the North and Hull area, to her portfolio.

Lucy manages some of ABNs largest pig accounts, including Rattlerow Farms and Cranswick - most of which are breeder farms, along with some finishers.

60% of the pigs are outdoor reared, and Lucy spends two days of the week on-farm visiting customers, evaluating their diets and working alongside farmers to reducing zinc levels in piglets’ diets.

Zinc removal

It was announced in summer 2022 that the use of therapeutic zinc oxide is to be withdrawn from piglet starter diets. Typically, zinc oxide is used to prevent two piglet health problems: post-weaning diarrhoea and bowel oedema disease.

?By gradually reducing zinc levels in feed, farmers are looking for additives and new feeding plans to adapt to later in the year. To tackle this change, ABN is working closely with sister company AB Neo, a division of AB Agri, to produce a solution.

An element of Lucy’s role is to support customers through this change by measuring and monitoring feed intake, finished weight and faecal matter of the pigs, as well as focusing on feed conversion ratios (FCR).

“We’re going on this journey alongside our customers – it’s a journey of discovery for many, but with the expertise, innovation and knowledge within ABN, we’re confident the future of piglet nutrition looks bright.”

How is Lucy finding her new role?

“I am thoroughly enjoying my role at ABN, and learning a lot with each week that passes. Each day is different, and with weekly meetings, the rest of my team is always on hand to answer any questions.”

Lucy, along with the ABN account managers across the pig and poultry sectors is building strong working relationships with customers, and working closely with farms to find sustainable and cost-effective solutions for their unique system.

“As long as my customers are happy, I’m happy. That’s what I aim for each day,” concludes Lucy.?