About This Issue...

In general, guests can be a good thing... or not. However, we always welcome guests at The Animal Science Monitor, and that includes guest writers. We have not one, but two such writers in the current issue of The ASM. They include Debbie Fledderjohann, President of Top Echelon Contracting (who has appeared in our publication before), and Brookelyn Nitzkin, Information Specialist at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. We hope that you'll give our guests a warm reception, and of course, we also hope that you enjoy this issue. Thanks for being a loyal reader!

-Dan and Don

Reminder: Help Your Favorite Charity

Typically during tough economic times, charities have a harder time raising donations. Therefore, we would like to help them out by donating $500 to your charity of choice in 2009.

How will this work? - Every time you refer a new corporate recruiting company to us, we will send a check for $500 to the charity of your choice!

Already doing business with us? - That's fine! For the first two (2) successful placements with your company in 2009, we will donate $250 for each placement to the charity of your choice.

Why are we doing this? - This is not only a great way to encourage referrals, but it is also our way to give back to the community. This also lets you, our readers, to participate in our efforts and to help make the world a better place.

To participate contact Dan Simmons at dan@consearch.com or (888) 276-6789.

Fat Fillies and Slothful Stallions

The Obesity Epidemic Hits Equine Companions

By Brookelyn Nitzkin, Information Specialist
University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine

The obesity trend is affecting every man, woman and child in America today. Unfortunately, pets are suffering the same overindulgences and are succumbing to this trend. Oftentimes we forget that many horses are companion animals as well and can suffer their own problems from obesity.

For the health of your companion, it is important to address weight issues in animals. The first step to addressing the problem is recognizing that your horse is overweight. It isn't necessary to be able to see ribs on your horse, but they should be easily felt beneath the skin. Another place to check for a horse's body condition is at the top of its neck. If a horse is overweight, it will accumulate fat along the ridge where its mane grows. If a horse has a "crest" on top of its neck, you should consider the fact that your horse could be overweight. Lastly, you should check for excess body fat is at the base of the tail. The area near the base of the tail should feel relatively bony; thickening around that area can be attributed to excess body weight.

In general, "most horses get fed too much for what they do," says Angela Yates a veterinarian who graduated from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in Urbana, Ill. Most family pets are middle-aged geldings, or castrated males, who get ridden once or twice a week. Most horses getting this limited amount of exercise do not require grain or pelleted feed because these feeds are high in calorie content. An athletic horse that is competing-a jumper or a barrel racer, for example-and is being ridden three to four times a week may require grain.

Horses can obtain a nutritious meal from eating good grass, hay and, of course, plenty of water. In fact, a horse will not get all of its essential nutrients from grain alone; horses need roughage. Grains and oats have the highest calorie content, followed by alfalfa hay and, lastly, simple grass hay.

Good grass hay is characterized by a lack of weeds, a fresh smell and is green on the inside. In the springtime, grass pasture can be added to a horse's diet. However, many animals can become obese simply from overindulging on grass pasture. For this reason it is important to be careful to introduce a horse slowly onto lush spring grass.

Many owners complain that their horses become too fat when allowed to graze on pasture. There are a few solutions to this problem. You can limit your horses' time on pasture, which can be difficult because many people let their horses out and come back later to let them back in. If you have unlimited resources, a pasture without grass-such as a riding ring-is a great alternative. A commercially-distributed device called a grazing muzzle could also be of assistance. When placed on a horse, they allow a horse to graze, but they significantly limit the amount that they can eat.

Because there are some medical reasons for obesity in horses, if you have tried reducing your horses' weight and can't seem to get it down you should consult a veterinarian.

"In general, ponies are predisposed to obesity," says Dr. Jonathan Foreman, an equine medicine veterinarian at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Urbana, Ill.. "You also have to remember that if a pony is a third the size of a regular horse it must be fed a third the ration," he reminds.

Cushings disease, an excess in steroid produced by a horse's adrenal glands, can also cause obesity. There are a few other causes of medical obesity in horses, but diseases, like hypothyroidism, that cause fat accumulation in human beings simply don't exist in horses.

It is also important to consider that another very common cause of "horse enlargement," is pregnancy. This should be kept in mind when you are watching a newly-purchased mare getting bigger in the pasture.

However, most cases of obesity are simply due to overfeeding. There is the rare case when it is not and it is good to keep a few other causes in mind.

By sticking to some of these suggestions you can take some of the weight off of your equine companion. An in-shape horse will most likely live longer and have fewer medical problems than its obese counterpart. That means more years to spend with one of your best friends.

For more information about weight issues in horses, consult your local veterinarian.

(This article was reprinted by permission of the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Illinois. For more information about the college, visit http://vetmed.illinois.edu.)

Increase Your Hiring Flexibility with Contracting

(By Debbie Fledderjohann, President, Top Echelon Contracting)

In today's ever-challenging business environment, flexibility can be difficult to come by, and ironically, it's just when you need it the most that it seems to be in the shortest supply.

Hiring is no different. When certain conditions arise, it's often difficult to utilize traditional avenues for solving hiring problems. As a result, it's critical to remain open to alternative staffing solutions, ones that can not only meet a need, but also provide a measure of flexibility in the process.

Do you currently find yourself in one of the following situations (or have so in the past)?

Is hiring somebody on a direct-hire basis just too risky at this point, considering everything that's happening in the economy?

Are you experiencing a hiring freeze that prohibits you from hiring somebody on a direct basis?

Do you want to closely evaluate a candidate's skills before offering full-time employment?

Do you have a special project that needs to be completed within a specific timeframe, but don't want to add full-time staff?

These are just some of the situations in which alternative staffing solutions-which include contracting-can help overcome the obstacles and meet the hiring challenges you're presently facing.

The benefit to you

Before discussing the benefits associated with these solutions in a more detailed fashion, let's list them in their entirety. They include the following:

Contract staffing

Temp-to-direct conversions

Retiree re-staffing

Internships/co-ops 

Although all of the above are unique and vary depending upon situations and circumstances, all four are similar in the fact that they can provide needed flexibility during seemingly inflexible economic conditions. This is not to suggest that they replace hiring employees on a full-time basis. Instead, these staffing solutions complement a company's direct-hire efforts in order to produce a diverse, comprehensive, and ultimately, more effective hiring strategy. Below are specific ways in which this strategy can benefit you.

Expand-contract factor - You can easily match your workload to your workforce, thus ensuring that you're not overstaffed or understaffed and that your costs are more in line with production. 

Immediate availability-Unlike direct-hire candidates, contract candidates are typically available on short notice, usually within days. 

"Try-before-you-buy" - If you're leery about hiring a candidate on a full-time basis, you can always start them on contract and eventually transition them over (temp-to-direct).

Budget flexibility-Speaking of costs, contractors are typically paid from the operating budget as opposed to the capital budget. As a result, you might still be able to hire contractors even when you're experiencing budgetary constraints.

Low risk, high reward

How much flexibility would contracting provide for you right now?In terms of investment, cost, and risk, there's virtually no downside.Once a contractor has completed their project-or if they turn out to be a bad fit-they can be released from their assignment. Consider adding contracting to your hiring strategy, now and in 2009...because you can never have too much flexibility.

If you have any questions about contract staffing or about how contracting can help your company, feel free to send an email to dan@consearch.com.

Article reprinted by permission of Top Echelon Contracting, Inc.

The ASM 'Video Link of the Month'

As everyone knows, some interviewing techniques and strategies are more effective than others. Then there are those that are so original that they fall into the “classic” category (even if they are a bit difficult to implement). 

One such technique is the focus of “The Animal Science Monitor ‘Video Link of the Month.’” While we at The ASM are in no way encouraging this technique, we certainly invite you to approach the interview process with a fresh perspective. Thinking outside of the box is often the key to interview success . . . just as long as you don’t think too far outside of it. You can view the “Video Link of the Month” by clicking here. 

Remember, we’re currently accepting submissions for our “Video Link of the Month” feature, which will run in the last issue of the month throughout the year. These videos can be humorous in nature, like the one above, or they can pertain to a university or organizational production regarding research or development. 

You can send your video links to matt@animalsciencemonitor.com. As always, The ASM staff reserves the right to reject any submission for any reason.

Coming Up in the Next Issue...

Decisions, decisions, decisions. Life is all about them, which is why we address the issue on a consistent basis in The Animal Science Monitor. Next month will be no different, as Don Hunter finishes his "Making Good Choices" series of articles with “Choosing the Right Size of Organization. What, exactly, are the advantages and limitations of small, medium, and large companies? For the answer to that question, make the decision to check out the next issue of The ASM.

Our next issue is scheduled for publication on Tuesday, July 7

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