by Beau Peterson, Ph.D, Carthage Veterinary Service, LTD. Introduction It has often been said that our industry is “data rich and information poor.” There is a strong argument that this sentiment is improving, however there is still much progress to be made. A wealth of data is collected on a daily basis from all parts of modern swine production systems and with the continued development of sensor technology that enables remote monitoring, the data stream will only grow. Improvements in technology and connectivity of teams
Read MoreMarch 2, 2022 — Dr Dyneah M. Classen was named the 2021 Swine Practitioner of the Year by the American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV) during the association’s 53rd Annual Meeting in Indianapolis. The award is given to the swine practitioner who has demonstrated an unusual degree of proficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of veterinary service to clients. Dr Classen is a partner and veterinarian in Carthage Veterinary Service, Ltd, where she is responsible for overall animal health as the Director of Health for
Read MoreProvided by Farm Journal | Written by: William Hollis| November 2020 Often in production herds, and specifically in sow farms with more experienced staff, we begin to build internal farm system language or “barn speak” that can take on a life and meaning all of its own. It is the responsibility of the veterinarian to develop health programs specific to the population and further investigate the proper execution of health protocols. Misunderstanding of “why” or specific challenges to “how” can often lead to failure of any
Read MoreAs you have read, ASF has recently been confirmed in the Dominican Republic. Historically, the ASF virus has been limited to sub‐Saharan countries in Africa. However, in the last two decades, the virus started moving through eastern Europe, Asia, western Europe and now it has made its way to the western hemisphere. This is not the first time the virus has been present on the western hemisphere. Indeed, it has already been in the Americas before, specifically in the Caribbean and in South America. The
Read MoreProvided by Farm Journal | Written by: Jennifer Shike| August 2020 When Steve Rommereim called me up out of the blue, I remember exactly where I was standing in my house when he told me a story of generosity that doesn’t happen very often. I’ll never forget the emotion I heard in Steve’s voice as he shared how a fellow pig farmer and friend sacrificed an opportunity to take a load of pigs to market for Steve’s sake. “I was speechless,” he said. “No one just gives
Read MoreProvided by My Journal Couier | Written by: Samantha McDaniel-Ogletree| July 2020 CARTHAGE — From working on a farm as a young boy to watching as his father tended to animals in and around Pike County, Clayton Johnson grew up knowing he wanted to work with animals. Though originally wanting to become a farmer and raise his own animals, the Griggsville native followed in his father’s footsteps into veterinarian science. Now, Clayton is being recognized for his work in the swine industry as recipient of
Read MoreProvided by Farm Journal’s Pork | Written by: Jennifer Shike| July 2020 The fear of the unknown kept Ashlyn Imus awake at night when packing plants began to shutter last spring due to employee absenteeism and COVID-19. “You simply had no idea what could happen or what was going to happen,” Imus says. “On one hand, I wondered if it was real. Was it being overexaggerated in the media?” As the farm manager at Smock Farms in Idaville, Ind., Imus oversees a 100,000-head, wean-to-finish operation and
Read MoreCVS Clients – as we continue to move through this challenging time in the pork industry, we are continuing to monitor the situation and will continue to provide you with periodic updates. Now that we are starting to see things normalize, or at least reach a new normal, our updates will not be as frequent as they have been in the past. As always, if there is breaking information that is time sensitive, we will get it out to you as soon as possible. Our
Read MoreProvided by Ohio Country Journal | June 2020 In late May, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) updated its African swine fever (ASF) strategic plan and expanded it into a full response as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen response capabilities in the event of an outbreak. The USDA APHIS USDA Response Plan: The Red Book May 2020 elevates preparedness activities in the United States should ASF enter the country. ASF is an animal disease affecting only pigs and with no human
Read MoreProvided by Farm Journal’s Pork | June 2020 Source: Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) Since African swine fever (ASF) was diagnosed in China in August 2018, veterinarians have been studying the virus’s characteristics and learning how to manage in barns. The Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) is monitoring these processes as part of its mission of preparedness for foreign animal disease management for the US national herd. Two US-based practitioners have experience with ASF management practices in China and shared their perspectives with SHIC. Joe
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