Pipestone Veterinary Services News

  By: Brian Stevens, President of Big Stone Marketing Here it is the middle of August and we have some pretty significant changes underway in the Pork Industry and I thought I should talk about it in this month’s newsletter.  The topic is the additional packing capacity our industry is...

You have the diagnostics in hand. The results tie your stomach in knots, the sample is PRRS virus  PCR positive. If you are lucky, you have not experienced this before but if you are like the other 99% of the people in the swine industry, you have had this feeling...

First and foremost if you are crossing a state line you need a health certificate and some require intrastate so check regulations for each exhibition. Health certificates need to be current, usually 30 days but that may vary also. All sheep and goats will need scrapie tags. If a sheep...

Now is the time to think about abortion. We will get the calls and emails when it happens but that’s after the fact. If you intend to feed aureomycin for chlamydia control you need to get your VFD now. I prefer to pulse feed at higher levels than continuous use...

Back in the day when I was a 4H and FFA member, my goals were to raise and show the best pigs I could raise. That was before it became a money game. You could actually raise your own and be competitive. We had some Hampshire sheep which  I never...

As breeding season approaches there are several management practices to be considered. Rams are certainly half of the flock and genetically much more than half building a future. I could always justify paying a premium for an outstanding ram, not so much for a ewe. With that consideration only top...

Often we are so overwhelmed with information being shared – through main stream news, social media, and conversations with friends or co-workers.  It can be challenging to decipher what is true versus a myth.  As a veterinarian and mother of two young children, I recognize the importance of getting the...

Have you ever unloaded a group of pigs that are heat stressed following transportation? How do you manage transportation during months of high heat and humidity to prevent or minimize heat stress and transport losses? Here are a few tips to help your pigs weather summer heat and humidity.  It...

When I was first being introduced to the swine industry six years ago, I barely scratched the surface on seeing how fast-paced the industry drove its own improvement. Growing up on a purebred beef cattle farm, the idea of upgrading production practices was pretty foreign aside from some attempts at...

Some of the most common pests within a hog operation include your common house fly and fruit fly. These pests are not only a risk for transferring diseases, but are also a nuisance to the animals and people that work or reside in these barns. Once these pests are established...