Raising pigs without antibiotics offers niche market but with limitations
Markets for pork produced without antibiotics continue to grow. But this method of production is not for every farm.
COVID-19 lesson for hog farms: Tighten up basic biosecurity
The COVID-19 outbreak reinforces what veterinarians and pork producers already know — biosecurity protocols control disease.
FSVS expands staff with three veterinarians
The staff at Four Star Veterinary Service (FSVS) has expanded with the addition of three veterinarians to help handle their swine-focused, diverse client base.
Bull calves: Maintaining health and consumer confidence
Where there are dairies, there will undoubtedly be bull calves. It’s what we make of those calves that differentiates progressive dairy farmers from the rest.
Nutrition consultant joins FSVS
Swine nutritionist Jason Woodworth recently joined the Four Star Veterinary Service team as a consultant to help clients with swine nutrition questions.
Tools for managing pigs without antibiotics
Raising pigs without antibiotics requires extra management and different tools compared to traditional commercial hog production.
Prepare for pork-processing cutbacks caused by COVID-19
Fallout from coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) continues to affect the pork industry’s workforce, especially in pork processing.
Resurgent Mycoplasma hyorhinis causes debilitating arthritis in late finishing
Infectious arthritis caused by Mycoplasma hyorhinis is gaining ground in hog units where it infects neonatal pigs and develops into severe lameness in market hogs.
Rotavirus infections lower weaned-pig weights by a pound
Rotavirus infections in pigs have been around for decades. But in the last several years, the virus has re-appeared.
COVID-19 prompts hog farms, veterinary clinics to limit contact for workers’ health
The disease causing the greatest concern in the pork industry today is not a swine disease but a human one — coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19).
Deadly swine-disease outbreak at buying station triggers search for mystery pathogen
When a call came in last September reporting very high, unexplained sow mortalities, Daniel Gascho, DVM, didn’t expect it to be anything unusual, but he found quite the opposite.
8 key factors drive success when raising pigs without antibiotics
Producers need to recognize there will always be health challenges when raising pigs without antibiotics. The goal is to resolve those challenges as they arise.
