The Rural Voice, 1991-06, Page 24DR. CATHY
McNAUGHTON:
SWINE VET SAYS
TOP MANAGEMENT
MEANS GOOD HERD
HEALTH AND PROFITS
story and photos
by June Flath
Dr. Cathy McNaughton firmly believes that one of the
biggest keys to getting the most from your swine herd is good
management, and good management almost automatically
goes hand in hand with better herd health.
Dr. McNaughton, a veterinarian in the Iona Station area,
who owns and operates McNaughton Swine Services,
specializing in preventative herd health programs, sees 80
different farms on an eight-week rotating basis as part of her
swine services program. Until recently, she also monitored
another 50 pork operations four times a year on an OMAF
contract, but she is presently between contracts.
She tours the farmer's facility and gives an analysis in
areas of management of the herd, such as feed consumption,
body condition, sanitation, ventilation, and water
availability.
She also does a clinical examination, checking herd
health, looking for coughing, sneezing, diarrhea, vomiting,
lameness, skin condition, and unthriftiness.
And finally, she does a producer report which includes
details such as: born alive numbers; numbers oflitter weaned;
sows bred; and repeaters bred.
She and the farmer then pinpoint problem areas and
discuss possible solutions.
"It's hard to separate good management and good herd
health," she says. "Nothing beats washing farrowing crates
with a high pressure washer, then disinfecting them. But
you'd be surprised at the number of farmers who still don't
believe in the difference washing farrowing crates down can
make."
Ideally, she says, farrowing rooms, weaner rooms, and
finishing rooms should be "all in, all out," construction,
where the entire room is filled, used, then emptied and
washed. This gives a break in disease problems. "You start
fresh with each batch," says Dr. McNaughton.
Farmers with the fewest health problems, she says, are
20 THE RURAL VOICE