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The Rural Voice, 1987-10, Page 54SUPERB TRACTION SMOOTH RIDE .LOW COST OF WEAR TRACTOR CHAIN BY See Your Local Farm Equipment Dealer or Contact 19 MARTHA ST., HAWKESVILLE (519) 699.4545 Is Your Property Adequately Insured? Cali the Hpwick Mutual Broker nearest you to review your insurance coverages. Don't wait until tomorrrow. ESTABLISHED 1873 MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY fcku Wroxeter, Ontario NOG 2X0 519 335 3561 52 THE RURAL VOICE ADVICE CHECKLIST FOR SWINE HEALTH Evaluating a swine operation so that decisions can be made to reduce the outbreak of respiratory diseases is easier when following a checklist which de- velops a profile of your operation. The following checklist, devised at Iowa State University, covers several aspects of swine production. Please answer these questions yes or no, and update them every three months. 1. Do you walk through the pens frequently? 2. Do the pigs appear comfortable, i.e., are they piled up? 3. Are the pens clean and draft -free, including the sleeping areas? 4. Are heat lamps, hovers, bedding, or supplemental heat available? 5. Is the air quality satisfactory? Regular air patterns are most important. 6. Are dust levels controlled by periodic cleaning of fans and heat ex- changers? 7. Do you use a maximum -mini- mum thermometer to record the tem- perature highs and lows over a 24-hour period? 8. Are pigs identified for age by ear notching that indicates birth date? 9. Are small groups of pigs with similar ages kept together? 10. Is all -in, all-out movement prac- tised in the various stages of produc- tion? 11. Do you have records to track the number of days to market? 12. Are periodic veterinary inspec- tions made? 13. Are slow growers sold or put in separate buildings away from other swine? 14. Are dead pigs examined to find a cause of death? 15. Are respiratory problems diag- nosed by a veterinarian? 16. Do you have data or perform- ance losses from respiratory disease? 17. Do you have an evaluation of which diseases are causing losses? 18. Do you have a written plan of action to control respiratory disease? 19. Do you vaccinate pigs according to manufacturer's or veterinarian's rec- ommendations? (cont'd) i