Dr. Tim Loula honored with two industry awards
John B. Swisher Leadership Award
United Animal Health honored Dr. Tim Loula with the 2021 John B. Swisher Award on June 10, 2021, at the World Pork Expo. Nominees for this award are individuals who have significantly contributed to the advancement of the swine industry and who have exhibited extraordinary leadership throughout their career.
“We are very pleased to honor Dr. Loula for his contributions to the swine indus-try,” remarked Doug Webel, Ph.D., president and CEO of United Animal Health. “Dr. Loula is a well-respected leader whose professional footprint has touched everyone in the swine industry. He is a true leader that has dedicated his life to serving the swine industry. Tim is always passionate about the success of his customers and fights for them.”
Distinguished Service Award
Dr. Loula was presented the Distinguished Service Award, sponsored by Minnesota Farm Bureau, at the Annual Minnesota Pork Board Awards Reception. “The 2021 Distinguished Service award winner, Dr. Tim Loula, is a tireless leader who helped shape pig farming as we know it. His contributions to the state of Minnesota and the rest of the country have benefitted pig farmers, veterinarians, and researchers significantly and will continue to do so with future generations to come.”
SVC veterinarians take the stage at World Pork Expo
Swine Vet Center veterinarians participated in several events at WPX, including the learning seminars.
- Dr. Laura Bruner led a discussion with a group of swine practitioners about recent PRRS 144 transmission across the Midwest.
- Dr. Ryan Strobel was a panelist on the Metafarms session, discussing how technology is used in production systems to allow producers to be proactive vs. reactive.
Summer cooling
With the continued barrage of temperatures exceeding 90⁰F, it’s been a good reminder to have our cooling systems in full operation across growing and finishing pigs.
Dr. Mike Brumm, who was always an advocate for keeping pigs cool, would often comment, “Skin temperature of a growing pig is approximately 90⁰F. When air temperature is near 90⁰F or even above 90⁰F, there is no possibility of the pig loosing metabolic heat by a difference in air temperature. Blowing 90⁰F air across the sur-face of a 90⁰F pig results in no heat transfer unless we allow the pig to wet the skin surface and lose heat by evaporation.” This figure demonstrates the effect of air temperature on feed intake, feed efficiency and daily gain.
Sprinkler management tips
- Get pigs wet and then allow enough time for evaporative drying – cooling occurs with evaporation, not by continuously wetting pigs.
- Water droplets should be large, so droplets con-tact pigs. Fine mists don’t allow water contact with the pigs skin, increase humidity within the barn and risk that water gets into feeders.
- Goal is to wet no more than 60% of the pen floor, so that those pigs that don’t desire to be wet while sprinklers are running can avoid it.
- In curtain barns, drippers should start at 18-degrees above setpoint. Tunnel barn, drippers can start at 20-degrees above setpoint.
- If your barn’s sprinkler system allows, set timers, so that the sprinklers don’t operate overnight, allowing for complete drying of the barns before sprinkling resumes the following day.
Coccidia control
Summertime heat and humidity set up prime conditions for increased Coccidiosis in farms. Coccidia, a small parasite that infects and destroys the villi of the small intestine, causes diarrhea and poor weight gain prior to weaning. We know that Coccidia eggs are quite stable in the environment and that the severity of disease is directly related to the level of environmental contamination. In the severest cases, weaning weights can be 2# lighter. Marquis, a product commonly used to control Coccidia is unavailable. This means that control relies heavily on good sanitation practices.
Coccidia control options
Sanitation
- Degrease prior to washing with a degreaser, soap or detergent. Include lay mats.
- Whitewash all surfaces within the farrowing crate including lay mats. Allow to dry before loading.
- Disinfect with a 25% bleach solution; preferably applied with a hand-sprayer to ensure correct concentration on surfaces.
- Remove rubber lay mats and replace with disposable mats for multiple turns of farrowing.
Prevention Measures
- Oral Coccigard/Sweet Iron (contact your SVC veterinarian to discuss)
SVC Office Hours: Monday through Friday 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM
No portion of this newsletter may be used/copied without written consent of Swine Vet Center
