Dr. L D Barker Says A Strong Veterinary-Client-Patient Relationship Is Key To Good Herd Health

The USDA mandated veterinary feed directive (VFD) goes into effect January 1, 2017 and will require cattle producers to work with their veterinarian before administering antibiotics via feed. Newcastle veterinarian Dr. L D Barker says a VFD is just a small part of the veterinary-client-patient relationship, which is essential to the overall health and productivity of a herd.

 

Barker says a strong veterinary-client-patient relationship allows a veterinarian to know the ins and outs of an operation in order to better prevent and treat diseases like bovine respiratory disease - a major concern for a lot of producers. BRD can be prevented with vaccine protocols, but Barker says if an animal is trace mineral deficient or has a parasite load, the vaccine won’t be effective. Having that veterinary-client-patient relationship in place gives veterinarians the information they need about the kind, origin and management of cattle on an operation.

 

For producers looking to introduce high-risk cattle to their herd, Barker says it is especially important to develop a relationship with a veterinarian and work closely with an animal nutritionist to address deficiencies. He also recommends updating facilities to meet Beef Quality Assurance standards, as mishandling cattle can cause unnecessary stress that leads to compromised health.

Video: Season 6, Episode 12: Veterinarians’ Perspectives on Managing Swine Herd Health Across All Phases

Identifying challenges in swine production and turning them into solutions through research and team development is the focus of this episode. Dr. Christine Mainquist-Whigham of Pillen Family Farms and DNA Genetics shares insights on herd health, biosecurity and trial work to improve pig performance. She also discusses her team’s research philosophy, how they evaluate rate of investment and how they gather feedback from employees to address challenges and maintain herd health across all phases of production. Dr. Carlos Roudergue of Country View Family Farms discusses the growing complexity of swine production, especially as technology increases and employee interaction decreases. He also shares how their workforce is shifting toward more specialized roles to support herd health and efficiency.