2023 Subscription Form

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Sign and date, include your check and put it in the mail. I own or operate 80+ acres of Minnesota and/or Northern Iowa ag cropland, raise 25+ head of livestock or am actively involved in agribusiness.

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Pig health is critical, and when a medical condition requires treatment, it’s important that a veterinarian be part of the equation. In PQA+ education, the concept is referred to as having a VCPR — a veterinarian, client, patient relationship. Within a VCPR, the client is the swine exhibitor, and the patient is the pig. Even a small seasonal “herd” of show pigs benefits from the medical expertise of a veterinarian to help with medical decisions.

Any kind of medical treatment of the pig requires record-keeping. Medical records need to include seven key pieces of information: Date of treatment; Identification of animal treated; Medication administered and amount used; Route of administration and who treated the pig.

It is also important to record the withdrawal time of the medication (prior to harvest). Withdrawal time is the amount of determined time the medication is out of the pig’s system and the meat is safe for human consumption.

These records must be kept for 12 months following treatment of the pig. If medication is used in the pig’s water, or it is given medicated feed, the record of that treatment is also required to be kept for 12 months.

All of these medication practices are in place to ensure that pigs will be kept at optimum health and if they are given medication, their meat will be safe to eat, without worry of drug residue in the carcass.

Minnesota’s 4-H swine enrollment date is May 15, and all pigs who will be exhibited this summer — not only in 4-H but in FFA and open shows — are identified with permanent notches in their ears. Ear notches are the industry identification standard. Each notch represents a particular number, and by adding up the notches in the left ear and right ear, the pig’s specific ID number can be determined. My colleague Sarah Schieck Boelke has produced a terrific video to refresh exhibitors’ ear notch-reading skills, and it can be found on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=XWAzvHf97MA

This summer’s local and regional pig shows, and the Minnesota State Fair are terrific places to view livestock competitions and visit with old friends. Exhibitors should watch for any changing health issues in their pigs, including coughing, diarrhea, fever or blisters. If a pig shows any of these signs, contact a veterinarian immediately.

Producers visiting the fairs must be diligent about changing clothes and footwear before returning to the pigs at home. Any site where unrelated animals congregate is a place for potential disease pickup. Thorough handwashing during and after a visit to the fair can destroy disease organisms and reduce the chance of taking a disease back home.

Don’t be surprised if you hear “Happy Birthday” being sung at the sink!

Diane DeWitte is an Extension Educator specializing in swine for the University of Minnesota Extension. Her e-mail address is stouf002@umn. edu v