Integrated quality control project: introduction to a farm visit protocol for growing and finishing pigs

A protocol for veterinary herd-health management is proposed to support veterinary surgeons at their work with growing and finishing pig herds. The protocol is divided into preparation for the herd visit, anamnesis, selection of priority items, clinical investigation, planning, and evaluation. To prepare the visit the veterinary surgeon needs technical, medical, transport and mortality data, zootechnical observations, and clinical observations made by the farmer. From these data, monthly performance figures can be calculated. The mean of the three best monthly averages of these figures over the past 12 months can serve as target value for the herd. Recent performance figures that deviate from target values are analysed and calculated for groups of pigs in a herd. Groups can be sorted for breeding stocks, for compartments, for pens, for sex, or for age. Performance figures that deviate from target values pinpoint the main goals of the farm visit. After the anamnesis at the farm, the veterinary surgeon decides which groups of pigs have to be clinically examined. He or she then defines further steps for diagnostic research and/or treatment of herd-health problems.