When you manage 130,000 sows in 10 states, along with 1.6 million wean-to-harvest pigs per year, you better know how to maximize production. It’s an ongoing process, but AMVC, headquartered in Audubon, Iowa, has seen significant improvement in overall production since the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) went into effect in January 2017.

“A systems approach to production has been our model all along,” says Jason Hocker, a veterinarian and partner at AMVC. “Knowing the VFD was coming into play, we were proactive in implementing protocols and procedures to be ahead of that deadline, so it was a pretty seamless transition for us.”

From the time the gilt enters the herd until the pig is harvested, Hocker works to make sure everything is aligned from a health perspective to optimize growth and performance. Even though the overall use of feed medications is lower since January 2017, Hocker notes productivity has improved. He and the other health professionals at AMVC have incorporated different strategies and interventions to minimize the use of feed medications except when they’re most needed.

“Performance today is by far superior to what we would have had two years ago,” says Hocker. “We’re seeing average daily gains and feed conversions that we’d never seen before.”

Three Key Improvements

Hocker credits these three key improvements for the most impactful changes:

Trending to Better Health

Hocker points out that pig health ebbs and flows between healthy and sick. “Overall, from a performance standpoint, we’re better at managing the various diseases that are out there.”

It’s not just about the medications, though. “We implemented a lot of other management practices and strategies at the sow-herd level to streamline the health of the pigs and minimize the number of stressors pigs experience in their lives. In doing that, we’re seeing the potential of the genetics we have today because the performance is really fantastic,” he explains.

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