The Basics
• Good Nutrition
• Water
• Environment/Shelter (from cold, provisions for dealing w/ heat stress, minimize hazards)
• Sanitation (cleanliness in handling feed & feeding containers, fly control, rodent control, management of feces & urine)
• Genetics/Sound Breeding Program
• Records, Records, Records
• Pre- or Post-Purchase Examinations
• Disease & Parasite Control/Prevention (Quarantine new arrivals 2 to 4 weeks)
• Routine evaluations, herd health
• Know your animal—temperament, attitude
• Vital Signs: Temp.—99.5 to 102.5 F
• Pulse—60 to 90 bpm
• Resp.—10 to 30
• GI Motility—3 to 5 contractions per minute
• Mucous Membrane color—pink, moist; CRT (capillary refill time)-- <2 sec
• BCS (body conditions score)—based on a scale of 1 to 9; better than judging an animals condition based solely on weight; most often assessed over backbone above shoulders
Triangle = thin
Rounded = OK
Flat = too fat
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