Distinction for advanced animal health management

(IPVS) – A prize for health management has been awarded at the world congress of pig veterinarians for the first time. The prize went to Karl Kleinhölting, a farmer from Coesfeld in Westphalia, for meat production "with a high level of responsibility and expertise." The competition was run by the specialist publication "dlz-agrarmagazin" together with Bayer HealthCare, one of the six partners of the IPVS congress, with the aim of promoting good examples of outstanding animal health management by farmers.

The piglet producer Kleinhölting has 270 sows with exemplary baby piglet husbandry. His veterinarian is Dr. Alexander Bernick. The farmer's advanced hygiene and health management was deemed to be outstanding by the jury, which was made up of veterinarians and consultants. The farmer was given the free use of an off-roader for four weeks.

The second prize went to Thomas Hacke from Harpstedt (Weser-Ems), whose veterinarian is Dr. Erwin Sieverding. He uses the principle of double disinfection in his operation consisting of 200 sows and a number of fatteners.

The third prize went to Günther Guckenberger from Rüdisbronn in Bavaria (veterinarian: Dr. Hermann Schuh).