PAC Celebrates 10 Years: Looking Back and Looking Forward
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n September 2019, Production Animal Consultation cel e brated ten years as a company. However, the roots of PAC go back even further, starting with Dr. Tom Noffsinger and Dr. Wade Taylor. In the early 1990s, Dr. Tom and Dr. Wade participated to realize the power of collaboration. As Dr. Tom still in the inaugural Great Plains Veterinary Education Center reminds us today, 1 plus 1 can be 11 instead of 2. At the Beef Cattle Certification Program. At the time, they were same time, cow herds were growing and their veterinary practicing in cow-calf, mixed animal veterinary clinics about practice partners took over some of the herd work. In 1997, 100 miles apart, Dr. Tom in western Nebraska and Dr. Dr. Tom and Dr. Wade were presented with the opportunity Wade in northwest Kansas. to begin consulting a few feedlots. They decided to interDuring their time in the view for those consulting roles GPVEC program, Dr. Tom and as a team. Their consulting Dr. Wade were inspired to take work began with about 25,000 what they were learning from cattle on feed in a few feedlots. Louis Perino, Gary Rupp, and Again, they applied their pasDee Griffin and utilize that sion for data to feedlot conknowledge to make a difference sulting and started collecting in the lives of their customers. data on morbidity and morThey met quarterly with Dr. tality in their feeder clients. Vincent Traffas and other vetAs their consulting practices erinarians to hone their critical grew, Dr. Tom and Dr. Wade review skills and develop basic had less time to devote to Dr. Doug Ford named 2014 AVC Consultant of the Year data tools and analysis. mentoring the younger vetTheir data collection started erinarians in their clinics. Both with simply recording whether each cow was pregnant or had benefitted from strong mentors (Dr. Rodney Oliphant open during fall preg checking. Over time, they began to for Dr. Wade, and Dr. Don Hudson for Dr. Tom) and felt collect more information in a notebook, including the the call to pass that on to other veterinarians. This led them identification number, days pregnant (or open), body conto start meeting with like-minded, passionate veterinarians dition score, and age for each cow. They worked with an to review old concepts, introduce new ideas, and discuss animal scientist to summarize the collected data, which problems and challenges in beef cattle production medicine. enabled them to provide their customers with a conception They met two or three times a year in Oakley, Kansas, and rate, calving distribution, and predicted calving dates based they brought in industry experts like Dr. John Brethour, Dr. on cow age and body condition score. Dan Upson, and Dr. Dan Thomson to share knowledge and Throughout this process, Dr. Tom and Dr. Wade began lead discussions. Over the years, they invited nutritionists,
