Skip to main content

Our mission is to provide integrated evidence-based medicine, technology, animal husbandry and management practices to our clients. Optimizing health, production, animal welfare and safe wholesome beef in a responsible manner.

OUR MISSION IS TO PROVIDE INTEGRATED EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE, TECHNOLOGY, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND MANAGEMENT PRACTICES TO OUR CLIENTS. OPTIMIZING HEALTH, PRODUCTION, ANIMAL WELFARE AND SAFE WHOLESOME BEEF IN A RESPONSIBLE MANNER.
VRCS, LLC is a progressive practice

comprised of dedicated veterinarians who specialize in feedlot production medicine and research. Founded in 1984 the practice has a collective knowledge and experience base totaling more than 175 years.

Clinical practice, regulatory, research, academia, pathology/diagnostics, animal welfare and behavior are but a few of the areas of expertise among the group. VRCS, LLC currently develops, implements and monitors animal health programs for cattle in California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas and Washington. Our mission is to provide integrated evidence-based medicine, technology, animal husbandry, and management practices to our clients to optimize health, production and animal welfare, and to promote production of safe, wholesome beef in a responsible manner.

* Quality assurance/food safety programs
* Animal welfare
* Evidenced -based processing programs
* Evidenced -based processing programs
* Evidenced -based therapy programs
* Optimal performance
* Team effort with nutritionists
* Trial research
* Benchmarking

THE VRCS STANDARD

Our practice prides itself in establishing animal health protocols based on sound scientific research.

Reliable Research

We conduct both field trials and pharmaceutical sponsored studies.

Field trials are conducted at our clients’ operations to address questions primarily involving management practices or animal health protocols. The primary advantage of implementing trials on-site is that we are able to evaluate, for example, new products for which we have no company data using different classes of cattle and in various geographical locations.
 
Pharmaceutical sponsored research studies are primarily conducted on animal health products (antimicrobials, biologicals, parasiticides, and immunomodulators). Types of studies include:
 
* Discovery & Development
* Pivotal
* Marketing
* Pharmacokinetics (In-life phase)

Bikepacking Essentials
MEET

OUR STAFF

Trent Fox

James T. (Trent) Fox was raised on a farm in south-central Kansas. His lifelong interest has been cattle production. He received a Ph.D. in Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology and a D.V.M. from Kansas State University, as well as a M.S. in Ruminant Nutrition from Texas A&M University. For 5 years after graduation from veterinary school, Trent worked as a staff veterinarian for a large cattle feeding organization in Greeley, Colorado. He was responsible for the health and well-being of their cattle, and played an active role in their research program.

Travis McCarty

Travis was raised on a beef cow-calf operation in southwest Kansas. He received B.S. and D.V.M. degrees from Kansas State University. After graduation from Kansas State, Travis accepted a one-year internship at Oklahoma Equine Hospital, working under the supervision of noted equine veterinarian, Dr. Joe Carter. Following his internship, he worked for 7 years at Ashland Veterinary Center in Ashland, KS. Working with Dr. Randall Spare and associates, Travis focused mostly on cow-calf herd health, reproduction, and feedlot medicine.

Del Miles

Del Miles received a Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degrees from the University of Missouri, and a Master of Science degree from Kansas State University. After graduation, he joined a mixed practice and then an exclusive small animal practice. Following graduate school at Kansas State University he was employed by what is now Bayer Laboratories, followed by employment by what is now Animal Health International. After being involved in feedlot management he established Veterinary Research & Consulting Services, LLC in 1984.

Randy Hunter

Randy Hunter received the Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Carroll College in Helena, MT. He received the DVM degree from Colorado State University, and following graduation he established Hunter Cattle Company, LLC, a stocker operation that purchases several thousand calves each year, grazes them on various ranches, and sells them as yearlings. He operated Veterinary Services Inc, a mixed practice in Wheatland, WY until 1995. In addition to managing his yearling operation, Randy does contract work for VRCS, LLC in feedlots and research studies.

Bob Smith

Dr. Smith was raised on a small livestock farm in SE Kansas. He received the BS and MS degrees in animal science at Kansas State University, and was commissioned as an Army Air Defense Artillery officer through the K-State Army ROTC program. He served two years on active duty, then 23 years as an active Army Reservist, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. Following graduation from veterinary school, he completed a large animal medicine and surgery internship at Oklahoma State University, and later worked as a Field Services Clinician for 15 years at Oklahoma State.

Miles Theurer

Miles Theurer grew up on a family farm and cow/calf operation in south central Kansas. He did a dual DVM/Ph.D. program at Kansas State University. His Ph.D. was in Epidemiology focusing on experimental design and statistical analysis. Miles coordinates research projects and evaluates data for VRCS, LLC to provide information to consultants to practice evidence based medicine.

Ryan McCollum

Ryan was raised on ranches in the Texas panhandle and Eastern New Mexico. He received a B.S. in animal science and a DVM from Oklahoma State University. Following graduation, he commissioned in the US Army Veterinary Corps where he served 5 years on active duty and continues to serve as a Major in the Reserves. Following his active duty tour and a short time in mixed practice Ryan entered into a beef cattle production practice that serves clients across all industry segments.

Simon Timmermans

Dr. Simon Timmermans is a native of Washington State. His early interest in ruminant nutrition and veterinary medicine came from growing up on his family dairy farm. He attended Washington State University and received the MS degree in Animal Science and ruminant nutrition, with research emphasis on processing corn silage and evaluating a new method to measure rumen microbial output. He earned the DVM degree from Iowa State University. Simon’s practice is exclusively ruminant nutrition and medicine, with both dairy and beef clients.

Jim Sears

Jim was raised on a large cattle ranch in western Nebraska where his connection to cattle and horses became cemented.  After receiving a BS in Animal Science from the University of Nebraska, and a DVM from the University of Missouri, he returned to western Nebraska to begin his practice career.  While in mixed practice he focused primarily on cow/calf and feedlot production medicine, as well as a significant amount of companion animal & equine practice. (Cattlemen all have their dogs and horses.)  Jim sold his mixed practice after a few years and joined the newly formed VRCS, where his practice consisted exclusively of feedlot consulting, serving operations in several states in the High Plains.  After several years with VRCS, he joined Bayer Animal Health as a Sr. Veterinary Technical Services veterinarian where for 24 years he supported their farm animal products and related activities for the U.S., Canada and Mexico.  After the acquisition of Bayer by Elanco in August of 2020, Jim exited industry practice and rejoined VRCS to provide contract work in feedlots and research studies.