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Hygiene and disease prevention
Pig health, hygiene and disease prevention are essential for successful pig farming.
Outbreaks of disease can cause significant loss to individual farmers and have widespread consequences for the industry. Maintaining high levels of pig health and hygiene results in increased productivity, higher returns and greater market access.
Principal threats to pig health include:
- diseases
- moulds
- toxins
- poisons
- unsuitable air temperature or quality
- worms and other parasites.
Develop and maintain piggery practices to ensure your pigs remain in peak condition:
- appropriate piggery design
- cleaning and general hygiene
- healthy feeding
- vaccination
- piggery biosecurity
- testing feed for contamination by weed seeds, ergot and other moulds.
Identify and control diseases in pigs
Common diseases that affect pigs:
- foot and mouth disease
- gastric ulcers
- intestinal torsion
- leptospirosis
- piglet anaemia
- piglet scours
- porcine sarcoptic mange
- swine brucellosis
Notifiable diseases and symptoms
In Queensland, you must report these diseases to Biosecurity Queensland:
- African swine fever
- classical swine fever
- swine influenza
You must immediately report these signs:
- a lot of ill or dead animals, including birds and aquatic animals
- rapid spread of disease through a herd or flock
- animals that are lame, drooling or salivating excessively
- animals that have ulcers, erosions or blisters around the feet, muzzle, udder or teats or in the mouth
- unusual nervous signs
- profuse bloody diarrhoea
- respiratory distress or persistent coughing in horses
- deep smelly, fly-struck wounds.
There are no government charges for investigations into suspected notifiable diseases, including negative diagnoses. All reports are treated confidentially.
The AUSVETPLAN manuals set out roles, responsibilities and policies for responding to animal disease emergencies.
Maintain hygiene and health in piggeries
You are responsible for implementing and maintaining piggery practices to promote hygiene and pig health.
A good standard of hygiene depends on:
- piggery design and management
- routine cleaning and disinfection
- good housekeeping.
Poor hygiene, overcrowding, introducing new pigs from many sources, contaminated feed and the illegal practice of swill feeding can all increase the incidence of disease in piggeries.
Disease control measures include:
- farm quarantine and sick bay facilities
- vaccines, antibiotics and other chemicals
- cleaning between groups of pigs.
Ventilation
Good ventilation improves hygiene and air quality by increasing air flow through the piggery to remove airborne particles, including micro-organisms, which can cause respiratory disease.
Stocking rate and density
Stocking rate and stocking density influence hygiene. The pig welfare code specifies the minimum stocking rates.
All-In All-Out (AIAO) systems
AIAO systems involve pigs of either the same age (within 2 weeks) or same class being housed together in a room, shed or paddock.
They are kept separate from other pigs to prevent disease being passed from unhealthy slower growing pigs to younger healthy pigs.
In an effective AIAO system:
- all pigs are removed from the room or shed before the next group of pigs move in
- all facilities are thoroughly cleaned between batches.
Pen design and cleaning
The design of pens can improve hygiene by preventing accumulation of dung and urine.
Fully slatted pens and partly slatted pens that allow dung and urine to fall through are best, followed by solid-floor pens with a separate drain. Well-designed pens should need very little cleaning while they are occupied.
To clean vacant pens:
- remove and clean feeders and other equipment
- remove all loose dung from the pen walls and floor
- hose down walls and ceilings to remove dust and soak pen with water and detergent
- pressure-clean using a minimum 1000psi (6900kPa), ideally with hot water or steam
- disinfect the roof, walls and floor with a spray disinfectant
- disinfect the water system.
Rotating use of paddocks between pigs and crops and pastures helps to maintain pig health.
Feeding
Trough feeding is preferable to floor feeding. The design of the trough should prevent the pigs from walking, lying, urinating or dunging in it. Trough feeding weaners is strongly recommended.
Feed needs to be protected from other animals, such as rats, that may contaminate it. Water needs to be of suitable quality and quantity.
Footbaths
Disinfectant footbaths can help prevent people from transferring dung and other material that might carry disease causing organisms from one area to another. The disinfection fluid must be changed at least daily.
Vaccination
Vaccines help prevent diseases that reduce productivity. When using a vaccine, it is essential to follow the manufacturer’s or veterinarian’s recommendations.
Depopulation
There are methods of reducing or eliminating specific diseases that involve some level of de-population with medication and thorough cleaning of piggery equipment and housing.
Talk with your veterinarian to find out which methods are suitable for your situation.
Moulds, weed seeds, poisons and other pig health risks
Pig health can be affected by:
- contaminated grains or weed seeds in feedstock
- poisons
- excess salt or mineral supplements in feed
- lack of water
- overdoses of medications.
Mycotoxins
Mycotoxins, such as aflatoxins and ergot, are poisons produced by moulds (microscopic fungi) growing in grains and feedstuffs. They can affect production and cause loss of pig condition, serious illness or death.
Weed seeds
Weed seeds are commonly found in grains used in pig feed. Some weed seeds are highly toxic and can cause severe illness and death. Others are non-toxic but can interfere with digestion or lower nutrient intake and reduce growth.
Warfarin (rat bait)
Warfarin (rat bait) and other anticoagulants are commonly used to control rodents in piggeries. You must not place baits in areas where pigs can eat them. Baits used in feed storage or mixing areas must not fall into feed.
Pigs affected by warfarin will bleed from a variety of sites, including under the skin (haematomas), which produces purple-blue bruises. Treatment for warfarin poisoning involves vitamin K injections or feed supplements.
Salt poisoning or water deprivation
Salt poisoning or water deprivation occurs when weaner, grower or finisher pigs are deprived of water for more than 24 hours, or consume excessive salt in either feed or water.
Causes can include water pump or delivery system failure, or water being too hot due to pipes exposed to the summer sun. Water must be re-introduced gradually to prevent deaths.
Organophosphates
Organophosphates are registered for use in pigs to control of mange and lice. Overdosing, particularly of very young piglets, leads to poisoning. Make sure you follow the directions on the label to avoid poisoning.
Heavy metal poisoning
Heavy metal poisoning in pigs is usually due to a feed mixing error or use of contaminated ingredients. It results in excessive quantities of copper, selenium, lead, inorganic arsenic, iron or mercury in the diet.
Diagnosis is confirmed by analysis of tissue samples from dead pigs or from feed samples.
Biosecurity for piggeries
Good piggery management includes on-farm biosecurity to prevent the introduction of disease into the property and the herd.
Most diseases are spread from pig to pig; however, diseases can be spread by:
- unclean transport vehicles
- people that are sick or carrying a disease that affects pigs
- contaminated mud or dung carried on boots or piggery equipment.
Key elements of a piggery biosecurity program include:
- isolation from other farms
- fencing and closed gates to control entry for all visitors and to keep animals secure
- control of rodents and secure isolation from feral pigs
- closed-herd approach using artificial insemination or bringing in replacement breeding stock from only 1 source
- a clearly defined off-farm load-out area
- a farm isolation or quarantine facility
- disease transmission and prevention protocols
- a single, controlled entrance for staff and visitors that clearly separates ‘clean’ piggery areas from ‘dirty’ non-piggery areas
- a ‘clean’ farm clothing and boots changing area separated from the ‘dirty’ non-piggery areas
- staff training in disease control.
Talk to your veterinarian for specifics relating to your herd.
Breeding stock
A key principle of disease control is to practise a closed-herd approach where improved genes are introduced through artificial insemination (AI). The alternative is to use replacement breeding stock from a single source of an equivalent or higher herd health status.
Isolation sheds
Isolation sheds on-farm or at another site can be used to provide a basic quarantine facility. They are a simple and effective disease-entry prevention measure. Isolation times and procedures vary depending on what types of diseases are being assessed.
Visitors and visiting
A clearly marked, single point of entry for visitors and staff, combined with an entry log, are effective for controlling and tracking people movement.
Visitors need to be kept away from pigs at least overnight (this may change as Australian pig herd health situation changes). They must be in clean clothes and provided with a change of boots and clothing at the farm. People with influenza symptoms or who are in close contact with others with these symptoms should not have contact with pigs for 7–10 days.
Domestic animals
Domestic animals present few risks for spread of disease. However, dogs may present a risk if they travel to different farms.
Wild animals
Wild pigs may bring diseases into a herd. Appropriate fencing prevents wild pigs from having contact with your pigs. For shedded pigs, ringlock or similar to 1m high fencing surrounding the herd is recommended, while double fencing is recommended for free range pigs.
Vehicles
Vehicles are only a risk if they arrive at a piggery and are either already carrying pigs or have not been not been cleaned. For pig load-out, a race leading to a loading ramp at least 20m and preferably 50m from the piggery is recommended.
Staff training
Training programs can help staff understand biosecurity procedures and identify and prevent threats to pig health.
Minimal disease pigs
Minimal disease (MD) pigs are pigs that have been separated from their sow as piglets and reared in total isolation from other non-MD pigs.
Piglets that are reared in total isolation from their sow and all other non-MD pigs will not become infected with certain disease-causing organisms (pathogens) that are normally present in pigs.
MD pigs are expected to be free of:
- enzootic pneumonia
- pleuropneumonia
- swine dysentery
- external parasites
- internal parasites.
Removal from litter
The term 'minimal disease' can only be applied to pigs that have been obtained by:
- surgical removal of the entire uterus or caesarean section
- snatch farrowing – removal of piglets as they are born
- medicated early weaning – suckling piglets that are removed 5 days after birth and subjected to a course of antibiotics before and after weaning.
Keeping diseases out
The most important factors for preventing introduction of new diseases in MD piggeries are:
- Location – MD piggeries must be at least 3km from other piggeries to prevent airborne diseases.
- Closed-herd approach – use artificial insemination, or isolate incoming replacement stock sourced from higher health-status herds with a quarantine period.
- On-farm conditions – good management of hygiene, pest control, load-out and building design, staff and visitor movement, medication and vaccination prevent diseases from being introduced.
Diseases not excluded
MD pigs are not guaranteed to be free of all diseases. Piglets derived by hysterectomy may contract and survive parvovirus or leptospirosis in the uterus.
Pigs derived by hysterectomy may also suffer common diseases including
- erysipelas
- baby piglet scours
- weaner scours
- oedema disease
- ileitis.
MD pigs have no background immunity, which makes them more likely to be severely affected if exposed to common diseases than conventional pigs.
Stocking a new piggery
When establishing a new piggery, it is strongly recommended to stock it with MD pigs.
Before purchasing stock, check prospective suppliers for:
- confirmed absence of diseases
- method of establishing disease-free status
- health monitoring routines.
Gnotobiotic pigs
Gnotobiotic pigs are pigs that are reared in a virtually sterile environment and are used for research work only. They have no application in commercial pig farming.
© The State of Queensland 1995–2024
- Last reviewed: 08 Sep 2021
- Last updated: 08 Sep 2021