Owning a Pedigree Pig - Farm Health Planning

Happy pigs are Healthy pigs!

The first step in improving welfare is to make sure your pigs are healthy. The BPA’s consultant vet Bob Stevenson, working with Defra, has developed a Farm Health Plan for small scale pig producers. A draft Farm Health Plan is available which can be implemented with your local vet.

Biosecurity doesn’t mean turning your farm into a prison!

• Know your health status and use the British Pig Executive (BPEX) on-line Food Chain Information forms - even if your abattoir does not accept electronic forms your vet will be able to see the Meat Hygiene Service health reports.

• Ask about any pigs coming onto your farm - Ask if your supplier has a health plan and get your vet to talk to their vet.

• Isolate pigs that are coming onto your farm - If you buy in breeding stock, send your sows out for mating or take your pigs to a show you need an isolation facility. This does not have to be complicated or expensive. Ask your local Animal Health Office (AHO) for details of the minimum requirements. They will inspect and approve it.

• Integrate new pigs into the herd - Expose the new pigs gradually to your herd. Mix them in isolation with some pigs that you are sending to the abattoir.

• Have a treatment plan for your herd - make sure that you are using medicines correctly and safely.

• Keep your plan up to date - It’s a working document that will change and develop with your herd. You can always discuss changes with your vet on the phone.

Remember! Years of conservation breeding can be wiped out at a stroke by a disease epidemic such as the Foot and Mouth outbreak of 2001. It is every pedigree breeder’s responsibility to help maintain national biosecurity.

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