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Guidelines to MaximisingPerformance in ShelterBased Grower Farms

Portec Australiawww.portec.com.au

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BIOSECURITYPerimeter Fence To prevent feral animals entering into the farm To prevent pigs escaping from the farm. To prevent farm access by unauthorized

personnel and vehicles. The fence must:o Fully surround the entire piggery areao Have lockable entry gateso Have a ‘NO ENTRY’ sign at entranceo Be 2.5m high to stop animals jumping over

into and out of the farmo Be 0.5m deep into the ground to stop pigs

burrowing undero Not have unrepaired holes or defects at any

point.

Trucks Visually inspect the truck for cleanliness

before allowing it to approach theloading/unloading area.

Do not allow delivery trucks that have beenused to transport other pigs to enter the farm.

Delivery trucks (for feed, straw etc) shouldnever enter the piggery area.

The driver must NEVER leave the truck andenter the piggery area or shelters.

Staff must NEVER go onto trucks.

Loading Ramp Thoroughly clean and disinfect the ramp and

loading area after each use.

Maintain the ramp so that there are no sharpedges or holes that could harm pigs or staff.

The angle (<20º), height (1m) and width (1m)of the ramp must comply with welfare codes.

Loading area should be well lit.

Visitors & Staff Members Visitors must sign in and out in the Visitor’s

Record Book. Staff members must sign in on staff time sheet All visitors and staff members must comply

with farm biosecurity requirements by:o Not having prior contact with pigs of a lower

health status for the past 24 hourso Having a shower within the past 12 hourso Wearing clean farm overalls and farm boots

Not bringing contaminative material onto thefarm via dirty equipment, pork, or streetclothes, used overalls and boots

Additionally staff must:o Not own pet pigso Not visit abattoirs, animal shows and other

events involving pig contact.

NOTE:Pork products can potentially introduce seriousexotic diseases into the farm. Examples includePRRSv, PMWS, Classical Swine Fever, and Foot &Mouth Disease.

Perimeter fence to keep pigs inand other intruders out.

‘No entry’ sign at entrance of farm. All staff and visitors must wearoveralls and boots from the farm.

Loading ramp must be cleanedafter each use.

Visitors must sign in/out andrespect farm biosecurity.

No pork products are allowed onfarm.

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BIOSECURITY

Feed Do not allow feed delivery trucks into

the piggery area. Prevent bird and rodent access by:o Covering feeders and siloso Storing bagged feed on a pallet and

not on the flooro Minimizing spilled feed/feed wastage

Straw Do not source straw from farms that use

pig manure as fertilizers unless the pigmanure is from your farm.

Minimise bird and rodent access by:o Storing straw undercovero Building straw stacks on sand covered

with a plastic sheeto Placing water pipes containing bait at

the base of straw stacks

Shelters Must be thoroughly cleaned disinfected

after each batch i.e. All-in/All-out Maintain walls and gates so that there

are fewer rodent access points.

Hospital Area Designated hospital shelters should be

located as far away from healthy pigs aspossible

Never share needles and syringesbetween sick and healthy pigs

There should be a minimum of twohospital areas on farm to enable an All-in/All-out system

o Used hospital area must be thoroughlycleaned and disinfected after sick pigsleave

Pest ControlRodents Place at least one rat/mouse control

station at each end of the shelters.Options include:

o Bait stations with pellets or cubeso Liquido Pasteo Traps

Flies Place at least one fly control station at

each end of the shelters. Optionsinclude:

o Fly bait in bait stationo Fly papero Ultraviolet light zappers

Augers should extend outsidethe fence so feed trucks do notenter the farm.

Cover feeders to limitbird and rodent access.

Hospital shelters/pens should be as far awayfrom healthy pigs as possible.

Good rodent and fly controlprotocols should be in place.

Weed attracts rodentsand snakes. Keep a cleararea (3m radius) aroundeach shelter.

Shelters must be cleaned between each batchand disinfected at least twice a year.

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FEEDNOTE: To maximise feed intake, water and feed supply should be in close proximity althoughcleanliness could become an issue.

Basic Requirements Pigs have access to feed at all times. Pigs of different ages are fed a ration

suitable for their growth requirements. Feed supply should be constanto Backup supply must be available in

case of failure or delay of feeddelivery.

Feed Quality Feed should be fresh and palatable Feed must not be grossly contaminated

with faeces, mould, mycotoxins,maggots etc.

Feeders WASTING FEED = WASTING CASH. Feeders should be functional at all

times:o Filled with the appropriate amounto Not blockedo Not overflowingo Not leakingo Safe for pigs and staff i.e. no sharp

edges, no loose foreign objects etc Cover feeders at all timeso To preserve freshnesso To prevent access by birds and

rodents. Each feed space should have an even

distribution of feed (check down pipe)

Clean out feeders out completely wheneach shelter is emptied.

Feed Space Feed space allocation:

Pig class Feed Space<30kg 100mm per 10 pigs>30kg 300mm per 10 pigs

Each feed space should have a similaramount of feed (check down pipe)

Feeder height and access should beappropriate:

o Pigs should not be stretching over theledge to eat from a feed space

o The feeder pad must support thefeeder with at least 1.5m extendingbehind each feed space

o A textured non-slip ramp with anangle <20° should extend from thefeeder pad to facilitate access.

o The step onto the ramp must not betaller than 80mm.

In-Feed Medication Do not add any medication prior to

seeking professional advice. Ensure medication is mixed thoroughly

(home mill). Record any in-feed medication in the

Medication Records Book.

Spilled feed costs money andcompromises biosecurity byencouraging birds and rodents.

Insufficient feed space. Feed contaminated with maggots.

Feeder too high so pig has tostretch over the ledge.

Overflowing feeder wastes feed. Stale feed.

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WATERNOTE: To maximise feed intake feed and water supply should be in close proximity althoughcleanliness could become an issue.

Basic Requirements Water is accessible to pigs at all times. Water supply should be constanto Must have 2 days worth of backup

supply in reserve tanks shouldpumping equipment fail

Water pressure should be maintained atapproximately 300kPa.

Pigs of different ages can access theirrequired daily volume at the appropriatedrinker flow rate as follows:

Pig L/head/day Ideal flow rate(L/second)

Weaner 1 to 3 0.7Grower 5 to 7 1.0Finisher 7 to 9 1.5

Watch water temperature particularlyin the summer months.

Water Quality Water should be fresh, cool and

palatable. Water should not be grossly

contaminated with faeces, algae,excessive levels of salt, bacterialovergrowths etc.

o Monitor bacteria level by submitting asample to a laboratory every 6months.

o Monitor salt levels by measuring with aTDS measurer weekly.

Pig Class Max TDS Level<30kg 500ppm>30kg 1000ppm

In-Water Medication Do not add any medication prior to

seeking professional advice. Ensure medication is delivered correctly

using a header tank and/or a precisionpump mixer.

Record any in-water medication in theMedication Records Book.

No flow. Inadequate flow. Excessive flow.

Probe for measuring TDS tocheck salt levels.

Dirty water in trough. Water meter.

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WATERDrinkers - Troughs Should be functional at all times.

Check daily that troughs are:o Filled to the appropriate depth –3cm

minimum.o Not blockedo Not leaking or overflowing –leads to

water wastage, floods and wet pigso Safe for pigs and staff i.e. no sharp

edges, no loose foreign objects etco Cleaned:

Pig Class Frequency<30kg Twice a day>30kg Once a day

Drinkers - Nipples Should be functional at all times.

Check daily that all drinkers are:o Not blockedo Not leaking or overflowing –leads to

water wastage, floods and wet pigso Flushed and cleaned after each batch

o Safe for pigs and staff i.e. no sharpedges etc

Should have even distribution of watero Each drinker should have a similar

amount of flow (check water pressure)

Trough Space and Drinker AllocationPig

BodyweightTroughSpace

DrinkerAllocation

<30kg 50mm/pig 1/10 pigs>30kg 300mm/pig 1/10 pigs

Drinker height must be appropriate toallow access to ensure adequate waterintake while minimizing contamination.

o Pigs should not be stretching over theledge of the trough to drink

o Nipple drinkers should not be too highor too low

o Water bowls – check manufacturerecommendations –basic one per 20pigs.

Weaner troughs should becleaned twice a day.

Leaky drinkers waste water andlead to floods.

Drinkers are too low and easilyblocked.

Empty water troughs. Combination – drinker andtrough to reduce water wastage.

Pigs fighting for drinkers.

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AIR

Temperature - Cold Minimizing draughts is especially

important for younger pigs. Methodsinclude:

o Placing windbreakers at either ends ofthe shelters –curtains or straw balestacks

o Creating a microenvironment withstraw bale formation inside the shelter

Windbreakers –Straw Bale Stacks Stack straw bales at the end(s) of the

shelters as windbreakers.Suggested heights according to season:

Pig Age October toMarch

April toSeptember

Pigs <10weeks old

2-3 bales highat one end

3 bales high atboth ends

Pigs >10weeks old

1-2 bales highat one end

2-3 bales high atone or both ends

Note: OHS risk if stacks become unstable.Biosecurity rules apply on these stacks.

Winder breakers –Curtains Materials include tarpaulins, heavy duty

plastic sheets, Hessian cover etc. Ideally adjustable to provide versatility Safe

Microenvironment –Bale Formation Arrange straw bales inside the shelters

for additional protection for pigs <30kgat least between April and October.

Tunnels U-shaped X-shaped

Temperature –HotSpray Cooling Sprinkler system should turn on

automatically when the ambienttemperature is 26°C or more.

At a minimum, spray cooling shouldoccur for at least 4-6 minutes everyhour. Adjust according to increases intemperature.

Adjust the sprinklers to maintainbalance between keeping the pigs coolbut not over-wetting the litter.

Solar powered 12-volt systems canproduce enough electricity to run awater pump beside the shelters for spraycooling.

Overstocking pigs will contribute to heat

Stacked straw bales as windbreakers. Adjustable tarpaulin or plastic curtains.

Bale formation in shelter –extra protection foryounger pigs

Micro-environment for younger pigs –extra protection

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FLOORSTOCKING DENSITYThe ideal available area for each pig is1.4 m2 if selling at >110kg liveweight.

STRAWStraw Quality Barley straw is the preferred straw. Use straw that is as fresh as possible.o Do not use straw older than that from

the previous harvest. Do not use damp straw. Do not use straw that is grossly

contaminated with mould or mud,especially in young pigs.

Do not source straw from pig farms orfarms that use fertilizer containing pigmanure if it is not from your farm.

Straw Storage Store straw under covero Shedso Shelterso Tarpaulins

Minimise rodent access byo Building straw stacks on top of a sand

base covered with a plastic sheeto Placing PVC pipes containing rodent

bait at the base of the straw stack

Straw Allocation The average minimum new straw

available to pigs:Pig class Straw allocation<30kg 3kg/pig/week>30kg 6kg/pig/week

Note: Amount can be adjusted accordingto season –less required in summer andmore in winter.

Daily inspection:o Two-thirds (2/3) of the shelter should

have clean strawo One-third (1/3) of the shelter is used

as the dunging area Add fresh straw regularly to reduce

exposure to faecal materialo Ideally once a week

Cut the bottom bale strings to facilitateaccess and spreading

o Remove the string to prevententrapment

Spread straw evenly in the shelter,ideally with a straw spreader machine

Overstocked pigs become dirty andhot.

Straw contaminated with mud. Straw not spread in the shelter.

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STOCKWeaner Quality at arrival 3-week-old weaners should weigh >5kg. 4-week-old weaners should weigh >6kg. Weigh and record weaners on arrival. Separate and record compromised

weaners according to the WeanerDelivery Contract.

There should be minimum size variationin the batch.

o Sort smaller pigs into a separateshelter to give more attention.

Daily examination of all pigs Check for variation of size.o Remove small pigs and give extra care

Check for compromised pigso Removeo Mark pigso Record pigso Euthanase or treat in compromised pig

area Check for and record signs of disorders

in groups as follows:

Digestive: Scouring, illthrift etc

Locomotor: swollen joints, lameness, knocked down hip, broken bones etc

Respiratory: coughing, difficulty breathing, blood at nose and/or mouth etc

Skin: Abscesses, wounds, color change etc

Others: rectal prolapses, tail bitten, big size variation in the same shelter etc

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COMPROMISED PIG CAREA compromised pig is ‘unwell’ because of A pig is compromised when it:o Suffers from a disease(s)o Sustains a physical injuryo Fails to compete with other pigs

because it is smaller, weaker or isbullied

Shelters must be checked twice a day forcompromised pigs

Compromised pigs must be separatedfrom the group, marked and recordede.g. ear tag, stock crayon, Pig wand

Compromised pig should either betreated or destroyed according to theseverity of the condition

Compromised pig area There should be at least two designated

compromised pig area/shelter to enablerotation and adhere to All-in/All-out.Compromised pig areas must:

o Be an enclosed areao Be free from draughtso Have feed, water and floor

requirements complying withguidelines for the sheltersNOTE: Use header tanks and individualfeeders or floor feeding for ease ofmedication

o Include a few pigs of a similar sizefrom the same shelter forcompanionship

Treatment of Compromised Pigs Pigs with a terminal condition should be

destroyed immediately. If pigs undergo treatment they should

be marked for easy identification duringthe course of the treatment.

Check all pigs in the compromised pigarea at least twice a day.

Adhere to the 7/14-day rule:o Euthanase every pig that does not

improve within 7 days of entering thecompromised pig area.

o If a pig improves but have notrecovered completely by 7 days it maybe allowed another 7 days in thecompromised pig area beforereassessment.(See flow diagram in Appendix)

EUTHANASIAEuthanasia must induce death in pigs quicklyand humanely. The correct method for pigsof different ages are as follows:

Pig ≤4 weeks old and/or <8kg bodyweight:Blunt trauma Firm, sharp blow on the top of the head

with a heavy and blunt instrumentNote: If in doubt of dead repeat blow and/orcut its throat to bleed out

Pigs >4 weeks old and/or >8kg bodyweight:Gunshot Training essential to use firearm Restrain the pig with a rope or snare

over the upper jaw Hold the firearm 5 to 30cm from the

skull (NEVER press against the head) Everyone must stand behind the

operator Shoot only when the pig is still and a

good aim can be obtained The firearm must always be in good

working condition

Penetrative captive bolt Safer than firearms Restrain the pig with a rope or snare

over the upper jaw Press the bolt against the forehead Activate when the pig is still and a good

aim can be obtainedNote: If in doubt of death, cut the throatto bleed out (especially for pigs >65kg)

Compromised pigs should bemarked and isolated if neededbefore treatment (if needed).

Location to deliver fatal blow topigs < 8kg.

Location to aim afirearm.

Location toaim a firearmor a captivebolt.

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MEDICINES Only the farm’s consultant

veterinarian(s) can prescribeprescription-only medicines

Adhere strictly to the vet-authorisedfarm medication protocol concerning

o What medicine is used for whichclinical syndrome

o What dose of medicine should be usedo How long the course of treatment iso How should the medicine be

administeredo Using combinations of medicineso Withholding Period and ESIs for each

medicine

Always contact the farm veterinarian(s)if

o Unsure of the condition –always takedigital photos of sick pigs and sendthem to the vet via email.

o Unsure of the treatment.o An unusually large number of pigs are

affected or have died.

Medicine Storage Do not order or stock excessive

amounts of medicine or vaccines.o One bottle of each type of medication

for 100 pigs Store different types of products at

their respective recommendedtemperatures

Never store human food in the medicinefridge

Multi-use vials Keep the outer surface of the bottle

clean

Always wipe tops of vials with surgicalspirit before use

Always draw with a new needle everytime

Never leave needles and/or syringes inmulti-use vials

Never inject back into the vial

Vaccineso Vaccines usually require refrigeration

between 2-8Co NEVER FREEZE or OVERHEAT vaccines

as their will become ineffectiveo Other medications usually need be

stored below 25°C and be protectedfrom light

o Always place a maximum/minimumthermometer in the fridge/cupboardor room the medications are stored inand check everyday.

Syringes and Needles If needles are to be reused they must be

capped and stored in a labeledcontainer.

Each shelter should have its own set ofneedle and syringe so there is no crosscontamination between differentshelters and age groups of pigs.

All used needles and syringes should bedisposed of once a week.

Used syringes and needles must bedisposed of in designated sharpscontainers. Full sharps containersshould be returned to the vet inexchange for an empty one.

Place a max/minthermometer in themedicine fridge andrecord thetemperature daily.

No human food should bestored in the medicine fridge.

Dusty bottles. The exterior surface of thebottles should be kept clean. Wipe the rubbertops with methylated spirit before each use.