20 The Trusted Source for Canada’s Pork Producers Better Pork | December 2023 SUPPORTING INDUSTRY HEALTH Small-scale outreach helps swine producers. By Jeanine Moyer Canada’s swine sector is invested in keeping herds and producers healthy, successful and sustainable. Plenty of initiatives are directed at research, finding new and improved ways of enhancing nutrition, biosecurity, animal health and wellness and enhancing technology. Smallholder (or small-scale swine producers) and pet pig owners are also included in many of these projects, providing resources on animal care, health, housing, and the importance of biosecurity and disease prevention. Here’s a look at several recent smallholder swine projects that are helping to enhance herd health. Info sources for smallholder swine producers and pet pig owners Developed by the Ontario Animal Health Network (OAHN), a two-page infographic was released in December 2022 to provide basic information about pig care and infectious diseases. Designed as a resource for veterinarians to provide to smallholder and pet pig clients, the infographic is intended to educate small-scale swine producers. The graphic also provides links to additional animal care and disease prevention resources. While pigs in smallholder, pet and commercial settings have different management circumstances, their basic needs and susceptibility to disease are similar. That’s why the infographic was created to raise awareness about animal care and especially the importance of keeping all Ontario hogs healthy and free from foreign animal diseases. The easiest way to access and share the graphic is by visiting www.oahn.ca and searching “pet pig infographic” in the website search function. Understanding swine diseases across Ontario From May 2020 to April 2022, the OAHN conducted a swine small-scale herd postmortem project to gain a better understanding of smaller Ontario hog herds and the health challenges they face. The project was driven by three main goals: 1) to identify disease problems in small-scale swine herds, 2) to establish communications between small-scale swine producers, veterinarians and the OAHN swine network, and 3) to increase awareness among small-scale producers about zoonotic diseases and foreign animal diseases. Program participants were required to be enrolled by a herd veterinarian, have fewer than 50 sows or 1,000 market hogs per year, obtain a Premises Identification Number (PIN) and complete a management survey. A total of 28 cases were submitted from across Ontario. Ontario Pig Health Check-up A pilot project ran for five months in 2022 connecting small-scale hog owners with veterinarians to provide animal health consultations. The project aimed to support raising healthy pigs and educate about good animal health practices and tools to prevent the spread of any potential animal diseases, like African swine fever (ASF). The provincial project reimbursed veterinarians for their work that saw 47 pig health check-ups by seven veterinary clinics. Most visits provided preventative consultations and information, including first aid kits, vaccinations, hoof and tusk trimming. Some visits included treatments like hernia repair, antibiotic administration and castration. One participating veterinarian said that the program was very important for animal welfare and public health and noted 90 per cent of the pigs they saw required care and had never had a vet consultation. Hog producers across the province benefited from the Ontario Pig Health Check-up program – from small-scale SWINE HEALTH ONTARIO Guide to Pet Pig Ownership Six tips written by a swine veterinarian to help you care for your miniature (or other) pig and keep them happy, safe, and healthy. Links to several other useful resources are provided in this concise overview. http://www.swinehealthontario.ca/Communications/pet-pig-guide Food Transport Housing Health Information sources for smallholder swine producers and pet pig owners Categories with all the information you need to know about swine 5 Vets Food Transport Housing Health Health: Keeping pigs healthy is important for their own welfare and for the well being of other pigs. Preventing disease is a primary goal and is accomplished through biosecurity on and off the farm, good nutrition, and routine veterinary care. Transport Moving pigs individually or in groups requires planning and knowledge of safe, humane methods. Transportation across international borders must meet a specific set of requirements. Transporting pigs in clean, safe, comfortable accomodations helps reduce stress and maintain the well being of the pigs. Veterinairy Advice It is important for smallholder swine producers and pet pig owners to have a veterinarian in advance of needing care. It is also important to budget for routine veterinary swine health visits to ensure that your pigs are kept up to date on vaccinations and that they remain in good health. Veterinarians provide you with case-specific advice on all of the other categories of swine care listed in this infographic. Food: Smallholder swine and pet pigs have nutritional requirements that are specific to their species, stage in life, and activity level. Good nutrition will help keep your pig healthy and help maintain optimal immune system function to aid in disease prevention. Providing sufficient clean water to maintain normal hydration is as important as ensuring good-quality feed for your pigs. Housing: Whether they are housed indoors, outdoors, or in a hybrid environment, pigs must have adequate space, be housed at an appropriate temperature and with good ventilation, and be protected from the elements. Pigs with outdoor access need to be kept safe by well constructed fencing that will keep predators out, and prevent disease exposure from mixing with feral pigs or other animals. African Swine Fever (ASF) is a virus that is spreading rapidly internationally and is a serious threat to Canadian pigs. The majority of pigs that test positive for ASF will die due to this virus. In order to keep this virus out of North America it is important when travelling to not bring home pork products from other countries. It is also important to not feed meat scraps of any kind to pigs. Awareness is key and everyone plays an important role in keeping our pigs healthy and preventing ASF. Small Scale Pig Farming An excellent online resource dedicated to providing Canadian small-scale pig producers with the relevant resources needed to be successful in raising pigs. Topics include: › Pig health and well-being › Housing and shelter › Feeding and water › Pig breeding, gestation, and farrowing › Feeding, equipment, marketing, and other topics. Videos and links to publications and a blog are also available. www.smallscalepigfarming.com Food Transport Housing Health Resources are available to support pork producers. Tracy Miller photo
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