Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Vaccinations can be a good way to protect your pigs against diseases, but it is not recommen-
ded that you try to vaccinate your pigs against every possible swine disease. There are too
many diseases and vaccines and most of the diseases will never occur where you live. It is not
sensible to stress your pig's immune system with unnecessary vaccines. It is not cost-effective
to vaccinate your pigs against diseases that do not exist where you live, either.
Hygiene
Good hygiene is one of the most important ways you can promote good health for your pigs.
In addition to taking care of your pens and keeping your farm clean, it is important for you to
consider how other people and farms affect your pigs.
Before you purchase a new pig, the seller should provide you with a certificate of health
signed by a veterinarian. You even may wish to have your own veterinarian examine the pigs.
This is recommended if you are purchasing purebred pigs or breeding stock. It is worth spend-
ing the extra money in these cases to make sure the pigs are healthy and fit for breeding.
These extra steps can prevent you from bringing pigs to your farm that may spread disease.
No matter where you obtain a new pig, remember to isolate the pig or pigs for a short time
when you bring them home. Pigs do not like to be alone, so it is best if you buy more than one
pig at a time. However, it is better if you buy from only one source. When people come to vis-
it, have them put plastic booties over their shoes. Alternatively, they could step in a pan of
bleach to kill germs on their shoes. Or you could discourage visitors to your farm, especially
if you have a young litter of piglets. You may want to take this route if you have a litter less
than 2 weeks old, which is when piglets are vulnerable. Tell people they can see the piglets
when they are a little older.
When to call in the vet
If you are just starting out raising pigs, it is a good idea to try to find a large animal veterinari-
an before you purchase animals. To find a large animal veterinarian in your area, you can look
in your yellow pages, check online, or ask other farmers to recommend one to you. You can
check the website for the American Veterinary Medical Association (
www.avma.org/
Find one, talk to him or her, and invite him or her to visit your farm.
Once you bring your pigs home, you probably will need to have your veterinarian come out to
perform a few vaccinations, whether they are grower pigs or pigs that you are preparing for
