Farmer Focus: Herd depopulation raises bird question
Rob McGregor © Tim Scrivener It’s been difficult to think about much else than preparations for our herd’s depopulation, clean down, and repopulation, all in a controlled effort to rid us of swine dysentery.
A date has now been agreed. We will stop serving animals in late January 2025.
The timeline will then be as follows; last farrowing in mid-May, last weaning in mid-June, and an empty (pig-free) period that will run until early September.
The new herd will start to arrive in the second week of September, and by the end of that month, we will be celebrating having litters born again.
Currently, that feels like an awfully long time away, but the amount of wash down, disinfection and decontamination required is going to be all-consuming.
See also: How strict pig biosecurity can help to hit antibiotics targets
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Getting these dates set has been helpful with focusing our minds on the complexity of the task.
There have already been many good questions asked by our farm staff, some of which are yet to be answered.
One is our bird population. We have a lively mix of gulls (some protected), and various species of corvid on-site.
Our farrowing area seems to be the perfect home for about 100 pigeons, and we have an (at times impressive) starling population.
The big question is, when we stop feeding pigs, how should we prevent birds flying off to one of the many neighbouring outdoor units, taking the swine dysentery with them? (And then potentially returning to scavenge on our clean paddocks.)
One suggestion was that we continue to feed them. It sounds ludicrous but short of doing nothing, it could be our best option.
Awards season has been a welcome distraction. It’s always good to renew acquaintances and make some new ones while celebrating the year’s big achievers.
This year, I’m especially proud of one of my own team, Tilly Betts, who has made it to the final three in the trainee of the year category at the National Pig Awards.
On the same night, I will be trying to keep things under control when Jeremy Clarkson’s now famous piglet-saving ring innovation is also among the contenders for merit.
If that doesn’t take my mind off herd depopulation for a few hours, I don’t know what will!