Keep your pigs safe: The importance of biosecurity

Biosecurity is a set of simple, practical steps to prevent disease from getting into your pig herd and spreading between animals. It’s a daily habit and a powerful management tool. Good biosecurity helps to:

• Keep pigs healthy

• Avoid costly disease outbreaks

• Improve growth and farm performance

Diseases can be spread by people, animals, tools, vehicles, clothing, and air. That’s why clean equipment and clear barriers are so important.

When harmful germs like viruses or bacteria enter your farm, they can cause serious problems. They may make your pigs sick or even lead to death. Infected pigs grow slower, which reduces productivity, and you may have to spend more money on veterinary care and medicines. In some serious cases, you might even need to cull (remove) pigs to stop the disease.

That’s why having a strong biosecurity plan is so important. It helps lower the risk of diseases coming to your farm, reduces the chance of diseases spreading among your pigs, and protects both your animals and your income.

Biosecurity is divided into external and internal measures:

• External biosecurity means preventing diseases from entering the farm. This includes things like fences, cleaning vehicles before they enter, and keeping visitors away from the pigs.
• Internal biosecurity is about stopping disease from spreading inside the farm. This includes separating pigs by age, keeping pens clean, and working with the youngest pigs first. 

Below are practical areas to check and improve:

Farm entry and visitors

• Limit visitors to the pig area – only allow essential people

• Keep a simple visitor log (notebook) with names and dates

• Have a footbath with disinfectant at the entrance to the pig area

• Ask visitors to wash hands and wear clean shoes or boots

Farmer hygiene

• Change clothes and shoes before entering the pig area

• Keep a pair of clean farm shoes only for use inside the pig area

• Wash hands with soap and water before and after working with pigs

Pig housing

• Clean pens regularly (remove manure and dirty bedding)

• Use ash or lime to dry and disinfect floors if no chemicals are available

• Repair holes or broken fences to keep wild animals and dogs out

• Group pigs by age and avoid mixing different age groups

Feed and water

• Provide clean water daily – use raised containers to avoid contamination

• Store feed in covered containers (e.g. drums with lids)

• Keep feed away from rats, birds, and moisture

• Do not give kitchen leftovers unless they are cooked

Buying new animals

• Buy pigs from trusted, healthy sources only

• Keep new pigs separate from your herd for at least 2 weeks

• Observe them daily for any signs of disease before mixing

Pest and animal control

• Keep the pig area clean to discourage rats and flies

• Use traps or local pest solutions (e.g. ash for ants, neem for flies)

• Do not allow dogs or chickens inside the pig area

Disposing of dead pigs

• Remove dead pigs immediately

• Bury carcasses deep and far from the pig pen and water sources

• Never throw dead animals in rivers or near the pig area