This small to medium-sized pig, as suggested by its name, originated in Wales. It is relatively rare now but is still bred in pedigree herds as it is often the basis of modern hybrid pigs.
Fig. 1.11. Tamworth growing pigs.
Fig. 1.12. A sow in north Vietnam.
West French White
This medium white pig is bred in France. It is an excellent bacon pig having a long back. It has lop ears.
Handling and Restraint
Baby pigs are easy to handle in a similar way to small dogs. They can be brought into the surgery in a cat basket (Fig. 1.13). It should be remembered that sows with suckling pigs can be extremely aggressive, therefore it is advisable to have the sow well contained and even out of earshot when handling her offspring (Fig. 1.14).
Commercial pig facilities normally have crates for handling sows and boars and weighing crates for handling fattening pigs. Some sort of crate is vital to contain adult pigs for handling and examination on smallholdings (Fig. 1.15). If a crate is not available, larger pigs can be controlled to some extent by pig boards. Weaner pigs can be controlled by holding their ears (Fig. 1.16). However, even very friendly pigs will endeavour to escape constantly. The ultimate method of control is a wire pig nose twitch or pig snare. This is placed on the upper jaw behind the canine teeth. The pig will try constantly to pull back and the wire, which is often in a hollow tube, should be kept under tension. Pet pig owners should be warned that pigs are very vocal but the noise is not in proportion to the pain. With big pigs owners should be warned of the danger of being bitten, savaged or knocked down.
Housing
Introduction
Housing for commercial pigs needs to be very sophisticated. For a smallholder in Laos, a bamboo stockade is fine (Fig. 1.17). Pet pigs in the UK can have very simple accommodation (Fig. 1.18). Accommodation costs are low for outdoor pigs (Fig. 1.19). However, outside pig arks need to be well maintained (Fig. 1.20). In Europe there is legislation limiting the tethering of pigs. Tethering pigs is a welfare issue (Fig. 1.21).
Space needs for growing pigs
This needs to be adjusted for the size of the pig. Normally the weight rather than the length is the parameter used. Values for outside pigs are shown in Table 1.1.
Fig. 1.13. Baby pigs can be brought into the surgery in a cat basket.
Health Planning
Herd health plans can be built around a checklist as shown in Table 1.2. A few of the differences between commercial, smallholder and pet pigs are highlighted. There are bound to be anomalies and each herd plan needs to be worked out on an individual basis between the pig owner and the practitioner. Small pig herds will have to decide whether they are to be considered as pets, small groups of pigs kept for home consumption (historically, backyard pig keepers kept four pigs from weaning to slaughter, three would be sold to pay for the food and the fourth would be eaten), breeding herds (catering for specialized meat production), pigs kept for rare breed survival or pigs kept for forest conservation. Pigs taken to agricultural shows are a potential zoonotic risk to the general public (Fig. 1.22). Also this practice should not be encouraged from a disease control point of view. The dangers of returning with a contagious disease are high. Pens of four pigs ready for slaughter are judged at Smithfield at Christmas. Obviously if these animals go on directly for slaughter, the home herd disease status is not compromised.
Fig. 1.14. A sow needs to be well contained.
Health plans can be for the whole pig-keeping operation on a farm or they can be for specific areas, e.g. the farrowing accommodation, the weaner pool, etc. Or health plans can just be for a specific important disease, e.g. herd plans for Salmonella.
Waste Management
Manure in a commercial situation is relatively straightforward. If it is combined with straw it can be heaped and then spread on the land. Obviously this is easy if the arable land is being farmed in tandem with the pigs. If this is not the case, a linked deal of ‘straw-for-muck’ has to be arranged. If the pigs are outdoor pigs then their fields need to be rotated with arable fields in rotation. If pigs are on slats or have another slurry-type system, the slurry needs to be stored in a lagoon for later disposal. Whatever system is employed, manure needs to be removed on a really regular basis and stored well away from the pigs to prevent a problem with flies. With one or two pet pigs the manure can easily be mulched on to a muckheap and dug into a vegetable garden. Smallholders need to give thought to muck disposal.
Fig. 1.15. Pigs need to have adequate restraint for examination.
Welfare Monitoring
Quality-oriented meat production has grown during the last decade and its aim is to improve the harmonization of product characteristics and consumer demands (Lambooij, 2012). Consumer concerns about quality are not limited solely to intrinsic characteristics, for example meat quality, but often include extrinsic aspects, such as environment and animal welfare in relation to production. Post-mortem measurements in the slaughterhouse provide valuable information for welfare evaluation. The meat inspection process needs to be standardized. Lesions arising from tail biting could contribute to the surveillance of animal welfare on-farm (Harley et al., 2012).
Fig. 1.16. Weaners can be controlled by holding their ears.
Pet Pigs
Introduction
The pig is becoming very popular as an outdoor and