Understanding attitudes to biosecurity in small scale pig keepers

Executive Summary

African swine fever (ASF) is a devastating disease of pigs and wild boar, which is well-established within parts of Russia, China and Europe. It is characterised by fever, loss of appetite, haemorrhages in the skin and internal organs, and in highly-virulent forms, death in 2-10 days. If ASF reaches the UK, it will be distressing for all pig keepers and could have a disastrous effect on the commercial pig production sector. While the commercial sector should have high levels of biosecurity and be aware of existing regulations, very little is known about the attitudes to biosecurity and knowledge of ASF in small scale keepers (smallholders, backyard, and pet pig keepers). The smallholders and crofters interviewed have a good knowledge and understanding of the regulations around movement, feeding and biosecurity. When asked what their understanding of biosecurity was, they gave knowledgeable answers about cleaning facilities and trailers, disinfecting footwear, changing clothes when leaving the holding and generally not being in contact with livestock from other holdings. Due to the nature of their premises, mainly rural and often off the ‘beaten track,’ the participants reported very little interaction with other pig keepers or stock other than their own. Smallholders that breed pigs tend to have a permanent cohort of sows and a boar on site. The offspring either leave the holding to go directly to the abattoir or are sold to other smallholders as breeding stock or for fattening by them before slaughter.

Most of the smallholders interviewed were aware of ASF, but none of the study participants were
particularly concerned about their pigs contracting the disease, as they considered themselves too
remote geographically in Scotland, had no feral pigs in their area as far as they knew, or because they had
very little contact with other pigs or pig keepers.

"You always think up in Scotland we’re okay up here sort of thing you know and we’re not close to any other pigs and things really, you know so it doesn’t really bother me that much." (Keeper 3)

Due in part to the small numbers of animals kept, and that they are often seen more as ‘pets with a purpose’, i.e., as food or breeding stock for the sale of offspring, than a commercial enterprise, smallholders tend to have a ‘personal’ relationship with their animals: they name them and spend time petting and watching them. They stated that they would quickly know if a pig was ‘off colour’ or obviously ill, at which point they would call for veterinary attention. Some of the more obvious signs of ASF (reddening of the ears, conjunctivitis) may be more difficult to spot in smallholder’s pigs as they tend to be darker skinned breeds, Oxford Sandy and Black, Tamworth, Large Black, and KuneKune for example. This close relationship is therefore
particularly important with regards to the health and welfare of the animals.

Many participants were members of breed societies and Facebook groups and said these were their main sources of information regarding health and welfare. Participants believed that any disease incursion would be quickly notified via this communication channel. Some participants reported receiving information from ‘the government’ or APHA and found it useful, particularly during the early days when they were inexperienced keepers.

In addition to the smallholder study, a further interview was conducted with a pet[1] pig keeper from England. While this interviewee was very knowledgeable, a brief review of Facebook pet pig groups suggests that there are a cohort of pet pig keepers that are either unaware of the regulations around pig keeping or believe that their pet pigs are exempt. There are also some keepers that show [1] Pet pigs, also called mini pigs or micro pigs are distinct from smallholder’s pigs in that they are generally kept as singles or in pairs, in houses and urban areas in a similar way to pet dogs a lack of understanding of pig behaviour and good welfare and there may be an issue of carcass disposal in a suburban area. This is possibly an important area for further research