Small-scale production

Small-scale pig production comes with unique challenges. In consultation with producers from across Canada, Prairie Swine Centre has launched a Small Scale Pig Farming website featuring plenty of information and resources to get you started!

Alberta Pork also has a small-scale producer handbook and small-scale production leaflet for additional helpful information.

The Government of Alberta has launched a small-scale swine disease investigations project targeting producers who have 10 or fewer sows or who market 100 or fewer pigs per year. This project can help producers directly or private veterinarians who refer cases from small-scale swine producers.

The goal is to conduct surveillance on federally and provincially important diseases like African Swine Fever (ASF), Salmonella, Influenza, porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED), porcine delta coronavirus (PDCoV) and transmissible gastroenteritis (TGE). There is no fee for submitting pigs for testing; however, producers are responsible for the cost of getting the pigs to the laboratory.

Learn more about the criteria and other details.

• Shelter should be weatherproof – providing protection from over-exposure
• Make sure the shelter is on higher ground in the pen to help with drainage
• Provide fencing to contain pigs and protect them from predators and other wildlife
• Provide bedding to allow for improved heat retention and pig comfort
• Have enough pen space to separate sows and boars if necessary

• Feed troughs should be rodent and pest proof
• Feeding table scraps is not recommended due to bacterial contamination
  • Refer to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's (CFIA) guidelines for Recycle Food Products (RFPs).
• Never feed meat and animal by-products to your pigs
• Provide a balanced diet to meet pigs' nutritional needs at each stage of production
• Provide enough feeder space to prevent competition
• Pigs need constant access to fresh water – pigs can drink up to 20L a day
• Make sure water doesn’t freeze in the winter

Fences and signs

• Signs help direct visitors and limits access to your farm
• Fences prevent wildlife entry

Protocols

• Create biosecurity protocols for visitors and personnel who have contact with your pigs

Boots and clothing

• Have dedicated boots and clothing or coveralls when working with pigs on the farm
• Have boot covers for visitors entering your farm

Cleaning and disinfecting

• Removing manure can reduce bacterial load and limit pests and rodents on your farm
• Make sure to thoroughly clean and disinfect equipment that come in contact with pigs

Plastic sorting boards

• Boards are physical aids to help move pigs
• Boards should be held firmly to prevent injury to pigs or yourself

Rattle paddles

• Provide a visual and auditory aid to help move pigs

Once you are inside the pig’s flight zone (personal space), it will move away from you

• If you are behind the pig’s shoulder, the pig will move forward
• If you are in front of the pig’s shoulder, the pig will move backward

Be calm, quiet and patient during handling.

Respiratory diseases

• Symptoms: Coughing, sneezing, abdominal breathing, and reduced growth rates
• Treatments: Contact your veterinarian
• Prevention: Proper ventilation and clean environments

Diarrhea

• Symptoms: Diarrhea with or without blood, and reduced growth rates
• Treatments: Contact your veterinarian, antibiotics
• Prevention: Improving hygiene and reducing rodents n the environment since rodents carry the disease causing pathogen

Parvovirus

• Symptoms: Reproduction failures in your sows is a common signal of the virus
• Treatments: None
• Prevention: Routine vaccination of your gilts and sows

Porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED)

• Symptoms: Diarrhea in piglets, 100% mortality in piglets
• Treatment: None
• Prevention: Strong biosecurity and sanitation protocols to prevent introduction onto your farm

Parasites

• Symptoms: Suckling piglets will show bloody diarrhea
• Treatments: Fluid therapy to prevent dehydration
• Prevention: Improve hygiene to reduce flies and parasitic load, implement a parasite control program

Nutrition

• Piglets require iron injections since there is not enough iron in the sow’s milk. Contact your veterinarian for more information
• Provide enough quality feed to your sows to minimize weight loss during lactation

Piglet management

• Piglets should have ear tags for identification
• Male piglets should be castrated - ensure to have pain control measures and consult your veterinarian
• Refer to the Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pigs

Weaning

• Target weaning age should be 3 weeks or older
• If piglets are weaned too early they may be too small and require additional care
• At weaning piglets require a higher environmental temperature (35C)

Transportation

• Thoroughly clean and disinfect your truck or vehicle before entering onto your farm
• A manifest is required whenever a pig is transported and the license plate must be included
• Make sure to properly fill out your manifest and submit it to Alberta Pork

Herd health

• Talk to you veterinarian about creating a vaccination protocol and parasite control plan for your pigs