How to establish and maintain a mange-free pig populations.

How to establish and maintain a mange-free pig populations.The establishment and maintenance of mange-free herds is achieved by three important facts:
1) Piglets are born free of mites.

2) Mites are highly host-specific and do not survive long away from their host.

3)Modern treatments are very effective.

 Mange-free herds can also be established with cesarean piglets, by depopulation and repopulation from mange-free stock, by segregated rearing of treated pigs or by eradication using ivermectins and other products.

 Biosecurity measures that focus on careful scrutiny of incoming stock and sourcing stock from a minimal number of herds are usually adequate to prevent re-introduction of the parasite.


 Mange control involves identification of animals with chronic mange so that they can receive systematic and regular treatment to protect the younger animals in the herd.All control programmes must target the breeding herd.

Mange in pigs.

The importance of external parasites in pig production varies greatly among regions because of differences in climate and systems used to raise pigs. Sarcoptic mange caused by Sarcoptes scabiei var suis is the most important external parasite of pigs worldwide.

 Other external parasites include demodectic mites, lice, fungi and ticks. External parasites produce a range of clinical signs in pigs including rubbing, scratching, and skin lesions. Some parasites also cause significant economic effects due to reduced growth rate, reduced feed efficiency, and loss of carcass value at slaughter.

 Sarcoptic Mange. Two clinical forms of the disease are recognized: a hyperkeratotic form that most commonly affects multiparous sows and a pruritic or hypersensitive form that primarily affects growing pigs.

 The sarcoptes mite is a small, greyish-white, circular parasite about 0.5mm in length and just visible to the naked eye when placed on a dark background.

 Hyperkeratotic encrustations in the ears of multiparous sows are the main reservoir of mites within a herd. The boar helps to maintain infection in the herd because he is constantly in direct skin contact with breeding females and he remains a chronic carrier.

If pigs are housed in groups, there is increased opportunity for spread. Piglets become infested during suckling. Environmental spread is less important but exposure for as little as 24 hours to pens that have been immediately vacated by previously infected pigs can result in infestation.

 The mite dies quickly away from the pig; under most farm conditions in less than five days. This is an important factor in control. If a herd is free from mange, it is one of the easiest diseases to keep out because it can only be introduced by carrier pigs.

However, once it is introduced, it tends to become permanently endemic unless control measures are taken. In the acute disease,there is severe hypersensitive (allergic) mange in a sow.

Control of Biting Insects on Pigs.

How to control Biting Insects on Pigs.Biting insects such as flies, mosquitoes, midges or sand flies and ticks can cause major economic loss to pig farmers. Irritation from biting flies and mosquitoes can cause skin lesions or allergic–type reactions in pigs. Some pigs need to be skinned at the abattoir. Paralysis ticks can cause deaths among piglets and illness in older pigs housed outdoors, resulting in major financial loss for the farmer. The Dipteran biting flies of most significance to pig farmers are March flies (Family: Tabanidae), stable flies (Family: Muscidae), biting midges or sand flies (Family: Ceratopogonidae) and mosquitoes (Family: Culicidae). Each type of fly has it own specific habitat but they share a similar life cycle – eggs, larvae or maggots, pupae and adult form. Mosquitoes go through four instars or moults in their larval stage before forming pupae. Biting flies tend to be day–time feeders and most active on bright sunny days whereas mosquitoes tend to be night–time feeders. The females are mostly the biters and they seek blood for breeding and egg production. The flies multiply in warm, moist conditions so late spring, summer and early autumn tend to be the problem periods. Populations can increase dramatically as seasonal conditions change. House and bush flies, which do not bite, can also be a major nuisance to pigs and should be controlled using the same techniques.

Facts about African Swine Fever.

The emergence of cases of African swine fever identified within the pork producing countries,shows it is important to maintain high standards of biosecurity.

The knowledge about the signs of the disease, and equally most important is to know how to curtail the spread. The pig and its close relatives, boars and hogs are the only natural host of the double-stranded, Asfarviridae family of viruses, meaning the virus does not cause harm to humans or other animals. This does not mean that humans and other animals cannot spread the virus as carriers;


 African Swine Fever (ASF) is commonly carried by arthropods, such as the soft-bodied tick, through uptake of blood from infected pigs.

 Contamination generally occurs via direct contact with tissue and bodily fluids from infected or carrier pigs, including discharges from the nose, mouth, urine and feces or infected semen.

   It also spreads through transport and consumption of contaminated pork products, and some cases have originated from failure to comply with biosecurity standards by feeding waste food to domestic pigs..

   The virus in wild boar and hogs does not manifest any signs of the disease but it remains highly contagious across all swine species and can survive in pigs for long periods of time even post-slaughter and even in frozen carcasses.  It is also important to note that curing and smoking pork products does not destroy the virus.

 The common signs are as follows: 1). High fever 40-42°C.
 2) Loss of appetite.

 3) Depression.

 4)Vomiting and/or diarrhoea
.
5) In White skinned pigs: extremities (nose, ears, tail and lower legs) become cyanotic (blue-purple color).

 6) Discrete hemorrhages appear in the skin particularly on the ears and flanks.
 7) Group will huddle together and are usually shivering.

8) Abnormal breathing.

 9) Heavy discharge from eyes and/or nose.

10) Lethargic- sometimes refusal to stand or move.

11) Very unsteady when forced to stand up.

 12) Comatose state and death within a few days.

    Pregnant sows commonly undergo miscarriage or deliver stillborn piglets that are malformed. Piglets can be tested for the virus.

Mortality rate in infected groups of pigs is high and there is no vaccination proven to prevent or cure infection.

Prevention is key,here are some steps to follow

 Ensure strict biosecurity rules. Do not take pig meat onto farms, and restrict all food (and consumption of food) to a canteen.

All staff on farm should be inducted onto a strict programme of hand and equipment sanitation before and after contact with pigs.

 - Follow rules and regulations on disposal of food waste at ferry ports and airports.

 - Provide the means for staff and visitors to thoroughly sanitize their hands and equipment.

 - Ensure that wild boar, warthogs and wild pigs, and materials potentially contaminated by such wild species do not come into contact with domestic pigs.

 - Check infected regions before importation of goods that could potentially be contaminated. - Advise and educate people on the risks of bringing back pork products from infected regions.

Soybean meal positively affects pigs with PRRSV.

Soybean meal positively affects pigs with PRRSV. Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is the most widespread disease in the swine industry. In sows, PRRSV causes reproductive problems during gestation, including abnormal litters or abortions. Growing pigs with the disease will have respiratory problems and poor growth. Increased soybean meal concentrations in the diet may help alleviate the effects of PRRSV in infected weanling pigs. PRRSV infected pigs fed high soybean meal concentrations had a more efficient virus elimination compared to PRRSV infected pigs fed the low soybean meal diet. Soybean meal is the primary protein source fed to swine. It also contains isoflavones, compounds that have anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties. Soybean meal positively affects pigs with PRRSV.

Banker quits job to be a millionaire pig farmer.

Banker quits job to be a millionaire pig farmer.Martin was a Manager with Standard Chartered Bank before he quit the job to pursue an entrepreneurial passion in pig farming. Having been raised on the proceeds of pig farming as a young boy, he decided to leave the world of suits and ties to exploit the lucrative potentials of the pig business. And his bet paid off! Banker quits job to be a millionaire pig farmer. #banker Martin sells about 20 pigs every month and has gradually grown his business to a current stock of 200 pigs, which he often raises to 500 when the market demand increases. According to this Business Daily Africa article, his current total wealth – calculated from the worth of his pig stock – stands at nearly 2 million Kenyan Shillings (roughly $23,000). Banker quits job to be a millionaire pig farmer. #pigs. He plans to multiply this wealth eight fold by 2015 and believes this is possible because the demand and market for pigs is grossly undersupplied. more

How to reduce aggression in pigs.

When new ,unfamiliar pigs are grouped together they fight to establish dominance relationships. This natural behavior can, under farm conditions, escalate to the extent where health and productivity are affected. Aggression increases stress, causes skin lesions and can result in injury and reduced immunity and growth. Researchers at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC, formerly SAC) in Edinburgh, UK have been working on pig aggression for over 15 years and recently, an information leaflet on aggression has been made available for farmers. The effect of aggression on productivity, aggression between newly mixed pigs lasts for around 24 hours, after which it reduces but remains high for up to three weeks. Aggression results in skin lesions which mostly fade after one or two days. Aggression increases stress, causes skin lesions and can result in injury and reduced immunity and growth. In sows it can lead to abortion. The time spent on fighting comes directly at the cost of the time spent on feeding. Growth rate is therefore most often reduced on the first days after regrouping. How to reduce aggression in pigs 1) re grouping: If needed, then regroup pigs as young as possible. The older and heavier pigs are, the more likely that growth will be reduced and injuries occur. Endeavor to keep the number of unfamiliar pigs per pen as low as possible. The higher the familiarity, the fewer the fights. Caution: Do not put one or two unfamiliar pigs in an established group. more

Vaccines and biosecurity to replace antibiotics in pig industry.

The increase use of vaccines and better sanitation and biosecurity are the 2 most common changes US pig, cattle and poultry producers are making in response to the loss of shared use antibiotics.That was a key finding of a new study just completed by animal health and nutrition consulting company Brakke Consulting, headquartered in Dallas, TX. 

 The survey, New Strategies for Health and Performance in US Livestock and Poultry Production, was conducted among beef, dairy, swine and poultry producers in late 2016. Since January 1, 2017, new antibiotic regulations as well as the Veterinary Feed Directive have been effective in the United States. 

 In a press release, the consulting firm wrote, “Although there was some variation among species groups, vaccination protocols and improved sanitation were the top 2 strategies for 70% or more of all producers. Other strategies included reduced co-mingling of animals/birds, changes in feed additives, changes in facilities, use of immune modulators and changes in genetics.” 

 The study was conducted late in 2016; half of producers said they had already made changes to their operations. About 75% indicated that they were ready for the changes, of which the poultry sector was the most prepared source

AGRIBUSINESS: How to use pig manure to make roads.

AGRIBUSINESS: How to use pig manure to make roads. A team of US researchers has been studying ways to convert elements of pig manure for making new roads. A statement from North Carolina A&T State University, in Greensboro, NC, United States, shows that Prof Elle Fini and a team of researchers has found a way to extract the rich oil that is found in pig waste, and mix it with rocks to form a new type of asphalt durable enough for highway traffic, which they call ‘Bio-Adhesive’. AGRIBUSINESS: How to use pig manure to make roads. The extensive research, which has included putting samples of the new material through rigorous vehicle simulators and tests to determine its durability, has proven to be a success according to the press release. Fini and a group of partners have set up a company called Bio-Adhesive Alliance. The team carried out tests to see if it will rock or sag too much because it shouldn’t do that. Also it shouldn’t crack at low temperatures. The vision of the alliance is to help the farmer and the construction industry by providing a cost effective solution.. The team believe its a win/win solution as all parties benefit and nothing is wasted. In the course of processing, the foul, aroma is filtered out, and the by-products of the bio-adhesive can be used by farmers as fertilizer.

Biosecurity threats on the farm.

Bio security threats could be internal or external causes,take a look at the table and learn which threats your farm is vulnerable to and how to be safe. Read more

How to improve health status of poultry and pigs using natural methods.

Biosecurity, in-feed solutions aid in the reduced use of antibiotics in animal agriculture. Experts agree that the responsible use of antibiotics in animal production must be promoted worldwide and other methods should be employed to minimize the incidence of diseases that require antibiotic treatment. There are ways poultry and pig producers can reduce antibiotic use on their farm by focusing on practical ways to support immunity and improve biosecurity. Read more

Rescue operation to save 6,000 pigs from flooding in China .

A rescue mission to save 6,000 pigs from severe flooding district. Two farmers in Anhui province were photographed breaking down as they looked at their pigs struggling, up to their snouts in water. Their farm lies near the banks of the Yangtze River, which has overflowed after days of heavy rainfall. It appeared that the pigs would become victims of the floods, which have killed more than 100 people and caused severe property damage in communities along the river. According to local media, though, the public outcry led to the pigs being rescued. A local organisation visited the farm and managed to save the pigs, according to Anhui News. Flooding in the river basin has left 112 people dead or missing in recent days, state media said on Tuesday, with more damage feared from a typhoon expected to make landfall within days. Some 16 million people have been affected by heavy rains that have left vast areas under water near the Yangtze, China's longest river, the Beijing News cited the civil affairs ministry as saying. Water levels in Taihu Lake, close to Shanghai, are at their highest level since 1954, it said, adding the area faced a "serious" risk of flooding if a typhoon hit nearby on Friday. Flooding is common during the summer monsoon season in southern China, but rainfall has been particularly heavy this year and many areas have been lashed by torrential rains this week. China's national observatory issued an orange alert for storms across the country's south and east last week - the second highest warning in a four-tiered system. Whole villages were levelled and at least 98 killed in the eastern province of Jiangsu last month after the region was hit by a storm with hurricane-force winds and the worst tornado in half a century. Floods have also hit South Asia this week, with 33 killed in Pakistan and 25 left dead in India after unusually heavy rains. Contributed by the Telegraph

Farms and animals decimated in China flooding.

Severe flooding has decimated a region west of Shanghai, killing as many as 130 people and millions of animals while damaging $5.7 billion worth of crops, Reuters reported. The rain over the past week forced 1.3 million from their homes in Anhui. Aside from the loss of crops, the flooding reportedly killed 7,100 hogs, 215 bulls and 5.14 million fowl, according to the China News Service. The reported death toll varied. The BBC reported more than 180 dead and at least 45 missing. Dozens reportedly died in a mudslide in Guizhou Province. "Our country’s flood control work has entered a critical stage. For the next step, the state authorities will make plans based on the most adverse situation,” the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters said in a statement on its website. China's State Television showed images of rescue efforts, damaged areas, and urban areas swamped by water. According to China's Ministry of Civil Affairs, rainfall since late-June has destroyed 22,000 houses and forced 726,000 to relocate in provinces including Jiangsu, Hubei, Henan and Sichuan. Water in 43 rivers has exceeded warning levels and authorities have sent workers to patrol the river dykes, said Chen Guiya, an official with the Yangtze River Water Resources Commission. China's meteorological authority renewed its orange alert for heavy rain in the south and southwest of the country on Monday. China has a four-tier color-coded system for severe weather, with red being the most serious, followed by orange, yellow and blue. Contributed by Foxnews and Associated press

DRUG RESIDUE IN PIGS AND CANCER IN MAN.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has moved to revoke approval of a drug used to treat certain diseases in pigs because it could leave a cancerous residue that may affect human health. 

The drug, carbadox, is made by Teaneck, New Jersey-based Phibro Animal Health and is used to control swine dysentery and bacterial enteritis. The drug, which was approved in 1972, has also been used to promote weight gain in pigs. 

 Potential cancer risks are based on an assumed lifetime of consuming pork liver or other pork products containing carbadox residues the product is sold under the brand name Mecadox. Pork is a good source of protein ,but protein can also be found in other meat, poultry, seafood, beans and peas, eggs, processed soy products, nuts and seeds. Pork liver is used to make liverwurst, hot dogs, lunch meat and some types of sausage, the agency said.

 Mecadox has been approved and sold in the United States for more than 40 years and is a widely-used treatment for controlling bacterial diseases. The FDA said it asked Phibro for additional information about the safety of carbadox, but the company has not submitted any proof that there is a safe way to use it The FDA’s actions follow a preliminary risk assessment conducted from 2012 to 2014 which found that the lifetime cancer risk from consuming pork liver containing carbadox residue is higher than allowed under the FDA’s framework for regulating carcinogenic animal drugs. Pork producers have become more interested in carbadox recently because it does not require a veterinarian’s prescription, according to John Goihl, president of Agri-Nutrition Services Inc, a Minnesota-based firm that provides feed formulations and consulting services to manufacturers and livestock producers. Three antibiotics made by Phibro contain carbadox: Mecadox Premix 10, Banminth/Mecadox; and Mecadox/Terramycin, the FDA said. Read more at http://newsdaily.com/2016/04/fda-to-revoke-pig-drug-approval-over-human-cancer-risk-concern/#x5mS4rHu5kyKUVSd.99

AGRIBUSINESS: NUTRITIONAL DIARRHEA IN PIGLETS.

AGRIBUSINESS: NUTRITIONAL DIARRHEA IN PIGLETS. Pathogenic diarrhea are quite common and are often confused with non-pathogenic secretory diarrhea. The non-pathogenic diarrhea are caused by wrong feed formulation and feed presentation.This can easily be avoided by correct feed formulation. AGRIBUSINESS: NUTRITIONAL DIARRHEA IN PIGLETS. Pathogenic diarrhea is the most common cause of depressed performance in recently weaned piglets. The nutritional diarrhea often lead to secondary complications through pathogenic agents such as Escherichia coli and Salmonella. These are identified by proper diagnostics, require veterinary intervention to cure symptoms and eliminate the source of offending microorganisms. Nutritional diarrhea usually follow pathogenic complications, thus a combination of nutritional and medical interventions is required. Nutritional diarrhea originate from three main areas in the feeding program: 1) palatability of feed; feed that fail to initiate vigorous intake immediately post-weaning will cause hunger, this will be followed by over-eating when pigs finally associate dry feed with nourishment. The short-term starvation created is capable of reducing the digestive and immune functions of the gastrointestinal system. When the pigs over-eat after a period of malnutrition, the digestion is incomplete, resulting in excess amounts of energy and protein available for proliferation of opportunistic pathogenic microorganism such as Escherichia coli or Salmonella. 2) feed quality; feed of low quality produced using second class ingredients.This will not only discourage the development of an early appetite, but their intrinsic low digestibility result in more undigested material becoming available for bacterial proliferation in the lower gastrointestinal tract. This is why a high quality diet is essential for a successful weaning. 3)feed stuff component such as soybean meal contain anti-nutritional factors that may cause gastrointestinal inflammation. This if combined with low-feed intake and excess undigested feed will result in nutritional diarrhea.

ANTHRAX FOUND IN A PIG IN UKRAINE.

A backyard pig that was slaughtered in Chuguyiv, Ukraine, tested positive for the presence of anthrax. The State Veterinary and Phyto-sanitary Service of Ukraine, in a report submitted to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), stated that the pig’s owner had notified a veterinary officer that while he was slaughtering the pig three days earlier, he noticed the animal had an enlarged spleen. Pig had been slaughtered for consumption but no human illnesses resulted. Samples were taken from products from the animal, which tested positive for the presence of anthrax. No other animals were reported by the OIE as susceptible to anthrax. All people that had contact with products from the infected pig were evaluated by a physician, according to an April 6 report from the OIE, and none of those people were found to be infected. All of the products from the infected animal have since been destroyed. The incident marks the first time anthrax has been detected in the Ukraine since 2012, and the source of the latest infection remains uncertain. Control measures used include movement control inside the country, vaccination, disinfection, quarantine and surveillance outside the protection zone. OIE stated that it will submit weekly updates on the Ukrainian anthrax situation until it considers it to be resolved. The Ukrainian pig industry has also dealt with concerns of African swine fever (ASF) in recent weeks. The disease was found in a small backyard herd in Kirovograd, affecting 29 animals. source; WattAgnet.

Nutritional strategies to reduce emissions from pig sty's..

Pig diets contain both dietary fiber (DF) and crude protein (CP), and the way pigs ferment these ingredients has an effect on the mission of nitrogenous gases and odor from pig manure and piggeries. A study , published in the Journal Animal Feed Science and Technology, the researchers delved into solutions to adapt the diet and to reduce these gas and odor emissions from farms. Nitrogen (N) in the faeces comprises undigested dietary N and endogenous N, mainly as amino acids (AA), and microbial N, partly present in nucleic acids. So one approach to reducing ammonia emission is through dietary manipulation. The inclusion of Dietary fiber and reduction of crude protein(less than 190g/kg) in pig diets seems to be an effective nutritional strategy that may counteract the negative effects of protein fermentation in the pig gut by reducing ammonia concentration, shifting N excretion pathways in the gut and minimizing the negative impact of intensive pig production on the environment. The inclusion of soluble fiber leads to a decrease of urinary N excretion.

Diagnosis of enteric diseases in pigs( 2).

The ban on the indiscriminate use of antibiotics in farm animals has led to development of faster diagnostic techniques to facilitate proper treatment.One of such is the sock analysis;This has led to the development of what is generally known as ‘the sock method’ which consists of taking a standard sock, walking around all pens in the section to be tested, and the sock is then tested with the quantitative PCR test. The number of bacteria can be used to assess the financial impact and whether there are health-related conditions present in the animals tested. The study show considers whether sock samples and laboratory diagnostics could be used routinely as a decision tool for determining when treatment should be started in the individual batch or a pen-site test where farmers will be able to assess the level of pathogens on a daily basis – even in batches without any clinical signs of disease. A complication here is that many of the pigs which might not have clinical diarrhoea still can have a severe intestinal infection. This appears in cases of Lawsonia but also E. coli or Brachyspira species. There will therefore always be a number of pigs which, although not showing signs of diarrhoea, still need antibiotic treatment as it must be assumed that they, first of all, have reduced productivity but also reduced welfare. Several studies have tried to determine if welfare has been compromised in such pigs and there are some indications that this is the case. The best productivity and welfare are achieved by treating at batch level, this is supported by strong professional, scientific arguments for the fact that using batch medication in the water is actually the right thing to do. It has been examined that medication at pen level would be more correct, but as it turns out - all the infections are actually present at the same time in all the pens within the same room. Therefore, all pens within the same batch need treatment at the same time and nothing would be gained by medicating at pen level. Batch medication at section level is therefore the method that provides the best result. This has also been confirmed in another research project which looked at various treatment strategies and dosages. This again showed that herd medication for five days gives the best production result. Source; papers from pig progress.

Diagnosis of enteric diseases in pigs(1).

Sampling by walking: The socks will be 
analysed after having visited the batch. In Denmark, reducing antibiotic treatments in Danish pig production has been a political aim for the past 20 years. A total ban on growth promoters was issued in 1999 which led to a situation where veterinarians only prescribe antibiotics for treatment of clinical cases of disease. As a consequence of an increased total consumption, the yellow card system was issued in 2008 - where farmers who exceed a certain level of antibiotics are penalized by the public authorities. It has resulted in more focus on reducing the antibiotic consumption, through prevention but also by reducing the number of treatment days and the dosage. This increased focus on reduction of antibiotic consumption has led to diseases like diarrhoea and intestinal infections being quite widespread in Denmark, especially in weaners but also finisher pigs where treatments for diarrhoea and intestinal infections are the number one indication for treatment. This has enhanced a lot of researches and techniques for the purpose of improving diagnostics for intestinal infections and, in the end, improving the possibilities of treatment and reducing the antibiotic consumption for these diseases. It became apparent from these studies that so-called Lawsonia diarrhoea was also caused by other bacteria, including E. coli, Brachyspira species and of course Lawsonia intracellularis. In the same period, quantitative PCR tests were developed, and these were validated in research projects in order to improve the diagnostic possibilities for each practicing veterinarian. This has led to the development of what is generally known as ‘the sock method’ which consists of taking a standard sock, walking around all pens in the section to be tested, and the sock is then tested with the quantitative PCR test. The number of bacteria can be used to assess the financial impact and whether there are health-related conditions present in the animals tested. One of the major challenges as a consequence of the reduction of antibiotics is that seven days’ treatment at certain times has been reduced to mainly clinical indication of maximum five days and in many cases down to three days’ treatment. At the same time, the dosage of antibiotics has also sometimes been reduced. Based on these changes in treatment strategies, the timing of antibiotic treatments at batch level has become extremely important. There is a very big risk of targeting pigs for antibiotic treatment at the wrong time and being either too soon or too late. This phenomenon is known from practice, but also from research it has turned out that batches of pigs without signs of diarrhoea can still reveal a very large proportion of animals having intestinal infections. On the other hand, there are situations where there are actually outbreaks of clinical diarrhoea with no or a low occurrence of bacterial intestinal infections in the pigs that have diarrhoea. These situations include conditions as ‘unspecific colitis’ or the newly defined ‘low pathogen’ (LP) diarrhoea. In a present PhD study, it is considered whether sock samples and laboratory diagnostics could be used routinely as a decision tool for determining when treatment should be started in the individual batch. The first preliminary results indicate that it is possible to a certain extent, but currently this would require repeated laboratory tests in each batch of pigs, taking up a considerable amount of time and effort. There is therefore a professional reason to develop such so-called ‘pen site tests’ where farmers will be able to assess the level of pathogens on a daily basis – even in batches without any clinical signs of disease. materials from pig progress.

FERMENTED FEEDING IN PIGS FOR INTESTINAL HEALTH.

Liquid feed is a great way to ferment protein-rich, home-grown fodder such as rape seed oil meal, peas and field beans or recycle liquid co-products from the human food industry into pig feed. Liquid feed for pigs comes into two varieties. Non-fermented and fermented. Non-fermented is mainly used and is simply a matter of mixing the cereals or complete feed with water and minerals. It takes around 2-4 minutes of mixing time (sometimes up to an hour). The fermented version takes much longer to prepare, a few hours to 6-12 hours on average. The latter is of particular interest as it is known for its positive effect on intestinal health and Salmonella control. Especially in line with the pressure on using antibiotics to treat digestive disorders in pigs and the tight margins in the pig industry, fermented liquid feed is gaining interest. Denmark has been a large user of fermented feed, mainly to control Salmonella as part of their strict national control plan for Salmonella reduction in the Danish food chain. However, the use of fermented feed is not the way to go for all pig farms, It really depends on the type of farm and whether critical points can be met to make this type of feeding a successful one. Since the announcement of the ban on the use of antibiotics as antimicrobial growth promoters in the feed of pigs in 2006 the investigation towards alternative feed additives has augmented considerably. Although fermented liquid feed is not an additive, but a feeding strategy, the benefits cannot be undermined.