Why You Should Not Raise Pigs and Ruminants in the Same Premises

Pigs production and ruminants production in the same premises is a big 'NO', research and experience have shown.

As a farm manager, we raise pigs and ruminants in the same premises and have been paying dearly for it.

We have had sudden deaths, untreatable scouring in our herds times without number. Since that the business plan of the entire farm is wrong, and the management hates to be told the truth, I spilled the beans when I deemed it necessary.

We rear two breeds of goats -- West African Dwarf(WAD) breed and Sokoto red breed. We used Sokoto red goat male to mate WAD females. Crosses obtained have hardy nature of WAD goats and with long legs and hefty build of Sokoto red goats.

Along the line, scouring broke out among the ruminants and almost reached an epidemic situation. WAD goats showed great resistance. Crosses from the two breeds survived after isolation. But no Sokoto red goat made it. All infected sheep died. None of the dead animals responded to treatment. It is pertinent to note that if the problem in the original Northern domain that the Sokoto red goats are adapted to, some of them would have survived.

My Findings

Viral diseases have no cure but can be managed in some situations. Whenever you are dealing with scouring ruminants, five things should be targeted.

1. Bacterial infection: Antibiotics should be given to scouring ruminants first before thinking of drugs with diarrheal etiology.

2. Coccidiosis: Ruminants affected by coccidians will likely scour. You will distinguish whether the scour is as a result of bacterial infections or coccidiosis by the following: If the ruminant is scouring but has appetite, it is coccidiosis. If the ruminant is scouring but inappetent, it is as a result of bacterial infections.

3. Poisonous plants: Differential diagnosis includes toxic plant poisoning by crotalaria, senecio, cocklebur etc. While dealing with poisonous plants, knowing the name of the plant will help, but generally, stomach protectants like vegetable oil should be included in remedies.

4. Disinfectant poisoning: In our piggery, disinfectants are placed in feet baths that those entering the piggery may disinfect their feet with it. But ruminants like drinking scented liquids. So at times I have seen them drinking from the feet baths.

Most disinfectants have active ingredients like phenols and cresols which cause oesophagus, and nonspecific liver and kidney lesions. The carcass is icteric, and with excessive fluid in the peritoneal cavity. See pic of a poisoned ewe below.

5. Aujeszky's Disease: This is a viral disease that has no treatment. It is characterized by sudden death and other nonspecific symptoms. It is worthy of note that in cases of disease or deaths in ruminants in the proximity of pigs, there should primarily be a strong suspicion of Aujeszky's disease irrespective of the symptoms observed.