In addition to infectious causes and biosafety, farm management also plays an important role in keeping pathogens away. Good and effective business management depends on a number of factors.
Company size and employment
Important factors are the size of the company and the amount of labor available. This has been proven through various studies The larger the companies, the more difficult it is to keep PRDC under control. As a company grows, it stands to reason that there is more work to be done. If there are too few workers, the limited time available means that things lag behind and all the necessary time and care cannot be expended. But problems can also arise in companies with a large workforce due to a lack of work structure and standardization. It is therefore important to reach clear agreements on the style of work that everyone must respect and follow!
Choosing a production system
Another important factor is the choice of production system. One works in one Continuous regimen (weekly regimen) or in a multi-week regimen. As companies become larger and labor volume becomes limited, it may be beneficial to work in multi-week systems. This allows for better work planning and additional labor can be employed at peak times. But multi-week regimens have other advantages; Working in production groups also results in better separation of age groups on the farm, making PRDC easier to control. So it's a good idea to think about the system that suits your company best.
Dealing with sick animals
Is there a dispensary or not and is it used correctly? This also includes dealing with extremists, as they should never be returned to other groups. This is asking for trouble! But also, how quickly can we take action in sick animals? The sooner the better advice. Currently there are monitoring systems that identify problems at an early stage. In companies where these systems are used, it is observed that interventions are taken very early and thus problems can be reduced to a minimum. It's worth thinking about. Prevention is simply better than cure!
The factors mentioned are just a selection of management measures that may help in controlling PRDC on pig farms. Non-infectious causes go hand in hand with poor management. HIPRA can help you with this, please contact one of our specialists: Maartje Wilhelm +31 6 8264 5058, Josine Beck +31 6 8299 1395 or Erik van Esch +31 6 1431 0007.
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