Biosecurity key to preventing PED

Aug 07, 2018

Manitoba Pork released report on the 2017 PED outbreak

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

Paying close attention to biosecurity details is an important step to preventing another porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) outbreak, a new report says.

Manitoba Pork, along with the Canadian Animal Health Coalition and the Chief Veterinary Office of Manitoba released the 2017 PED Outbreak, Lessons Learned report.

Ensuring the cleanliness of barns, trucks, employees and equipment can reduce the risk of another outbreak, said Jenelle Hamblin, manager of swine health programs at Manitoba Pork.

“Cleaning and disinfection equipment that was being used to clean the loading dock after animals were loaded into a facility or unloaded (was occasionally) being brought back into the barn so (there’s) a potential risk there,” she told Farmscape today.

The report also revealed the best transport disinfection protocol.

“What we found most effective was to hold that trailer at 71 degrees (C) for 15 minutes minimum, so (there was) some learning involved there with times and temperatures that were most effective,” Hamblin said.

The disease infected about 73 farms and more than one million pigs, including 68,700 sows.

And just as the Manitoba hog industry moves on from the 2017 outbreak, more farms in the province are testing positive for the disease.

Manitoba Pork has identified 11 cases of PED in 2018 so far. Five instances are in sow barns and three each are in nurseries and finisher barns. The first farm was identified on May 15.

Farms.com has reached out to Manitoba Pork for more insights into the PED report.

Video: FLEECED! Sheep Shearer Hands Over Clippers!

It's sheep shearing day at Ewetopia Farms! ?? Our Dorset lambs and ewes are getting fleeced — and for the first time, our shearer hands over his clippers to a beginner. We finish shearing the last of our adult ewes and this year’s Dorset ewe lambs.

From moving the sheep between barns, loading them into chutes, and watching the wool come off, this is always one of the most satisfying days on the farm. But this video has a twist — we welcomed a new helper, Gian, who’s not only lending a hand but also learning how to shear! With guidance from our experienced shearer, he got a crash course in sheep shearing and even tried his hand at shearing a couple of lambs himself.

You’ll see firsthand how both teacher and student handled this unique challenge. Shearing is more than just removing wool — it’s about sheep health, comfort, and giving us a closer look at the flock. It’s always amazing to see the transformation from woolly sheep to freshly shorn ewes and lambs.