The Rural Voice, 1983-02, Page 38W.D. HOPPER
& SONS
Water Well Drilling J
R.R. 2 Seaforth
Members of the Ontario Water Well Assoc.
• Prompt Reliable Service
• Free Estimates
• 5 Modern Rotary Rigs
Call Collect James
Neil
Seaforth
527-1737
Durl
Seaforth
527-0828
'Where Hopper Goes
Seaforth
527-0775
The Water Flows'
SINCE 1915
ON-FARM
COMPUTER
SYSTEMS
... A total Farm Management System
• Reliable Microcomputer Equipment
• Packages designed by farmers and
written by programming professionals
• Systems that provide the farmer with
the competitive edge needed to manage
the business of farming --profitably.
For a demonstration
or Seminar dates call:
Karl Douglas
Stonetown Agri
Services
St. Marys, Ont. 519-284-2306
PG. 38 THE RURAL VOICE, FEBRUARY 1983
ANIMAL SCIENCE
THE S.P.F. FALLACY
To SPF herd owners, SPF (specific pathogen free) pigs are
the way to raise swine efficiently with little worry about
disease in the barn (although considerable worry about
disease getting in). To others, it means "disease free pigs",
that can't be put in a regular barn and require a great deal of
labour to maintain. The latter is the S.P.F. fallacy.
Disease free pigs do not exist but laboratory raised pigs
may come close. Specific Pathogen Free pigs have a
minimum of diseases and some herds are regularly inspected
and certified free of virus pneumonia. Others might be
certified free of rhinitis but this usually lasts only a short
time.
In some instances the term SPF is applied to a herd by the
owner because the first stock came from an SPF herd and the
owner believes he has maintained the health and isolation
standards of a SPF herd.
So not all SPF herds, as the term is commonly used, will
be free of even the virus pneumonia. They will exhibit few
symptoms of any diseases because of the relatively few pigs
added to the herd and the high immunity to the diseases that
are present. As a group, SPF herds may be free from mange
and lice. We seldom see swine dysentery (bloody scours) and
hardly consider it a problem in SPF herds. Erysipelas and
haemophilus pneumonia are rare.
SPF herds, as a whole, have a minimum disease level and
the disease control measures that are the basis of the concept
make these herds winners in the swine world.
If everyone went "SPF" or at least practised the restricted
entry or closed herd concept, pork would be produced more
efficiently; days to market (birth to market) would drop,
probably under 6.5 months compared to a probable Ontario
average of 7.5-8 months; feed used per pound of gain would
drop; drug use would nosedive. All swine herds would be
safer from disease. Farmers would have more money and less
ulcers.
Why hasn't the concept mushroomed?? One reason is that
those who know the benefits most - the SPF herdsmen are
"fat cats", doing very well. Why should they push? Another
reason is that government extension workers may not want to
push the concept to the apparent benefit of a few certified
SPF producers. Also, the extension workers can hardly push
the SPF concept at the same time as they support boar sales
from test stations, (my opinion is that test barns are great
places to compare herds but are equally great in spreading
disease). Another reason the SPF concept is slow to spread is
the fear of producers that they cannot keep up to the disease
control measures involved in SPF.
One must remember of course that while registered SPF
herds may number under 50 in Ontario, most of the bigger
and better herds, perhaps I can say all, are run on the SPF
concept of disease control.
We often hear that SPF pigs - eg. weaners or a new boar
introduced to a conventional herd will get sick. Certainly
some do but I can assure you conventional pigs get sick too.
Remember SPF pigs are usually not sick before they come
and usually don't add any more disease to the herd. Pigs
raised with a minimum disease load are profitable and less
worrisome. Why don't you kill the SPF fallacy and grab a
piece of the future.
A. Harry Brightwell, D.V.M.
Perth Veterinary Services
Stratford