Page 2 - Australian Pork Newspaper

Pork Industry Calendar of Events
2021
SEP 16/23 – The Australian Pig Veterinarians (APV) Virtual Conference 2021 www.ava.com.au
SEP18-21–AllenD.LemanSwineConference (Online) www.lemanconference.umn.edu
OCT 11-14 – 14th SafePork Conference 2021 www.safepork-conference.com
OCT 27 – QPCG Industry Day ‘Building Resilience in a Changing World’ Toowoomba
NOV 15-18 – Australasian Pig Science Association (APSA) Conference www.apsa.asn.au
NOV 21-23 – AVAMS21, Gold Coast www.avams2020.com.au
How to supply event details: Send all details to Australian Pork Newspaper, PO Box 162, Wynnum, Qld 4178, call 07 3286 1833 or email: ben@collins.media
porknews.com.au
07 3286 1833
Rub marks are made by feral pigs on nearby vertical
objects such as tree trunks and fence posts after wal- Feral pigs wallow by lying in moist or wet areas, often near permanent water, to lowing. Photo: Graham Schoorl, GPS Trapping control their body temperature and protect against biting insects.
Signs feral pigs are in your area
* from P1 Rooting of pasture
Feral pigs use their
snouts and teeth to detect
and dig up edible grubs
and earthworms, frogs,
small mammals, molluscs
and crustaceans, and plant
root tubers out of the soil
up to half a metre below
ground, particularly when
soilismoistorafterrain. Lookformudorhairleft
Rub marks
Information on what integrated best-practice management means, con- trol options and how to prepare a feral pig man- agement plan will be cov- ered in upcoming articles.
This rooting behaviour can be destructive, often looking as though pad- docks have been ploughed up.
on the wire or posts.
Make sure that all fences
Distinctive muddy rub sites are formed at pig height.
Damage to crops and pastures
Feral pigs may consume thewholecarcases,leaving very little visual signs.
often near permanent water, to control their body temperature and protect against biting insects.
by pigs in any soft surface.
your marking percentages of lambs as well as your calves.
mobility of feral pigs in the environment.
Wallows can show how recently pigs have been in the area.
Hair and mud
Rub marks are made by feral pigs on nearby ver- tical objects such as tree trunks and fence posts after wallowing.
Persistent low marking percentages that you can’t explain may be due to feral pig activity.
Feral pigs can push through barbed wire fences.
This is done to remove dried mud, hair and para- sites from their heads, shoulders and sides.
Predation of lambs can occur at dawn, dusk and during the night.
Resources are available to provide more informa- tiononferalpigs–Pest- Smart’s ‘Glovebox Guide for managing feral pigs’ at pestsmart.org.au, your state and territory agricul- ture department websites on feral pigs, as well as the National Feral Pig Ac- tion Plan website feralpigs. com.au
It is not unusual for groups of feral pigs to dig up areas the size of foot- ball fields overnight.
are regularly inspected and maintained.
P ig tracks
Rooting behaviours by feral pigs can uproot plants, seeds and seedlings.
Only a small number of adult feral pigs may be re- sponsible for predation of a large number of lambs.
The location of pigs at night can be guided by the distribution of rooting areas.
Pigs often create pads when travelling in single file to frequently access food and water sources.
Feral pigs also damage crops by eating them, tram- pling, lying and sleeping in them.
If you find signs of feral pigs on your property, re- moving them is the next step.
Please feel free to contact me on heather.channon@ feralpigs.com.au or call 0423 056 045 to discuss your feral pig management issues and any information presented in this article.
Wallowing
A note of caution here – using pads can be unreli- able if other animals are in the area as the pads can also be used by domestic animals and other wildlife.
It is possible to mistake this damage for kangaroo activity.
Livestock predation
Feral pig control is most effective when land man- agers in the local region work together over a large area – dealing with them alone is unlikely to have a lasting effect due to the
Feral pigs wallow by lying in moist or wet areas,
Hoof-prints can be left
Keep a close eye on
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Rooting behaviours by feral pigs can uproot plants, seeds and seedlings. Photo: Graham Schoorl, GPS Trapping
The scat of feral pigs are typically well-formed, 3-6cm wide and 7-22cm long, with the size, shape and con- sistency of the excrement varying with age and diet. Photo: DAF Queensland
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Page 2 – Australian Pork Newspaper, September 2021
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