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Controlling feral pig populations
Pork Industry Calendar of Events
2021-22
NOV 3 – PQI 2021 AGM (Virtual) john.coward1@gmail.com
NOV 10 – APL 2021 AGM (Virtual) nikki.watson@australianpork.com.au
NOV 15-18 – Australasian Pig Science Association (APSA) Conference www.apsa.asn.au
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FEB 23 – QPCG Industry Day ‘Building Resilience in a Changing World’ Toowoomba
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THANKS to favour- able seasonal conditions, feral pig numbers are booming in many areas across Australia, and this has not been lost on the media.
placed at the entry point to baited properties when baits have been laid.
ducer webinar held on Oc- tober 13.
Feral pigs are considered a priority pest in all juris- dictions – therefore land managers have a responsi- bility to humanely destroy feral pigs on their land to comply with relevant leg- islation in states and ter- ritories.
For details, visit the Pest- Smart website pestsmart. org.au/toolkit-resource/ code-of-practice-feral- pigs/
Hoggone is an effective, fast acting and humane bait developed in Australia following many years of extensive research and de- velopment.
Best practice feral pig management methods include baiting, aerial shooting, trapping, ground shooting and exclusion fencing.
successful pig control are: • Coordinated control over large areas by getting all land managers to work
on a regular daily basis. Regardless of what toxin is used, the keys to suc- cessful feral pig baiting are site selection and adequate
Hoggone
It was nationally regis- tered for use with feral pigs by the APVMA, classified as a Schedule 6 poison, on December 11, 2019, followed by a small-scale pilot launch in 2020.
A combination of these methods – also known as integrated management – is recommended for best results and strategic thought must be applied to determine which of these methods should be used, and in what order, according to the site.
management approach – in areas that can be accessed by a vehicle, use low im- pact control first such as baiting or trapping to min- imise spreading of pigs across the area, and move to other methods, such as aerial shooting, for less ac- cessible areas to try to mop up as many pigs as possible
new or unfamiliar ‘food’ will be taken immediately by all pigs in a group and means that whole family groups are clustered to the control point.
This was briefly dis- cussed during APL’s pro-
The consumption of Hoggone by pigs causes methaemoglobin to form in blood, causing a rapid depletion of oxygen in the
Most of these techniques have been applied for years for localised control.
• Utilise seasonal condi- tions – when it is dry, apply a good plan and aim for 100 percent removal
Despite best efforts using traditional tools, the feral pig problems are rapidly increasing, so we need to embrace new technology to increase the effective- ness of all programs.
• Monitor before and after control efforts are undertaken and act early.
together
• Apply an integrated
free feeding.
This is important as no
Recent research con- ducted by SunPork and funded by Australian Pork Limited evaluated the po- tential use of Hoggone to humanely destroy group- housed domestic pigs with a shared feed source in the event of an exotic disease incursion, such as African swine fever.
Hoggone contains so- dium nitrite, a commonly utilised compound used globally in small doses in the preservation of pro- cessed meats.
Warning signs must be
* continued P4
Under the ‘Manage’ sec- tion, the standard oper- ating procedures for best practice management of pigs are available, together with a series of videos out- lining how to choose feral pig baiting sites.
It has been commercial- ised by Animal Control Technologies Australia.
Page 2 – Australian Pork Newspaper, November 2021
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Increasing adoption of best practice methods by land managers is a key goal of the National Feral Pig Action Plan.
This article explores the two baiting methods ap- proved by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority to control feral pig popula- tions – Hoggone and 1080 sodium monofluoroac- etate.
To effectively suppress population growth and re- covery of feral pigs in Aus- tralia, an annual knock- down rate of at least 70 percent is required, over a sustained period of time and over the widest area possible.
Model codes of practice for the humane control of feral pigs are available via the PestSmart website, pestsmart.org.au
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Otherwise, their popula- tions can recover to pre- control levels in less than 12 months.
Timing is critical for baiting and other control activities, and it should be undertaken when food and water are scarce, so the animals are more likely to take bait and their popula- tions are restricted to cer- tain areas.
To support this, the vir- tual NFPAP stakeholder forum held on October 11, 2021 discussed manage- ment planning and best practice methods.
Whether using 1080 – that is factory baits such as PIGOUT, PIGOUT Econobait or locally pre- pared grain or meat baits – or Hoggone, it is im- portant to remove any disturbance including any ground shooters and create a positive experience for pigs by providing good quality free-feed material
To view presentations from Troy Crittle of the NSW Department of Pri- mary Industries and Stu Barker from Wild Science in the Northern Territory, visit feralpigs.com.au/re sources.
The key ingredients for
Relative humaneness of feral pig control methods. Source: PestSmart
by HEATHER CHANNON National Feral Pig Management Co-ordinator
General baiting rules
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