Good biosecurity leads to improved performance

At the recent Teagasc Pig Farmers’ Conference, Louise Clarke and Gerard McCutcheon highlighted why a focus on biosecurity is essential for maintaining herd health, preventing disease, and boosting productivity.

Effective biosecurity on pig farms is critical. It is the frontline defence against the introduction of pathogens and disease into the farm and then reduces or limits the spread of diseases where they have entered the herd. Implementing good biosecurity and farm practices can greatly reduce problems with diseases and improve overall herd health, productivity and profitability. It demands that every staff member understands the benefits of good healthcare management procedures and follow sensible protocols to maintain or improve the biosecurity standards on the farm.

In today’s environment, no pig farm can afford to overlook the critical role that strong biosecurity plays in minimizing disease outbreaks. Taking effective precautions is essential, especially when specific diseases are known to exist in the farm’s surrounding area. This article will look at some aspects of biosecurity that may need to be reviewed on farms. Comprehensive assessments, such as those done in conjunction with your Private Veterinary Practitioner and tools like the Biocheck.UGent risk assessment, are essential to identify vulnerabilities and implement targeted improvements.

Pig herd performance

Can we link poorer herd performance with health issues on farms? And can this be somewhat linked to inadequate biosecurity management? Research from Teagasc, PathSurv project, showed that mycoplasma hyopneumonia reduced average daily gain by 86 g in finishers, while PRRS was shown to reduce ADG by 31g. Although this study did not evaluate FCE, which likely represents an even greater cost, these findings highlight the significant economic impact to the farm where these problems existed. Effective disease management and strong biosecurity protocols are essential to minimizing these losses and boosting farm profitability where these diseases are present.

The Interpig figures for 2024, see Table 1 below, show similar sale weights of pigs at slaughter for Ireland and Denmark (119.7 kg LW in Ireland compared to 118.7 kg LW in Denmark). Interestingly the Danes get their pigs to the factory after 134 days in the weaner and finisher sections compared to 144 days in Ireland. Is this extra 10 days the cost of poorer health management and could it be reduced in Ireland by better biosecurity measures?

Table 1. Growth performance from weaning to sale in Denmark and Ireland

Biosecurity can be broken into two main components

External Biosecurity

Measures are taken to reduce the risk of pathogens or disease being introduced on to a farm.

Site
The farm site must be fully secured, with clear, prominent signage at the entrance warning that access is strictly conditional on adherence to rigorous biosecurity protocols. A robust perimeter fence is essential to safeguard the herd from stray animals and unauthorized human entry. Wherever possible, all feed deliveries, removal of deadstock, and slurry collection should be conducted outside the perimeter fence. Additionally, loading pigs for sale should occur at, or as near as possible to the perimeter fence to minimize any risk of disease introduction from transport vehicles or drivers. These measures are critical in dramatically reducing the threat of new diseases entering the farm through these sources.

Visitors
Visitors to pig farms -whether veterinarians, contractors, sales agents, or casual guests – pose a significant biosecurity risk as potential carriers of pathogens that can introduce or spread disease within the herd. Even seemingly low-risk visits can lead to contamination via footwear, clothing, equipment, or vehicles. To mitigate this risk, strict protocols must be enforced for all visitors.

This includes mandatory prior notification of visits, requiring visitors to disinfect boots and hands before entering pig areas, and providing farm-specific protective clothing. Access should be limited to essential personnel only, with clearly defined routes that avoid contact with animals whenever possible. Vehicles entering the farm must be cleaned and disinfected, especially tyres and wheel arches. Visitors should also be educated on the importance of these biosecurity measures to ensure compliance. By controlling and monitoring all external contacts rigorously, farms can significantly reduce the risk of disease introduction and protect the health and productivity of their herds.

Incoming stock
Bringing new animals into the herd is a risk in terms of introducing new pathogens to the herd. Where farms bring in breeding stock onto a farm the most recent veterinary reports from the supplying herds should be reviewed. These reports should be checked on an updated basis to ensure that pigs that are quarantined are not a new source of infection to the main herd.

Quarantine
Ideally the quarantine facility would be at least 2 km from any other pigs. The facility should allow 8 weeks accommodation for incoming breeding animals. The facility should be operated on an all-in/all-out basis. It is best to have separate staff operate the quarantine facility. If staff are operating the quarantine facility they may manage it on their way home from work, and shower before returning to the main unit the following day. It is important to use separate clothing and footwear on the quarantine facility.

Internal Biosecurity

Measures aim to reduce the spread of pathogens once they are already present in the farm.

Buildings
Pig housing must be managed with a clear focus on minimizing the risk of disease transmission. Effective building design should support strict all-in/all-out pig flow within each production stage, allowing for complete depopulation and thorough cleaning between groups.

Hygiene protocols
All rooms and pens must be pressure-washed using a high-quality detergent to remove organic matter, followed by thorough drying, disinfection, and a final drying phase when wet disinfectants are used. These steps are critical to break the cycle of infection between batches.

Walkways
Walkways and passages between buildings must be kept clean to prevent pathogens being carried on boots or equipment. Where possible, staff should follow a clean-to-dirty routine, beginning their day in units housing the youngest pigs and moving progressively toward older stock. This disciplined movement strategy significantly reduces the risk of disease spread across age groups.

Staff
Owners and managers must lead by example by strictly following all farm biosecurity protocols and setting a clear standard for the rest of the team. Staff behaviour plays a critical role in either strengthening or undermining on-farm biosecurity. Below are some of the more pertinent areas to focus upon:

• Staff must have no contact with pigs or pig slurry outside their employment, including pet pigs or pigs kept on other farms.
• All employees should be provided with dedicated work clothing and boots, kept and maintained on-site. Clean, warm shower facilities must be available, with soap, shampoo, and clean towels provided to ensure that workers do not introduce pathogens onto the farm.
• Maintain clean warm canteen facilities on the farm. Employees should wash their hands before entering the canteen and boots should be left outside the canteen area. Foodstuffs should not be permitted outside the canteen, and all waste food should be disposed of safely ensuring that no pigs ever have access to it.
• Facilities for hand washing should be positioned at key locations around the farm. The use of disposable gloves should be encouraged especially in high-risk areas.
• Depending on the size and layout of the farm, consider assigning dedicated staff to specific production areas (e.g., farrowing, weaning, finishing) to minimize cross-contamination between age groups and improve biosecurity discipline within each unit. This may not be always possible but perhaps the idea of having separate boots and clothes for each section is worth consideration.

Fallen stock
Dead pigs bins should be stored close to the perimeter of the site and should only be brought to the skips by on-farm personnel. Outside personnel should remove the skips – with a clear divide to ensure that the off-site personnel do not and cannot carry pathogens onto the farm. Some farms have put greater thought into this area to reduce the risk of disease spread and improve the biosecurity on their farms.

Conclusion

This article does not provide an exhaustive list of biosecurity measures for your farm. It is essential that you thoroughly evaluate your current practices, consult closely with your Private Veterinary Practitioner (PVP), and identify areas where critical improvements can be implemented. Even simple, targeted changes can significantly reduce pathogen transmission and drive substantial long-term gains in herd health and performance.

Read more form the Teagasc Pig Farmers Conference 2025