Farm Animals

Farmed Pig Respiratory Disease: Air Quality and Stockperson Detection

Pig respiratory disease causes significant welfare compromise and is closely linked to building air quality and stocking density.

Key Facts

Enzootic pneumonia caused by Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae is endemic in most pig populations
Air quality indicators including ammonia and dust correlate with respiratory disease prevalence
Early detection of coughing pigs by trained stockpeople reduces disease progression and suffering
Vaccination programmes against Mycoplasma and Actinobacillus significantly reduce clinical disease

Welfare Considerations

Respiratory disease causes coughing, fever, and breathing difficulty that persists for weeks in affected pigs. Good air quality management, vaccination, and early detection by trained stockpeople all reduce the burden of this painful condition. The cumulative welfare benefit across large herds is substantial.

What You Can Do

Support farm welfare programmes that include air quality measurement requirements
Advocate for stockperson respiratory disease detection training in farm assurance schemes
Choose pork from farms with documented vaccination and respiratory health monitoring