Demolishing Pig Pens

3 posts
Tue, 04/26/2016 - 12:15 #1

Member for

8 years 6 months
Wesley_D
Last seen: 03/08/2018 - 21:05
Joined: 04/26/2016 - 10:23

Demolishing Pig Pens

Hi,

Just bought a 20 acre block and completely new to farming. Property has an old pig pen on it which we want to remove. Have been told that we will have to remove the dirt beneath and around the pig pen due to diseases. Also have been told that the area cant be used for any other purpose for several years. 

Can anyone give me some more  information on this please?

Cheers

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Fri, 04/29/2016 - 17:52 #2
rmcpb
Last seen: 03/08/2018 - 21:05
Joined: 10/22/2012 - 11:13
I don't understand this. When we removed the old pig stys from our place we just plowed them up and used the area. What diseases are they worried about? Any more info? Cheers Rob.
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Fri, 05/13/2016 - 19:55 #3
barb
Last seen: 09/17/2019 - 18:07
Joined: 11/23/2011 - 09:38

Hi wesley,

Regarding the information given to you about possible diseases in the soil and not being able to use the land for several years. Where did this information come from? I have never heard this before.

 

Yes, pigs can carry the same diseases as humans, for instance the common cold, pnuemonia, gastro and so on, but so do many other animals. However, there are many soil born diseases that are zoonotic-  meaning diseases that can be transferred from animals to humans: Tetanus would be a good example as it is carried in the gut of horses and passes out with their dung into the soil. Tetanus spores can remain dormant for more than 30 years in the soil, until they enter a wound and then become active, with dire consequences. So any property that has ever had horses on it, will have tetanus spores in the soil. That doesn't stop people owning horses though, does it?

 

Basically as Rob said, just rip  the pig pens out and turn the soil over. When doing any job such as this, I always  take the usual precautions of wearing gloves and eye protection. It would be a good idea to make sure your tetanus vax is up to date when working on the land, as that can be more of a problem than any other disease you may encounter on the land. A tetanus vaccination is only needed once every ten years.

 

In summary, unless it is a local council regulation, or it was your vet who told you this, who has some specific knowledge relating to this particular property, I would ignore the advice given to you.

 

Kind regards,

 

Barb

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