With spring just around the corner, it is a good time for pig producers to check up on feed bin hygiene, advises ACMC veterinary consultant, Paul Thompson.
Moulds and mites can build up in feed bins, especially where condensation forms or where feed is delivered warm, he warns.
Bins should be cleaned and, ideally, washed out twice a year as long as they can be dried out before next feed delivery. A bi-annual treatment with a mould inhibitor is also helpful, he adds.Â
Mr Thompson advises checking for accumulated mouldy feed in the inlets and outlets of augers too. Periodically, as a routine, producers should also run feed bins nearly out and regularly check them for leaks and structural integrity.