Few questions about my pigs...

[BrandoMan]

So last week I picked up two feeder pigs and got them all set up and alls good but yesterday we got a big storm come and rained like crazy. Pigs slept right through it but the ground got really really wet and today of course is hot as hel but now there's flies like crazy on the ground not the pigs. There pen is outside so its diet ground. They have a dog kennel cage in there just cause they seem to like chilling in it sometimes and I keep straw hay in that and there little house on ither side of pen has straw hay in it also but the rest is just earth. They dont have poop everywhere and it's pretty clean they only poop in the corner of the oven behind there kennel cage. Going to put fresh straw hay down and do you think I should just cover the whole ground with straw? Not to sure if it would just trap moisture and make it worse. The ground is drying up so the flies seem to he going else where for the most part. Also wondered what's a good dewormer to use for prevention. Just to keep them healthy and also what is everyone using to prevent flies in there area? Thanks.

 

[Oncoming Storm]

I wouldn’t cover everywhere with straw. My pigs like to make mud holes by digging in the dirt and letting it fill with water. That way they can cool off and gain a protective layer. They prefer this over the pool I put in there since they’re potbellies and have stubby legs. It will also keep you from having to replace the entire pen with new hay (my dad tried this in our barn and it was a mess!) Maybe get some fly traps? We have to do that a lot since my horse has allergies and “cries” a lot. Flies love that and the chicken poop. Pigs are very resourceful and will make nests out of whatever’s around. I had one of my girls tear the straw off an old broom that was left in the little house area along with hay and grass. It’s quite cool to watch them build their nests.

 

[BrandoMan]

K. Well right now only got straw for bedding in there dog kennel cage and there little house. I got a pool for them but they just like flipping it over and the wind moves it around alot. They like sitting in there rubber water bowl. It's supposed to he for drinking but they will drink some them lay in it. They stay pretty clean them selfs and dont get many flies it's just the wet ground now. Tomorrow gonna take everything out and clean and disinfect with bleach water and let dry. I seen those fly traps the bag ones and will try and get some of those and maybe some spray thays made to spray in barns and just spray it around the outside of pen and the posts too and let dry before putting everything back in. Dont want to use anything thays gonna poison or ruin the meat.

 

[cassie]

Make sure they have plenty of bedding in their house. For fly control, buy some fly predators. You won't regret it. You can buy them on line. They don't attack the adult flies but they feed on the fly pupae so the flies don't hatch. Properly used they do a good job of keeping the fly population down to tolerable levels. Some fly traps would be a good idea too. If you use fly predators you cannot use pesticides because the pesticides are far more lethal to the predators than they are to the flies. That is why I suggested traps.

 

[Folly's place]

Spalding has the fly predators if you are looking for them.
Mary

 

[RiverOtter]

If the flies are all over the ground spreading some lime on the ground will discourage them (and kill the one that get covered) until a good rain washes it in. It's good for the soil.

 

[BrandoMan]

I ended up buying a sprayer and some traps and chemical. Treated the area around the pen and the posts and outside my house and worked great. Used Durvet Permethrin 10% and Starbar trap and toss traps. I ended up doing a higher concentration mix on the survey as I structed for the initial treatment and alls good. I even treated the upper outside of there little house. Didn't spray pigs them selfs because dont wanna taint the meat and it actually worked. We got alot of rain since too and those traps work great...