Vet on call: Tips for stress-free movement of pigs

Last week’s article on health examination of export pigs elicited a lot of interest from readers. Some people were keen to know how they could keep pigs for export while others wondered whether our livestock industry is advanced enough to be selling animals to neighbouring countries.

At an event I attended last Saturday, a farmer told me he was elated that his county was exporting pigs.

I had concluded the article at the point where I applied for an export permit for the pigs. Well, the permit came but Kimani was surprised that there was still another process of preparing to ship the animals.

I had tried to explain the whole process but the buyer cut me short, saying all he needed was to be assured of the export permit. He said he knew how to transport the animals and he would fly over to supervise the collection.

The export permit lapses after two weeks from the date of issue if it is not used. The import permit from the neighbouring country was expiring seven days from the date the export permit was issued. In his case, Kimani had only five days to have the pigs collected by the buyer.

He got very concerned when the buyer called and said he could only pick the pigs one day before expiry of the import permit.

He requested me to talk to the buyer and persuade him to let the pigs be collected by the transporter because the buyer’s plan risked getting the animals to the border with an expired import permit.

He did not have to personally supervise the loading since he would not even be accompanying the pigs back to his country by road.

I got the buyer on phone and his perception did not surprise me. “Doctor, you have done your part and got me an export permit but you know I may not end up getting the pigs I selected if I sit and wait for them at home,” he justified his quest to supervise loading of the pigs.

I responded that I understood his sentiments but I assured him the export process in Kenya is highly regulated with checks and balances comprising different cadres of private and public servants.

RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CONSULTING VETERINARY DOCTOR

“Please understand that by issuing you with an export permit, the Government of Kenya has assured your government that what you have paid for is what will be delivered to you,” I explained.

I further told him if anything fraudulent happened with his animals, it was the Kenyan government that would answer to his government as long as he reported the matter back home.

The buyer said he was satisfied. He dropped the intention of flying into the country and would thus ask his transporter to contact me.

I needed to ensure the transport vehicle conformed to the pig transport requirements regarding the welfare of the animals on transit.

It is the responsibility of the consulting veterinary doctor to ensure that animals being transported are accorded all the five freedoms that define good animal welfare.

These are the freedoms from hunger and thirst, pain, discomfort, fear and distress and they must be able to express normal behaviour.

Ensuring those freedoms are provided for requires proper scrutiny of the transport vehicle and thorough interview of the transporter to confirm that he understands the provisions needed and the appropriate precautions that he must observe when loading, transporting and offloading the animals.

Kamau, the transporter, was fairly familiar with animal transport except for issues of hygiene and some aspects specific to pigs such as sensitivity to direct sun during transport.

He had planned to transport the animals in a truck with an open-top and high-sided body. This would have caused discomfort and injury due to direct sun and wind. Fortunately, the truck had provision for covering with a tarpaulin.

I advised him to fit feeding troughs and water troughs in the truck while at the same time leaving enough space for the pigs.

With the internal dimensions of his truck body, I confirmed he had enough space to fit all the pigs and the provisions for feed and water for the full 750km journey.

COMFORTABLE IN THE VEHICLE

The animals would be transported early in the morning to ensure they avoided most of the hot sun. The floor of the truck would be carpeted with a thick layer of well-disinfected sand to ensure the animals would have good foot grip to prevent injuries due to sliding.

Once I was satisfied with the preparation of the transport vehicle, I confirmed to the sub-county veterinary officer that all was ready for the pigs to be collected.

The import permit required that a State veterinary officer confirms that the animals’ welfare was fully ensured at loading and in the vehicle.

Consequently, the doctor inspected the transport truck, reconfirmed the health of the pigs and fitness to travel. She also confirmed that the pigs identified by the buyer, tested and listed in the export documents were the same ones being loaded onto the truck, before supervising the loading.

Finally, she confirmed the animals were comfortable in the vehicle and the feed and water were sufficient for the journey.

Kamau transported the pigs uneventfully. However, at the entry point, he was delayed for nine hours for reasons that were not valid.

Initially, the customs officers asked him for documents that did not exist. He phoned and gave me the list of documents he was holding.

I advised him to ask the officers to talk to their Kenyan counterparts who had approved the cargo to cross the border because they could not have allowed him in with insufficient or faulty documentation.

Eventually, the pigs were cleared for entry and they were transported to their final destination. The buyer was happy that the Kenyan supplier had kept his promise.