CCTV used to reduce piglet predation
In order to find out more about the causes of pre-weaning mortality in piglets, cameras have been installed at an outdoor facility in East Anglia, as part of a field trial by BPEX.
The cameras will identify predators going into the pens at night and periods during the day when members of staff are absent.
Four cameras have been placed in one field, each mounted at a height of 10 feet and covering a 25 metre distance.
Samantha Bowsher, assistant knowledge transfer manager at BPEX, said: "We know that having a 'fox problem’ can increase mortality by anything between 2 per cent and 10 per cent in a batch but we have never done any trials to assess the true cause.
"The cameras will allow us to accurately record the number of visits by predators, what type of predators they are, how many piglets are taken and the sows' behaviour and reactions.
"By making this information available to the industry, it will help producers develop effective ways of reducing the problem."
The cameras will transmit footage back to a recorder housed 400 metres away, as there is no power in the paddocks.
Footage will then be stored ready for collection and farmers can select which time periods they wish to view.
RCVS' Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) has launched round two of its veterinary mental health research grants.
