Feral Pig Eradication Group
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The Lake
Muir / Denbarker Community Feral Pig Eradication Group |
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This farmnote is designed to assist landholders to
undertake free-feeding of feral pigs prior to the laying of
1080-poisoned bait. For information on free-feeding of
feral pigs prior to trapping see Farmnote `Feral Pig
Control by Trapping'. Free-feeding (and poisoning/
trapping) of feral pigs is generally best undertaken during
periods of food shortage (after harvest), which usually
equates to January - March in most years.
To ensure that the maximum number of pigs is attracted
to the site, free-feeding should be continued until the
amount of pre-feed consumed has peaked, usually two
to four days after pigs begin to take food. If free-feeding
is not carried out properly there is little chance of
poisoning all of the pigs in an area, and survivors may
avoid poisoned bait in the future. It is better to free-feed
at one or two sites with known pig activity than to freefeed
at many sites where the activity of the pigs is
uncertain.
On the application form you can nominate the LPCO
who will be receiving 1080 Concentrate Black and
mixing the bait. Alternatively, if there is not an
endorsed LPCO in/near your area, you may nominate
a Department of Agriculture officer to receive and mix
the bait.
Start by placing the pre-feed in 6 - 10 heaps, each of
about 1 kg, at each site. Sheltered areas should be used
to minimize the effects of weather and disturbance by
non-target animals.
The poisoned bait should be laid when the amount of
pre-feed taken has peaked; this usually takes from two
to four days, sometimes longer. Since your local LPCO
or authorised departmental officer must mix the bait,
contact them beforehand to inform them on the success
of free-feeding (amount taken, assessment of the
number of pigs).
N.B. During free-feeding, try not to disturb the pigs.
Although pigs may become quite tame during feeding,
they will be easily dispersed. Shooting should be
avoided and visits to the free-feeding sites should be as
brief as possible. The presence (scent) of dogs in the
area prior to baiting may deter pigs from visiting the site
again. Therefore, ensure that any dogs are kept away
from the sites until baiting has been completed. This will
also ensure that your dogs are not accidentally poisoned
during the poisoning phase.
Feral pig free-feeding
By Gary Martin, Ted Knight and David Lund.
Free-feeding is an essential part of a feral pig poisoning
or trapping program. The aim of free-feeding is to
encourage pigs to feed readily on the bait material (prefeed)
at sites selected for poisoning and to encourage
pigs to become accustomed to traps prior to trapping.
Ensure 1080 bait will be available
Before commencing your free-feeding and poisoning
program you must ensure that 1080 can be mixed and
laid on your property. The 1080 poison used for feral
pigs is '1080 Concentrate Black'.
Can 1080 be laid on your property?
You must submit a 1080 Baiting Application Form
(available from the Department of Agriculture) to an
authorised officer of the Department of Agriculture. The
officer will carry out a risk assessment of the proposed
baiting and, if approval is given, will issue an Approval
Form and a 1080 Authorisation Voucher. The voucher
will enable the nominated person to receive the
approved quantity of 1080 Concentrate Black.
Who can receive and mix the baits?
Only Licensed Pest Control Operators (LPCOs)
specifically endorsed by the Department of Health to mix
1080 Concentrate Black and authorised officers of the
Department of Agriculture can receive and mix the
poison on your behalf.
Who can lay the baits?
After mixing, the 1080 bait can be laid by the LPCO or
by yourself if you have received appropriate training from
the Department of Agriculture. You may also choose to
contract an officer from the Department of Agriculture to
lay the bait.
Select free-feed sites
Sites should be in, or close to, areas of recent pig activity.
Such sites include pig pads, areas of thick cover, creeks
and swamp edges. Choose sites with adequate access,
since you may need to carry in large amounts of prefeed.
When poisoning, it is important to have the freefeeding
area approved by an authorised officer as part
of the initial 1080 risk assessment.
Free-feed
Although the acceptability of feed types often varies
between pigs, regions and seasons, suitable feedstuffs
include: clean high quality grain (wheat, barley oats; no
'seconds'), lupins and pig pellets. It is important to use
the same food material throughout the program whether
as pre-feed or poisoned bait.
Monitor feeding activity
Check the free-feed sites daily to assess the amount of
pre-feed consumed and to ensure that it is not being
taken by non-target animals. Replace any eaten prefeed.
If all pre-feed has been taken, put out double the
quantity next time. Always try to provide a surplus of prefeed,
so that the amount of poisoned bait required for the
poisoning program can be estimated.
Further information
Contact your nearest office of the Department of
Agriculture or the South Perth office on tel. 9368-3333.
There are a number of publications on pigs available
from departmental offices or on the website.
Important DisclaimerThe Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Agriculture and the State of Western Australia accept no liability whatsoever by reason of negligence or otherwise arising from the use or release of this information or any part of it. |
