Pigs
NSW is the largest producer and exporter of pork and pork products in Australia. There are around 500 commercial piggeries in NSW with roughly 90,000 sows.
If you plan to start a new piggery or expand an existing unit, you must first contact the Planning Department of your Local Council for information on how to lodge a Development Application (DA) under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979.
There are some legal requirements that must be adhered to when keeping pigs in NSW and this will vary between different local council areas, so make sure that you always check with your Local Council as to what the requirements are for your area. There are requirements for having pigs as pets, for slaughtering pigs for your own consumption only and for commercial pig production.
Local Land Services provide a number of services for pig owners including:
- PICs (property identification codes)
- register of swine brands
- swill feeding inspections
- identifying suspect emergency animal diseases.
For more information on owning pigs, read the APL factsheet and the Department of Primary Industries website.
Pig nutrition and swill feeding
Get advice on pig nutrition for optimal herd health to ensure you have healthy and productive pigs.
Swill feeding and some food items are prohibited to feed to pigs in Australia. It is important to ensure that the food substances you are feeding your pigs are clean and not contaminated with either antibiotic or pesticide residues.
Find out what you can feed your pigs.
Keeping pigs
Regardless of the size of your enterprise or hobby farm, pig owners play a vital role in maintaining the health and welfare of livestock and providing quality pork products to consumers. There are a number of requirements for pig owners that are monitored by industry authorities.
To keep a pig on a property you must have a Property Identification Code (PIC).
Get advice about good pig management.
Moving or selling pigs in NSW
All pig movements must be recorded on PigPass and must be appropriately identified with branding or tags. This includes pigs moving to another property (even if gifted and not sold) or to an abattoir. It is illegal to keep, transport or breed feral pigs.
Find out more about buying and selling pigs.
