The purpose of a hospital pen on the pig farm, as its name implies, is to provide a comfortable environment in which to treat ill pigs and give them a good chance of recovery, says ACMC veterinary consultant, Paul Thompson. Pigs with no hope of recovery should not enter the pen but instead be euthanased humanely.
![](https://www.pig333.com/3tres3_common/dist_nou/css/images/imb5.png)
He says the commonest concerns seen on the farm are:
- Pens which contain too many recovered pigs. These animals should be moved on into recovery pens to give fresh cases adequate feed, water and space.
- Pens where there is no system of tracking the time pigs have spent in the pen —they need regular reassessment, or euthanasia, if not making progress.
- Continued occupancy without cleaning and disinfection. These are the most contaminated pens on the farm so need regular cleaning!
April 2, 2014 - ACMC