Every year, Alabama farmers suffer $50 million to $100 million in crop losses due to feral swine damage.
A new publication from Mississippi State University Extension Service and Alabama Cooperative Extension System aims to arm farmers in the fight against feral swine damage to lower annual crop losses. The book includes a brief history of feral swine in the U.S. and detailed information on trapping and management.
“Feral swine are a nuisance to farmers, and they carry diseases that pose a threat to humans and other animals,” said William Green, commodity director for the Alabama Farmers Federation. “This book provides practical information farmers can use to hopefully stop the spread of feral hog populations and keep them off their farms.”
Wild pigs can adapt to different climates, which has allowed them to move from mostly southeastern states in 1988 to northern states, including Wisconsin, Michigan and New Hampshire, by 2013. They reproduce at a fast rate and have very few natural predators.