A Pig Farm Is a Continuous Production Cycle

A pig farm does not simply manage animals.

It manages a continuous biological production cycle.

A gilt enters the breeding program.

She is serviced.

Pregnancy is confirmed.

She moves through gestation.

She farrows.

Piglets are born.

The litter is managed.

Piglets are weaned.

They move into growing and finishing.

The sow eventually enters another parity cycle.

At the same time, the farm is consuming feed, medicine, vaccines and labour while dealing with mortality, culling, animal movement and changing body weight.

If these activities are managed through separate registers and Excel sheets, it becomes difficult to answer even basic management questions quickly.

• Which sows are due for service?
• Which animals need pregnancy checking?
• Which sows are expected to farrow this week?
• What is the average litter size?
• What is pre-weaning mortality?
• How many pigs will move to the grower stage next week?
• What is the feed cost per pig?
• Which parity is performing better?

Pig Farm Management Software connects these activities around the actual pig production lifecycle.

What Is Pig Farm Management Software?

Pig Farm Management Software is designed to manage pig production from breeding through finishing.

Depending on the operation, it can cover:

• Gilt management
• Sow management
• Boar management
• Service and artificial insemination
• Pregnancy and gestation
• Farrowing and litter management
• Piglets and weaning
• Nursery or weaner management
• Grower and finisher management
• Feed and weight tracking
• Health and mortality records
• Culling and animal movement
• Inventory, costing and traceability
• Sales

The system should follow the way the piggery actually operates rather than forcing the farm into a generic livestock register.

Individual Animal and Batch Management

Not every pig needs to be managed at the same level.

Breeding animals may require individual records.

Growing pigs may be managed by batch or group.

A practical system should therefore support both approaches where required.

For example:

• Sow 1058 is managed individually.
• Her litter has its own reference.
• After weaning, piglets may move into Weaner Batch W-221.

The system should maintain the relationship between these stages.

Gilt Management

A gilt is a future breeding animal.

Management may need to know:

• Animal ID
• Breed
• Date of birth
• Age
• Weight
• Farm and location
• Selection date
• Breeding readiness
• Health status
• Service history

The gilt should not simply appear as a sow without a history.

Gilt Selection

Not every female pig becomes breeding stock.

The farm may select suitable gilts based on its own criteria.

The system can record selection and movement into the breeding population.

This helps management understand how replacement breeding stock is being developed.

Sow Register

Every breeding sow should have a clear history.

The sow record may include:

• Animal ID
• Breed
• Age
• Current parity
• Last service
• Pregnancy status
• Expected farrowing
• Last farrowing
• Litter history
• Weaning history
• Health
• Current location

This gives the farm one place to understand the sow’s reproductive lifecycle.

Parity Management

Parity is one of the most important parts of sow management.

Each completed reproductive cycle should update the sow’s parity.

Management can then analyse performance by parity.

For example:

• Parity 1
• Parity 2
• Parity 3
• Parity 4
• And so on.

This allows the business to understand how reproductive performance changes as sows move through successive cycles.

Why Parity Matters

Two sows may currently be pregnant but have very different production histories.

One may be in her first parity.

Another may be in her fifth.

Their historical litter size, mortality and reproductive performance may differ.

Parity gives management context behind the animal’s current status.

Service Management

Breeding records can include:

• Sow or gilt
• Service date
• Service type
• Boar or semen reference
• Technician
• Service number
• Remarks

This creates the starting point of the reproductive cycle.

Artificial Insemination

Where AI is used, the farm can maintain:

• Semen batch
• Boar reference
• AI date
• Sow
• Technician
• Dose

This creates better traceability of breeding activity.

Repeat Service

If the sow returns to heat, another service may be required.

The previous service should remain in the history.

Management can then analyse repeat service rather than seeing only the latest date.

Pregnancy Checking

After service, the system can identify animals due for pregnancy confirmation.

The farm can record:

• Check date
• Result
• Pregnant
• Not pregnant
• Recheck required
• Remarks

This prevents animals from being missed between service and gestation.

Gestation Management

Once pregnancy is confirmed, the sow enters the gestation process.

Management needs visibility into:

• Gestation stage
• Expected farrowing date
• Feed
• Body condition where recorded
• Vaccination
• Medication
• Location
• Upcoming movement

The farm can plan activities before farrowing rather than reacting at the last moment.

Expected Farrowing

The expected farrowing date becomes a key planning date.

It helps the farm plan:

• Farrowing space
• Sow movement
• Labour
• Feed
• Health activities
• Farrowing supervision
• Future piglet population

Farrowing House Planning

Knowing which sows are expected to farrow allows the farm to plan farrowing house capacity.

Management can see:

• Expected sows
• Available pens or crates
• Planned movement
• Expected dates

This becomes increasingly important on larger pig farms.

Farrowing Record

When farrowing occurs, the system can capture:

• Sow
• Date
• Parity
• Total born
• Born alive
• Stillborn
• Mummified
• Other farm-defined classifications

The exact classifications should follow the farm’s operating practice.

Litter Management

The litter becomes an important production unit.

The system can maintain:

• Sow
• Litter number
• Farrowing date
• Born alive
• Mortality
• Transfers
• Fostered piglets
• Weaned quantity
• Weaning weight

This gives management a complete view from farrowing to weaning.

Born Alive Versus Total Born

Total born alone does not tell the complete story.

Management should distinguish between:

• Total born
• Born alive
• Stillborn
• Other relevant categories

This helps evaluate reproductive performance more accurately.

Piglet Mortality

Pre-weaning mortality has a direct impact on the number of pigs available for the next production stage.

Mortality can be recorded by:

• Litter
• Date
• Age
• Reason
• Quantity

Management can then analyse where and why piglet losses are occurring.

Cross-Fostering

Piglets may move between sows to balance litter size or improve survival.

The system should maintain:

• From sow
• To sow
• Piglet quantity
• Date
• Reason

This helps preserve litter reconciliation.

Piglet Population Reconciliation

A litter should reconcile.

For example:

• Born alive
• Plus piglets received
• Minus piglets transferred
• Minus mortality
• Equals piglets available for weaning

This basic control prevents unexplained differences in animal numbers.

Weaning

At weaning, the system can record:

• Sow
• Litter
• Weaning date
• Piglets weaned
• Weaning weight
• Destination

This closes the farrowing and lactation stage for the litter.

Weaning Performance

Management can analyse:

• Piglets weaned per litter
• Average weaning weight
• Pre-weaning mortality
• Lactation period
• Performance by sow
• Performance by parity

This gives a better view of sow productivity.

Sow After Weaning

The sow does not disappear after piglets are weaned.

She may return to the breeding cycle.

Management can monitor:

• Weaning date
• Next heat
• Next service
• Days from weaning to service
• New pregnancy
• Next parity

This is why pig breeding needs lifecycle-based management rather than separate event registers.

Weaner Management

After weaning, piglets may move into a weaner or nursery stage.

At this point, group-level management often becomes more practical.

The system can maintain:

• Batch
• Source
• Animal quantity
• Age
• Opening weight
• Feed
• Mortality
• Medication
• Vaccination
• Transfers
• Closing quantity

Grower Stage

As pigs progress, they may move to the grower stage.

The system can track:

• Batch
• Population
• Feed consumption
• Weight
• Mortality
• Health
• Age
• Farm
• Location

This provides continuity through the production cycle.

Finisher Stage

The final production stage may focus heavily on:

• Feed efficiency
• Weight gain
• Mortality
• Days to target weight
• Cost per pig
• Sale readiness

Management needs to know not only how many pigs are available but whether they are reaching the required market weight economically.

Stage Movement

A typical pig production flow may look like:

Gilt → Service → Gestation → Farrowing → Piglet → Weaner → Grower → Finisher

Not every movement is simply a stock transfer.

Each stage represents a biological and management change.

The software should retain this lifecycle.

Pig Feed Management

Feed is normally one of the largest costs in pig production.

Consumption can be recorded by:

• Sow
• Stage
• Batch
• Farm
• House
• Feed type
• Date
• Quantity

This provides the base for both production and cost analysis.

Feed by Production Stage

Feed requirements differ across stages.

The business may use different feed programs for:

• Gestation
• Lactation
• Piglets
• Weaners
• Growers
• Finishers

Tracking consumption by stage helps management understand where feed cost is being incurred.

Feed Consumption Per Pig

Total feed consumption alone can be misleading.

Management can analyse feed relative to:

• Animal population
• Days
• Weight gain
• Production stage

This gives a more useful operational view.

Weight Management

Weight can be recorded at important production stages.

For example:

• Birth weight
• Weaning weight
• Grower weight
• Finisher weight
• Sale weight

This allows management to see how animals are progressing through the cycle.

Average Daily Gain

For growing pigs, management can compare:

• Opening weight
• Current weight
• Days
• Average Daily Gain

This can be reviewed together with feed consumption and mortality.

Feed Conversion

Feed conversion becomes particularly important during growing and finishing.

Management can compare:

• Feed consumed
• Weight gain
• FCR
• Batch
• Farm
• Period

A higher final weight does not automatically mean a better-performing batch if it required significantly more feed.

Pig Health Management

Health records can include:

• Animal or batch
• Condition
• Treatment
• Medicine
• Dose
• Date
• Veterinarian
• Outcome

Summary

Pig farm management requires a connected view of breeding, reproduction, farrowing, piglet care, feed, growth and health.

• Individual animal and batch records help maintain visibility throughout the production cycle.
• Feed consumption, weight gain and feed conversion tracking support better cost analysis.
• Breeding, litter and mortality records help identify performance issues and improve operational planning.
• NAVFarm helps pig farms organise production data in one system.

Explore NAVFarm Pig Farm Management Software to learn more about managing your pig production lifecycle.