​Buying and Managing Feeder Pigs

Michelle Lipari, Livestock Educator, CCE Sullivan County

Buying feeder pigs is considered by many to be more an art than a science. However, there are several guidelines that should help insure a more profitable enterprise. This article helps outlines several management tips on feeding and handling that should prove useful.

Sources of Feeder Pigs

Recommended sources for purchasing feeder pigs include buying direct from feeder pig producers who maintain a sound health program, or purchasing from organized health inspected feeder pig sales or reputable dealers. Avoid bargains from peddlers who are not concerned with standard health and sanitation practices.

Buying Feeder Pigs

Look for pigs that are well sized for their age. Eight-week-old pigs should weigh at least 35 pounds. Twelve-week-old pigs should weigh at least 60 pounds. Look for healthy pigs. Alert, active pigs are usually healthy. Avoid pigs with rough hair coats and wrinkled skins. Avoid pigs with skin lesions which may be caused by lice, mange, or pig pox. Reject pigs with ruptures. Reject crippled pigs, or pigs with enlarged joints, and pigs that cough or sneeze excessively. Avoid boar pigs or castrated pigs that are improperly healed. Refrain from purchasing pigs that weigh less than 30 pounds. Look for pigs that have evidence of muscling and a large frame.

Transporting Feeder Pigs

In hauling newly purchased feeder pigs, use the following suggested guidelines.

• Do not overheat pigs while loading or unloading.
• Make sure there are no rails or sharp objects in the truck or trailer to injure the pigs.
• Separate smaller pigs from larger pigs by partitions.
• Avoid sudden stops and sharp turns en route.
• In the winter, use a closed-in truck or trailer to prevent drafts. Also provide plenty of bedding.
• In the summer, be sure the pigs stay cool in route. Wet sand is a good bedding to use in extremely hot weather.

Care of Newly Arrived Feeder Pigs

Have the feeding quarters cleaned and disinfected prior to the arrival of the feeder pigs. Isolate new pigs for at least three weeks; don’t let new pigs spread disease to other hogs. After the pigs are isolated, avoid traffic between them and other swine. Disinfect shoes before entering the feeding area. In the winter, provide warm, dry, draft-free quarters with plenty of bedding and supplemental heat if necessary. In the summer, the pigs need adequate shade and shelter to help them keep cool on extremely hot days. If the pigs are not uniform in size, separate them into more even weight groups. Pigs fed in groups of 25 to 30 usually perform more satisfactorily than large groups. Allow approximately four square feet of floor space for 30 to 50 pound pigs, and five square feet for 50 to 80 pound pigs.

Provide one self-feeder hole for each four pigs and at least one automatic waterer for each 20 pigs with a minimum of two waterers per pen. Be sure to feed the pigs a properly balanced ration. It may be advisable for the first week to feed a bulky ration since they may lose weight initially due to stress. 

From Buying and Managing Feeder Pigs, Oklahoma Extension Service Fact Sheet ANSI-3656. Available on-line at http://pods.dasnr.okstate.edu/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-2127/ANSI-3656web.pdf

Last updated February 2, 2018