MANAGEMENT
PIH-20
pork iudustry
handbook
COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE • PURDUE UNIVERSITY • WEST LAFAYETTE, INDIANA
Starting Purchased Feeder Pigs
Authors
Michael C. Brumm, University of Nebraska
Mary Y. Ash, Camden, Indiana
George W. Jesse, University of Missouri
William G. Luce, Oklahoma State University
Reviewers
William R. Malbon, Jr., Virginia Beach, Virginia
Keith Myers, Grundy Center, Iowa
Dennis Liptrap, University of Kentucky
Currently, more than one-fourth of all market hogs in the United States are purchased as feeder pigs. While a majority of these pigs are fed in facilities relatively close to the purchase site, a large number are transported long distances for finishing.

Transporting and commingling expose young pigs to a variety of stresses. Feeder pigs experience hunger, thirst, fatigue, and changes in diet, social order, pen mates and environment. In addition, commingled pigs often encounter disease organisms to which they have not developed resistance. An effective purchasing and receiving program is needed to minimize the ill effects of these stresses.

The following are guidelines for purchasing and starting feeder pigs.
Type of Pig to Purchase

Many problems with feeder pigs can be avoided by careful purchase. The ideal feeder pig:
•	weighs 35 to 40 pounds by eight weeks of age;
•	is healthy, vigorous and alert;
•	is castrated and healed;
•	is relatively free of internal and external parasites;
•	is tail docked; and
•	is purchased from a reliable source.

Management and Housing
Be prepared for the arriving pigs. Thoroughly clean and disinfect the facility prior to their arrival. Upon arrival, provide a dry, draft-free sleeping area. In cold weather, supplemental heat, hovers, bedding or a combination of these may be necessary. In confinement, provide 3-4 sq. ft. of floor area for 30-60 lb. pigs. For facilities using straw bedding and outside lots, provide 3-4 sq. ft. sleeping space up to an average weight of 100 lb. and a minimum of 4 sq. ft. outside area for the newly purchased pig.
Group pigs by size upon arrival. Limit the weight variation within a pen to ± 10-15%, if possible. Put no more than
25-30 pigs per pen. More than this may reduce performance due to excessive fighting and other aggressive actions.
One watering space is required per 15-20 pigs. If nipple or bite waterers are used, it may be necessary to let them drip for a short time until the pigs learn how to drink from them. Provide clean, palatable water.
Provide at least one feeder space for every three or four pigs. If the feeders have lids, it may be necessary to fix them in an open position until the pigs are eating properly. Floor feeding twice a day in the sleeping area on solid floors or partial slats for the first few days promotes good dunging habits and allows the manager to more closely monitor feed intake. It also encourages more frequent observation of the pigs.

Transportation
Use care in transporting the newly purchased pig. Refer to Table 1 for recommended trucking space requirements per pig.
Table 1. Trucking space requirements per pig.		
Weight	Winter	Summer
Lbs.	Sq. ft.	
40-50	1.5	1.8
50-75	1.75	2.1
75-100	2.00	2.4
In hot weather, use sand or sawdust as truck bedding. Avoid parking a truck in direct sunlight for more than a few minutes when the weather is hot.

In cold weather, bed the truck with dry straw. In extreme cold, reduce the openings on the truck to reduce drafts and wind chill.
Cooperative Extension Work in Agriculture and Home Economics, State of Indiana, Purdue University and U. S. Department of Agriculture Cooperating. H. G. Diesslin, Director, West Lafayette, IN. Issued in furtherance of the Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914. It is the policy of the Cooperative Extension Service of Purdue University that all persons shall have equal opportunity and access to its programs and facilities without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age or handicap.