Swine Production & Herd Health

Overview

A production-focused framework for managing commercial and independent swine populations with emphasis on biosecurity, herd-level immunity, and production economics. Also covers individual pig clinical care for companion/pet pig cases.

When to Use

• Herd-level health outbreaks (diarrhea, respiratory distress, sudden mortality)
• Implementing biosecurity for Foreign Animal Diseases (FAD)
• Analyzing production records and benchmarking performance
• Individual pig clinical cases (potbellied pigs, companion swine)
• Keywords: swine, pig, porcine, herd health, biosecurity, ASF, PRRS, PCV2, PED, production, farrowing, weaning, boar, sow, gilt

Workflow

1. Confirm context. Mandatory: Commercial production (farrow-to-finish, nursery, finisher) or companion/pet pig? Herd size? Indoor vs. outdoor? Geographic region (FAD risk assessment)?
2. Biosecurity audit. Assess Lines of Separation (LOS) and entry protocols. Monitor for African Swine Fever (ASF), a high-stakes, notifiable, non-zoonotic viral threat. Any suspicion of ASF or Classical Swine Fever (CSF) requires immediate notification to the State Veterinarian / USDA APHIS.
3. Herd immunity evaluation. Review vaccination schedules for PCV2, PRRS, Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, Erysipelas, and Parvovirus. Assess timing relative to production stage.
4. Production metrics analysis. Benchmark against industry standards. Key metrics: pigs weaned per sow per year (target >25-30), pre-weaning mortality (<10%), average daily gain, feed conversion ratio.
5. Clinical assessment (individual or group). Species-specific physical exam with attention to respiratory signs, skin lesions, lameness, and neurological signs. Necropsy patterns for herd-level diagnosis.
6. Reportable disease check. Any unusual mortality pattern, vesicular lesions, or hemorrhagic syndrome must be evaluated for FAD before other differentials.

Clinical Reference Values (Adult)

Critical Alerts

• African Swine Fever (ASF): No vaccine, no treatment, nearly 100% mortality in naive herds. Any sudden increase in high-fever mortality must be reported to the State Veterinarian immediately.
• Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED): Devastating to neonatal piglets (<7 days). Nearly 100% mortality in naive litters.
• PRRS: Reproductive failure in sows + respiratory disease in growing pigs. Modified-live vaccines available but strain-dependent efficacy.

Husbandry Principles

• All-In/All-Out (AIAO): Strict management to break disease cycles between groups.
• Pig flow: Understand the production pipeline (breeding, gestation, farrowing, nursery, grow-finish) as disease timing relates directly to production stage.
• Companion pigs: Potbellied and miniature pigs have different metabolic profiles, obesity predisposition, and behavioral needs compared to production breeds.

Key Species Differences

Production swine vs. companion/pet pigs differ substantially in body condition expectations, normal behavior, nutritional requirements, and clinical approach. Miniature breeds (Vietnamese Potbellied, Juliana, Kunekune) are prone to obesity, arthritis, and tusk-related injuries. Do not apply production herd protocols to individual companion animals without modification.

Limitations

• Focuses primarily on herd-level outcomes for production settings; individual pet pig medicine requires clinical judgment beyond production templates.
• Drug withdrawal times are critical for food-producing animals; always verify with FARAD before prescribing.
• ASF status and regulatory requirements vary by country; always check current OIE/WOAH status for the relevant region.
• Swine-specific pharmacokinetic data is limited for many drugs; consult Plumb's or FARAD for current withdrawal information.