Swine

Ear notching

What do the notches on a pig's ears mean?

In what is called the Universal System of ear notching, notches on the pig's right ear designate litter number. All pigs in the same litter have the same marks on their right ears. Notches on a pig's left ear mark that pig's number in the litter. In this way, all pigs within a herd have a unique identification.

Although the University of Missouri Extension publication on ear notching is not published on the Web, guides from other states are available on-line. For instance, you might refer to the publication from Iowa State University.

Dale Langford
MU Extension

Piglets' weight gain

What is the normal daily or weekly weight gain for piglets from birth through the first three months of life?

Here are average daily gain figures for pigs during the first three months of life. I have broken the age range up because pigs grow very rapidly and their daily weight gain can change almost daily.

Birth through week one (seven days)
0.35 pound per day
Week one through week two (seven days)
0.42 pound per day
Week two through week three (seven days)
0.5 pound per day
Week three through week five (14 days)
0.5 pound per day
Typically, wean pigs from the sow at 3 weeks of age (21 days)
Week five through week seven (14 days)
0.75 pound per day
Week seven through week nine (14 days)
1.1 pounds per day
Week nine through week 12 (21 days)
1.6 pounds per day

Marcia Carlson
State Swine Nutrition Specialist

Pig's weight from measurements

Is there a way to check a pig's weight by using a tape measure?

For pigs less than 400 pounds, producers often use the following rule of thumb to estimate a pig's body weight using a tape measure.

The method is:

Take a heart girth measurement (circumference) from right behind the front legs
Take the body length measurement from the base of the tail to between the ears
Body weight equals the heart girth measurement squared, multiplied by the body length measurement, and divided by 400

Example:

Heart girth = 50 inches
Length = 40 inches
50 x 50 = 2500
2500 x 40 = 100,000
100,000 divided by 400 = 250 pounds

Marcia Carlson
State Swine Nutrition Specialist

Hog carcass weight

What is the ratio of live weight to hanging weight for hogs?

Typically, market pigs will have a dressing percentage between 70 and 75 percent, meaning a pig with a live weight of 240 pounds will have a hanging weight (carcass weight) ranging from 168 to 180 pounds.

Marcia Carlson
State Swine Nutrition Specialist

Piglet too weak to nurse

Is there a formula that can be bottle or tube fed to a newborn piglet too weak to feed from its mother?

There is commercial milk replacer available through most feed companies that can be fed to newly born pigs. The product is mainly a whey/lactose formulation. Use a lubricated stomach tube or syringe to give the supplemental milk. The pigs should be fed at least once every couple hours when first born until consumption is greater. You should also make sure the pig has obtained colostrum within the first hours of birth. If not, then you should collect colostrum from the sow or obtain cow colostrum. The dose should be 10 to 15 milliliters twice during the first 24 hours of life.

Marcia Carlson
State Swine Nutrition Specialist

Updated 7/21/06