A monthly profitability review tells you whether your pig farm is moving in the right direction. But waiting until the end of the month to examine your records can be costly.

Feed may be disappearing faster than expected. Piglets may be dying at an increasing rate. A sow may have missed her expected farrowing date. Several growers may be gaining weight too slowly. Medicines may be running low, or customers may have overdue payments that nobody has followed up.

By the time these problems appear in a monthly report, the farm may already have lost money.

A weekly farm review provides an earlier warning.

It does not need to become a complicated accounting exercise. Its purpose is to compare what happened during the week with what should have happened, identify unusual changes and decide what requires attention.

The following records should form the foundation of that review.

1. Confirm the number of pigs on the farm

Start by checking how many pigs are currently present.

Review the number of:

• Boars
• Breeding sows
• Pregnant sows
• Lactating sows
• Dry sows
• Piglets
• Weaners
• Growers
• Finishers
• Sick or isolated animals
• Pigs ready for sale

These numbers should reflect births, purchases, sales, transfers, deaths and changes between production groups.

For example, piglets that were weaned during the week should no longer remain in the suckling-piglet category. Finishers that were sold should be removed from the active stock. A sow that farrowed should move from the pregnant group to the lactating group.

If the recorded number does not match the physical number, investigate the difference immediately.

A mismatch may be caused by an unrecorded death, sale, transfer or data-entry error. Leaving it unresolved weakens every other calculation, including feed requirements, mortality rates, housing capacity and expected revenue.

An accurate pig count is the starting point for reliable farm management.

2. Review births and farrowing results

Farrowing records show whether the breeding programme is producing enough healthy piglets.

For every sow that farrowed during the week, review:

• Farrowing date
• Total piglets born
• Piglets born alive
• Stillborn piglets
• Weak or underweight piglets
• Mummified piglets
• Piglets fostered to or from another sow
• Condition of the sow
• Problems during farrowing

Do not record only the total litter size. The difference between total piglets born and piglets born alive is important.

A sow may deliver 14 piglets, but if only 10 are alive, the usable production result is different from a litter in which all 14 survive.

Weekly reviews also make it easier to identify patterns. Several sows producing many stillbirths could indicate problems involving nutrition, disease, farrowing supervision, sow condition or environmental stress.

One poor litter may be an isolated event. Repeated poor outcomes require investigation.

3. Check piglet survival

Piglets can die quickly, particularly during the first days after birth. Waiting until the end of the month to examine piglet mortality may allow a serious problem to continue across several litters.

Review:

• Piglets born alive
• Piglets currently alive
• Piglet deaths
• Suspected causes of death
• Litters with unusually high losses
• Piglets receiving treatment
• Piglets transferred between sows
• Expected weaning dates

Common causes of piglet loss may include crushing, insufficient milk, weakness, diarrhoea, poor temperature control, infection or inadequate supervision.

The record should help the farmer determine whether deaths are concentrated around a particular sow, pen, age or period.

For example, repeated losses in one farrowing pen may point to environmental or equipment problems. Losses across several litters may suggest a broader health or management issue.

Recording the suspected cause is useful, but avoid treating guesses as confirmed diagnoses. Recurring or serious health problems should be discussed with a veterinarian or qualified animal-health professional.

4. Review breeding and pregnancy records

Breeding records determine what the farm can expect in the coming months.

Every week, check:

• Sows showing heat
• Sows served or inseminated
• Service dates
• Boar or semen used
• Expected return-to-heat dates
• Pregnancy-check dates
• Confirmed pregnancies
• Sows that returned to heat
• Expected farrowing dates
• Sows overdue for farrowing
• Sows with repeated breeding failures

This review helps prevent animals from being forgotten between stages.

A sow that returns to heat but is not detected loses another production cycle. A pregnant sow approaching farrowing requires appropriate feeding, housing and preparation. A sow that repeatedly fails to conceive may need further examination or a culling decision.

The expected farrowing date is especially important. It allows the farm to prepare the pen, equipment, staff and supplies before the litter arrives.

Good reproductive management depends on knowing what should happen next—not merely recording what has already happened.

5. Compare expected and actual feed usage

Feed is one of the largest recurring costs on most pig farms. It should therefore be reviewed every week rather than only when the store becomes empty.

Check:

• Opening feed inventory
• Feed received
• Feed issued
• Feed used by each group
• Closing inventory
• Damaged or spoiled feed
• Feed returned to storage
• Unexplained differences
• Current feed price

Compare the quantity used with the feed plan and the number of animals in each group.

If 50 growers were expected to consume a certain quantity but actual usage was much higher, investigate why.

Possible causes include:

• Incorrect feed allocation
• Spillage
• Damaged feeders
• Poor storage
• Theft
• Unrecorded animals
• Incorrect measurements
• Staff feeding inconsistently
• Feed being used for a different group

Lower-than-expected usage can also be a warning. It may indicate reduced appetite, illness, water problems, poor feed quality or incorrect recording.

The goal is not simply to reduce feed. Underfeeding can damage growth and health. The goal is to ensure that feed usage is intentional, recorded and connected to production.

6. Physically check feed inventory

The quantity recorded in a notebook or system should be compared with what is physically present.

Count bags and measure opened feed as accurately as practical. Confirm that deliveries recorded during the week actually arrived in the expected quantity.

Check the condition of the feed for:

• Moisture
• Mould
• Pest damage
• Torn bags
• Contamination
• Incorrect storage
• Expired stock

Feed losses do not always appear as obvious expenses. A bag purchased and later spoiled has already consumed cash without producing animal growth.

A weekly physical check makes discrepancies easier to investigate because fewer transactions have occurred since the previous count.

If you wait several months, identifying when and why the difference occurred becomes much harder.

7. Review water availability

Water usage may not always appear in basic production reports, but water access directly affects feed consumption, growth, milk production and health.

During the weekly review, confirm that:

• Every pen has reliable water access
• Drinkers are working correctly
• Water flow is sufficient
• Pipes are not leaking
• Tanks are clean
• There are no signs of contamination
• Pigs are not competing excessively for water

A leaking drinker increases water cost and creates wet conditions that can affect hygiene. A blocked drinker can reduce feed intake and performance before the problem becomes visually obvious.

Water checks should happen daily, but recurring defects and repairs should be included in the weekly review.

If the same pen repeatedly experiences water problems, the farm needs a permanent correction rather than another temporary repair.

8. Review illnesses and treatments

Health records should show which animals became ill, what symptoms were observed and what action was taken.

Review:

• Newly sick animals
• Animals still under treatment
• Symptoms observed
• Temperature or other measurements where applicable
• Medicines administered
• Dosage and treatment dates
• Response to treatment
• Animals moved to isolation
• Veterinary recommendations
• Withdrawal periods before sale

Look for patterns rather than treating every case as unrelated.

Several pigs developing similar symptoms may indicate a group-level problem. Repeated illness in one building may point to ventilation, hygiene, stocking density, feed or water issues.

The treatment record also helps prevent missed or duplicated doses.

Medication should be administered according to veterinary guidance and product instructions. Farm-management software can organise records, but it does not replace professional diagnosis.

9. Count medicines and health supplies

A treatment plan fails if the necessary medicine is unavailable when it is needed.

Check the stock of:

• Vaccines
• Prescribed medicines
• Disinfectants
• Needles and syringes
• Gloves
• Wound-care materials
• Identification supplies
• Cleaning products
• Other essential health equipment

Review expiry dates and storage requirements.

Some products lose effectiveness when stored at the wrong temperature. Others should not be used after opening for a defined period.

Avoid keeping unnecessary medicines simply because they might be useful later. Overstocking can lead to expiry and wasted money. Understocking can delay treatment or routine vaccination.

Base purchasing decisions on scheduled activities, current health needs and professional guidance.

10. Record and analyse every death

Every pig death should be recorded as soon as possible.

The record should include:

• Date of death
• Animal or group
• Production stage
• Approximate age or weight
• Suspected cause
• Recent symptoms
• Treatment given
• Location or pen
• Disposal method
• Estimated financial loss

During the weekly review, group mortality events by age, location and suspected cause.

One death may be isolated. Three similar deaths in the same pen within several days are a pattern.

Calculate mortality separately for different production stages. Combining every death into one farm-wide figure can hide a serious problem among piglets, weaners or finishers.

Mortality also needs to be understood financially. The death of a finisher close to market weight represents more accumulated feed, labour and potential revenue than the loss of a newborn piglet.

Both matter, but their economic impact is different.

11. Monitor growth and body condition

Regularly reviewing growth helps identify poor performance before pigs remain on the farm for too long.

Where possible, weigh a representative sample of pigs from each important group using a consistent method.

Review:

• Current average weight
• Weight gained since the previous measurement
• Variation within the group
• Feed consumed
• Pigs growing below expectations
• Estimated date for reaching market weight
• Body condition of breeding animals

Not every pig must be weighed every week. The frequency depends on the production system and available resources.

However, relying entirely on visual impressions makes it difficult to measure progress accurately.

Slow growth increases production costs. The pig consumes feed for longer, occupies housing and delays the income that would come from its sale.

Poor growth may be connected to feed quality, disease, genetics, overcrowding, temperature, water access or competition within the group.

Growth records provide the evidence needed to begin the investigation.

12. Identify pigs approaching market readiness

Finishers approaching the farm’s target selling weight should be reviewed weekly.

Check:

• Current estimated weight
• Target market weight
• Buyer requirements
• Expected selling date
• Available market price
• Transport arrangements
• Relevant medication withdrawal periods
• Customer or buyer commitments

Selling too early may reduce the value of the animal. Keeping market-ready pigs for too long can increase feed costs without producing enough additional value.

The right selling point depends on market conditions, buyer requirements, growth performance and feed cost.

A weekly review allows the farmer to plan sales instead of making rushed decisions when pens become overcrowded or cash runs low.

13. Review income recorded during the week

Record every source of income, including:

• Pig sales
• Piglet sales
• Breeding-stock sales
• Cull-animal sales
• Manure sales
• Other farm-related income

For each transaction, record the customer, date, amount, animals involved and payment status.

Do not confuse a sale with a completed payment.

If pigs were sold on credit, record both the revenue and the outstanding amount. This helps the farmer distinguish business activity from available cash.

Compare selling prices with earlier sales, expected prices and production costs. A high sales volume is not necessarily profitable if animals are being sold below their cost of production.

14. Review expenses before receipts disappear

Weekly expense recording is more reliable than trying to reconstruct an entire month from memory.

Review spending on:

• Feed
• Labour
• Medicines
• Veterinary services
• Transport
• Fuel
• Repairs
• Water
• Electricity
• Equipment
• Cleaning materials
• Breeding
• Administration

Every expense should have a date, amount, supplier and category.

If employees make purchases on behalf of the farm, they should submit receipts and explanations promptly. Waiting until the end of the month increases the risk of lost receipts, forgotten cash payments and incorrect categories.

Small unrecorded expenses distort profitability. They also make it difficult to identify where the farm’s money is going.

15. Follow up outstanding payments

Review all customers who owe money to the farm.

For each unpaid balance, check:

• Customer name
• Amount owed
• Original sale date
• Agreed payment date
• Previous follow-up
• Next action

Do not wait until the farm needs emergency cash before contacting customers.

A business can appear profitable on paper while being unable to buy feed because too much money is tied up in unpaid invoices.

The review should also include amounts the farm owes suppliers, workers or lenders. Knowing upcoming obligations helps prevent the accidental spending of money that is already committed.

16. Review maintenance problems

Small equipment failures can quickly create production losses.

Review reported problems involving:

• Feeders
• Drinkers
• Fencing
• Pen doors
• Ventilation
• Heating
• Lighting
• Water pumps
• Feed-storage areas
• Waste-disposal systems
• Weighing equipment
• Vehicles and transport equipment

Classify each issue by urgency.

A cosmetic repair can wait. A broken drinker, damaged fence or ventilation failure may require immediate action.

Repeated repairs to the same equipment may indicate that replacement is cheaper than continuing temporary fixes.

Maintenance records also help the farmer plan expenses rather than being surprised by preventable breakdowns.

17. Review upcoming activities

A weekly review should look forward as well as backward.

Check what is expected during the next seven to fourteen days:

• Sows due to farrow
• Piglets due for weaning
• Sows due for pregnancy checks
• Scheduled vaccinations
• Animals completing treatments
• Pigs approaching market weight
• Expected feed deliveries
• Supplier payments
• Customer collections
• Staff absences
• Cleaning and maintenance work

Planning prevents routine activities from becoming emergencies.

If several sows are expected to farrow, the team can prepare clean pens and supplies. If a large group will be weaned, housing and feed can be organised in advance. If feed inventory is running low, the farm can order before stock is exhausted.

18. Choose the most important actions

The purpose of the weekly review is not to produce more paperwork.

It is to decide what the farm needs to do next.

At the end of the review, identify a small number of priority actions. Each action should include:

• The problem
• The person responsible
• The required action
• The deadline
• The result that will be checked

For example:

Feed usage in the grower pen was 12% higher than planned. The farm supervisor will inspect the feeders, measure daily allocation and compare physical inventory with recorded usage for the next seven days.

This is stronger than writing “monitor feed.”

A specific action can be completed, checked and evaluated during the next weekly review.

How Pigax supports weekly farm management

Pigax helps farmers organise important pig-production and financial records in one system.

Farmers can use it to manage information relating to:

• Individual pigs and groups
• Piglets and farrowing
• Pregnancy and breeding
• Feed plans
• Feed usage and inventory
• Mortality
• Income and expenses
• Reports
• Multiple farms
• Staff roles and permissions

Consistent recording makes weekly reviews faster and more useful. Instead of searching through separate notebooks, receipts and spreadsheets, the farmer can examine connected records and identify areas requiring attention.

Pigax does not replace physical farm inspections, veterinary advice or management judgement. It provides the organised information needed to support them.

Weekly records create an early-warning system

Farm records should not exist only for audits, taxes or end-of-year reporting.

Their most valuable purpose is helping the farmer notice when actual performance begins to differ from the plan.

A weekly review can reveal rising feed usage before the store becomes empty, increasing mortality before it affects an entire group, delayed customer payments before the farm faces a cash shortage and reproductive problems before future pig numbers decline.

The process is straightforward:

Record what happened. Compare it with what was expected. Investigate important differences. Assign corrective actions. Review the result the following week.

That routine turns farm records into an early-warning system—and gives the farmer more time to act before a manageable problem becomes an expensive one.

Use Pigax to organise your production, feed, mortality and financial records and manage your pig farm with better information.