Pig Farming Glossary

AI (Artificial Insemination) – The process of introducing semen into a sow or gilt’s reproductive tract using equipment rather than natural mating.

All-in/All-out production – Moving entire groups of pigs in/out simultaneously to allow complete sanitation between batches, minimizing disease transfer.

Automatic feeder – Mechanized equipment that dispenses feed at set intervals or on-demand, boosting labor efficiency and feed conversion.

Automatic sorting scales – RFID-enabled scales that weigh and divert pigs into pens by weight class, enabling precision feeding and streamlined finishing.

Backfat – Subcutaneous fat depth over the loin; a carcass-quality benchmark.

Barrow – Castrated male pig.

Biosecurity – Protocols that keep pathogens off the farm and contain any outbreaks.

Boar – Intact adult male used for breeding.

Boar effect – Accelerated gilt puberty triggered by exposure to mature boar pheromones.

Breeding herd – Population of sows, gilts, and boars maintained for piglet production.

Breeding soundness evaluation – Comprehensive assessment of a boar’s fertility potential.

Bulbourethral glands – Accessory reproductive glands in male pigs.

Castration – Surgical removal of testicles to reduce aggression and prevent boar taint.

Cervix – Muscular canal between vagina and uterus in females.

Colostrum – First milk rich in immunoglobulins, critical for piglet immunity.

Confinement system – Indoor housing that optimizes climate control and biosecurity.

Continuous farrowing – Year-round production where sows farrow on a rolling schedule.

Creep feeding – Supplemental diet fed to nursing piglets.

Crossbreeding – Mating animals of different breeds to exploit heterosis.

Culling – Removing low-performing or unhealthy animals from the herd.

Drinkers – Devices such as nipple drinkers or troughs that provide pigs with clean water; reliable delivery is essential for health and growth.

Dry sow – A non-lactating sow not currently nursing piglets.

Dystocia – Difficult labor or abnormal birth of piglets.

Ear notching – Permanent identification using a standardized notch pattern on pig ears.

Electronic sow feeder (ESF) – RFID-based system that allocates individualized feed rations to group-housed sows.

Environmental controllers – Integrated sensors and actuators that maintain target temperature, humidity, and air exchange.

Estrus – The period when a sow or gilt is sexually receptive (“heat”).

Enzootic pneumonia – Chronic respiratory disease caused by Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae.

Farrowing – The act of a sow giving birth.

Farrowing crate – Specialized pen that protects piglets from crushing while allowing sow movement.

Farrow-to-finish operation – Facility that breeds, farrows, and raises pigs to market weight.

Feed augers/conveyor systems – Mechanized delivery lines that transfer feed from bins to feeders.

Feeder pig – Weaned pig (≈40-60 lb) destined for finishing phase.

Feed bin – Bulk-storage vessel with weather-tight construction and auger outlet.

Feed cart – Mobile unit for hand-feeding pigs in pens.

Feed conversion ratio (FCR) – Feed consumed ÷ weight gained; lower is better.

Feed intake – Total feed consumed over a period.

Feed mill – Facility that grinds, blends, and pellets customized rations.

Feedstuff – Ingredient used in formulating pig diets.

Finishing – Phase where pigs grow from ~120 lb to market weight (≈270 lb).

Finishing barn – Housing dedicated to finishing pigs.

Floor feeding – Scatter feed on floor rather than in troughs.

Flush breeding – Boost sow energy intake pre-mating to increase ovulation rate.

Genetic selection – Choosing breeders with desirable traits to improve herd.

Gestation – Pregnancy period (~114 days).

Gilt – Young female yet to farrow.

Gilt pool – Group of replacement gilts awaiting entry into breeding herd.

Group housing – Management system keeping sows in social groups rather than individual stalls.

Grower – Pig between weaning and finishing (≈40-120 lb).

Hand mating – Supervised natural service of an individual sow with a boar.

Heat lamps/warming pads – Supplemental heat sources critical for neonatal piglet survival.

Heat stress – Performance-limiting condition when ambient temperature exceeds pigs’ comfort zone.

Herd health plan – Formalized vaccination, monitoring, and biosecurity schedule.

Heterosis (Hybrid vigor) – Offspring superiority arising from crossbreeding.

Hog – General term for a pig, typically over 120 lb.

Immunocastration – Vaccine-based suppression of testicular function to reduce boar taint.

Induced farrowing – Hormonal initiation of labor to synchronize piglet births.

Jowl – Cheek area used for cured meat products.

Kune Kune – Small, docile New-Zealand breed popular in niche/outdoor systems.

Lactation – Milk-production period (≈21–28 days).

Lagoon – Large earthen basin for manure storage and treatment.

Limit feeding – Rationing feed to control body condition.

Litter – Group of piglets born to the same sow at one farrowing.

Manure scraper – Mechanical blade removing solids from pen alleys.

Manure spreader – Equipment that land-applies manure uniformly.

Market weight – Target live weight for slaughter (≈270 lb).

Meat breeds – Breeds selected primarily for lean-meat yield.

Mist cooling system – Fine-water spray reducing heat load in barns.

Mobile pig housing units – Portable shelters for pasture-based production.

Mortality rate – Percentage of pigs that die within a given time frame.

Mycoplasma – Bacterial genus causing respiratory disease.

Nutrient management plan – Blueprint for responsible manure utilization and water-quality protection.

Neonatal mortality – Piglet deaths within first few days postpartum.

Non-productive sow days – Days a sow is neither gestating nor lactating.

Nursery – Environment-controlled barn for weaned pigs (~15–40 lb).

Offal – Edible by-products such as liver, heart, and intestines.

Parity – Number of litters a sow has produced.

Parturition – Act of giving birth (farrowing).

Pasture-raised/Outdoor production – System providing pigs outdoor access and foraging opportunities.

Pen mating – Breeding several females with a boar in a pen.

Periodic farrowing – Batch farrowing on a seasonal or semi-annual cycle.

Pig – General term (often for young swine).

Pig flow – Coordinated movement of groups through production phases.

Pig handlers/loading chutes – Specialized equipment for low-stress animal movement.

Piglet – Young pig from birth to weaning.

Pigs per litter – Average liveborn piglets per farrowing.

Porcine – Relating to pigs.

Pork producer – Farmer who raises pigs for meat.

Power washer – High-pressure washer for sanitation of facilities.

PQA (Pork Quality Assurance) – Education program promoting food safety and animal well-being.

Precision feeding – Technology delivering individualized rations based on real-time needs.

Precision livestock farming (PLF) – Sensor-based monitoring to optimize welfare and efficiency.

Quarantine – Isolating new or sick pigs to prevent disease spread.

Ration – Formulated daily feed allotment.

Replacement gilt – Young female selected to enter breeding herd.

Segregated early weaning – Removing piglets at 4–10 days to break disease transmission.

Slat flooring systems – Raised floors allowing manure to drop to pits below.

Slaughter weight – Typical harvest weight (≈240–280 lb).

Smart feeding systems – Computer-controlled stations dispensing feed via RFID.

Snout – Pig’s nose and mouth.

Sorting gate – Automated gate directing pigs based on weight or sex.

Sow – Female pig that has farrowed.

Sow stall (gestation stall) – Individual housing for pregnant sows.

SPF (Specific Pathogen Free) – Stock certified free of designated pathogens.

Split suckling – Temporarily removing larger piglets to let smaller ones nurse.

Stocking density – Number of pigs per square foot.

Swine – Collective term for pigs.

Tail docking – Trimming tails to reduce tail-biting.

Temperature controller – Device regulating barn climate for optimal growth.

Toxoplasmosis – Parasitic infection transferable to humans.

Tusk – Elongated canine tooth of a boar.

Vaccination – Administering biologicals to develop immunity.

Ventilation system – Fans/inlets exhausting gases and controlling humidity.

Vertical integration – Company controls multiple production/processing stages.

Wallow – Mud pit used by pigs for cooling and skin protection.

Weaner pig – Pig between weaning and ~40 lb.

Weaning – Transition from milk to solid feed.

Weigh scale – Platform scale for tracking growth and marketing readiness.

Withdrawal period – Mandatory interval between drug treatment and slaughter.

Yorkshire pig – Popular maternal breed, white with erect ears.

Zoonosis – Disease transmissible from animals to humans (e.g., swine influenza).