farrowtofinish

Farrow-to-finish is a type of pig farming operation in which breeding stock is kept on site and piglets are born, raised, and finished to market weight at the same farm. The operation typically houses sows and gilts in breeding facilities and uses farrowing rooms to give birth and nurse piglets. After weaning, piglets move to nursery and growing-finishing facilities within the same enterprise, continuing until they reach market weight.

The production cycle is continuous with periodic farrowing groups. Weaning usually occurs around three to four weeks after birth. Piglets are moved from farrowing facilities to nursery pens and then to growing-finishing barns where they are fed high-energy diets to reach market weight. Finishing weights vary by breed and program but are commonly in the range of about 110–130 kg (240–290 lb) live weight. Management emphasizes biosecurity, all-in/all-out practices, and regular health monitoring, with nutrition transitioning from lactation to grower and finisher rations aimed at efficient feed conversion.

Housing and welfare are important considerations. Farrowing often relies on crates in many systems, though welfare concerns have led to shifts toward crate-free alternatives in some regions. Climate control, waste management, and environmental emissions are managed through facility design and manure handling plans. Disease prevention and vaccination programs, as well as herd health monitoring, are central to maintaining productivity.

Farrow-to-finish operations are common in integrated pork production systems and are contrasted with farrow-to-wean or wean-to-finish models. They offer production efficiency and tighter control over genetics and management, but require substantial capital investment and ongoing risk management related to feed costs, market prices, and animal health.