Record Keeping in Pig Farming: What Every Farmer Should Track
Successful pig farming is not only about feeding pigs, treating diseases and selling animals at the right time. Good record keeping in pig farming is one of the most important management practices for farmers who want to understand their costs, improve productivity and increase profits.
Whether you operate a small piggery with a few sows or a large commercial pig farm, accurate records help you know what is happening in your business. Without records, it can be difficult to determine which pigs are performing well, how much feed is being consumed, when a sow should farrow, how much money is being spent or whether the piggery is actually profitable.
For pig farmers in Uganda, keeping proper farm records can make it easier to manage breeding, feeding, animal health, mortality, sales and expenses. Aaron Vet Farms Ltd encourages farmers to treat record keeping as an essential part of modern pig farming rather than an optional activity.
Why Is Record Keeping Important in Pig Farming?
A pig farm is a business, and every business needs reliable information for good decision-making.
Pig farming records allow farmers to measure performance instead of relying on guesswork. For example, if you know exactly how much feed your pigs consume and how much weight they gain, you can evaluate feed efficiency. If you record mating dates, you can estimate farrowing dates and prepare the farrowing area on time.
Good records help farmers:
Monitor pig growth
Track breeding performance
Calculate feed consumption
Identify sick animals
Record vaccinations and treatments
Monitor mortality
Calculate production costs
Track sales and income
Identify profitable and unprofitable activities
Make better breeding decisions
Plan future farm investments
In short, pig farm record keeping helps turn a piggery into a professionally managed business.
1. Pig Identification Records
The first step in effective record keeping is being able to identify individual animals or groups of pigs.
Each breeding animal should have a unique identification number or other reliable identification method.
Your identification record can include:
Information Example
Pig ID SOW-015
Breed Large White × Landrace
Sex Female
Date of birth 12/03/2025
Sire BOAR-004
Dam SOW-007
Current status Breeding sow
Identification records become particularly important on farms with many breeding animals.
They help prevent confusion between sows, boars, growers and replacement stock.
2. Breeding Records
Pig breeding records are among the most important records on a commercial pig farm.
For each sow, record:
Sow identification number
Boar identification number
Date of mating
Type of mating
Number of services
Expected farrowing date
Actual farrowing date
Number born
Number born alive
Number stillborn
Number of mummified piglets
Number weaned
Weaning date
These records help you evaluate reproductive performance.
For example, if one sow repeatedly produces small litters or experiences reproductive problems, her records will reveal the pattern.
Breeding records also help farmers manage the farrowing calendar and prepare for upcoming births.
3. Farrowing Records
Farrowing is a critical stage in pig production.
A farrowing record should show what happened during and immediately after birth.
Important information includes:
Sow ID
Farrowing date
Total piglets born
Piglets born alive
Stillbirths
Weak piglets
Birth weights
Piglet deaths
Number weaned
Weaning weight where available
Problems during farrowing
Recording birth information allows farmers to compare reproductive performance between sows.
It can also help identify recurring problems that require veterinary attention or changes in management.
4. Piglet Records
Piglet performance has a major influence on the profitability of a piggery.
Farmers should record important information from birth through weaning and beyond.
Useful piglet records include:
Piglet identification
Birth date
Birth weight
Sex
Litter number
Dam
Sire
Treatments given
Vaccinations
Weaning date
Weaning weight
Mortality
Growth after weaning
Where individual identification is impractical, farmers can maintain reliable litter or batch records.
Tracking piglet growth performance makes it easier to identify strong-performing litters and animals that require additional attention.
5. Growth and Weight Records
Weight records are essential for determining whether pigs are growing according to expectations.
Farmers can record weights at important production stages, such as:
Birth
Weaning
Grower stage
Finisher stage
Sale
The exact weighing schedule can vary depending on the farm’s production system.
If weighing scales are unavailable, farmers may use other practical methods for estimating growth, but actual weighing provides more reliable information.
Growth records help farmers answer important questions:
Are my pigs growing well?
Which pigs are growing fastest?
How much weight are pigs gaining each week?
At what age are pigs reaching market weight?
These answers are important when making feeding and marketing decisions.
6. Feed Records
Feed is one of the largest costs in commercial pig production.
For this reason, pig feed records should be maintained carefully.
Record:
Type of feed
Quantity purchased
Date purchased
Price per kilogram or bag
Quantity issued to pigs
Feed wastage where measurable
Feed remaining
Feed consumed by each production group
Farmers can separate records for:
Piglet feed
Starter feed
Grower feed
Finisher feed
Sow feed
Lactating sow feed
Boar feed
Feed records help identify unusual increases in consumption.
They can also be used alongside weight records to assess feed efficiency.
A farmer who records both feed consumed and weight gained has much better information for evaluating the performance of the piggery.
7. Medication and Veterinary Records
Every treatment given to an animal should be recorded.
A pig health record can include:
Date
Pig ID
Signs observed
Diagnosis where available
Medicine used
Dosage
Route of administration
Duration of treatment
Name of veterinarian or person administering treatment
Recovery status
Vaccinations should also be recorded.
This information helps farmers understand the health history of individual animals and identify recurring disease problems.
It also helps avoid unnecessary or repeated treatments.
Farmers should follow veterinary advice concerning medicines, dosages and withdrawal periods before pigs or pork products enter the food chain.
8. Mortality Records
Pig deaths should never simply be counted and forgotten.
Each death should be recorded as accurately as possible.
Record:
Date of death
Pig ID or group
Age
Sex
Production stage
Suspected cause
Signs observed
Treatment history
Post-mortem findings where applicable
Disposal method
Pig mortality records help farmers identify trends.
For example, if most deaths occur during the first week after birth, the farmer can investigate factors such as farrowing management, colostrum intake, crushing, chilling, nutrition or disease.
If mortality increases during the grower stage, housing, feed quality, biosecurity and disease control may need to be reviewed.
9. Housing and Farm Management Records
Farmers should also record important activities related to pig housing.
These may include:
Pen cleaning
Disinfection
Repairs
Water system maintenance
Equipment maintenance
Biosecurity activities
Pest control
Movement of animals between pens
Good pig farm biosecurity records can help establish whether important disease-prevention procedures are being followed consistently.
A simple checklist can make this process easier for farm workers.
10. Sales and Marketing Records
A pig farm cannot be considered profitable simply because pigs are being sold.
Farmers need to know exactly how much money each sale generates.
Record:
Date of sale
Number of pigs sold
Pig ID or group
Average weight
Total weight
Price per kilogram or animal
Total sales value
Buyer
Transportation cost
Other marketing expenses
These records allow farmers to compare different selling periods and determine whether pigs are reaching the desired market weight.
They can also help farmers negotiate with buyers using accurate production information.
11. Expense Records
Pig farming expenses can quickly add up.
Every expenditure should be recorded.
Common expenses include:
Pig purchases
Feed
Veterinary medicines
Vaccines
Labour
Water
Electricity
Transport
Housing construction
Equipment
Breeding services
Disinfectants
Repairs
Marketing costs
Even small expenses should be recorded because many small costs can become significant over an entire production cycle.
12. Labour Records
If you employ farm workers, labour records can help control costs and improve accountability.
Record:
Worker name or identification
Working days
Hours where necessary
Duties performed
Salary or wages
Overtime
Leave
Special tasks
Farm managers can use these records to understand how much labour the piggery requires and whether additional workers are needed.
13. Breeding Performance Records
Over time, your records should help you compare individual breeding animals.
For sows, useful performance indicators include:
Number of piglets born
Number born alive
Number weaned
Weaning weight
Farrowing interval
Reproductive problems
Piglet mortality
For boars, farmers can track:
Number of sows served
Pregnancy results where available
Litter performance
Offspring growth
Physical soundness
Breeding history
This information can help farmers make informed decisions about which animals should remain in the breeding herd.
14. Calculate Your Pig Farm Profit
One of the biggest advantages of record keeping is the ability to calculate whether your farm is profitable.
A simple calculation is:
Profit = Total Income − Total Costs
Total income may include:
Sale of pigs
Sale of breeding stock
Sale of manure
Other farm income
Total costs may include:
Feed
Veterinary care
Labour
Transport
Housing
Utilities
Breeding
Other operating expenses
Farmers should calculate profitability over a defined period or production cycle rather than relying on cash available at a particular moment.
15. Use Records to Improve Your Pig Farm
Records are valuable only when farmers use them to make decisions.
For example, suppose a farmer discovers that:
Feed consumption has increased.
Growth has declined.
Medication costs have increased.
Mortality has risen.
That combination could indicate a management or health problem that needs investigation.
Similarly, if one sow consistently produces larger litters with good piglet survival and growth, her performance can help guide future breeding decisions.
Farm records turn observations into measurable information.
Simple Pig Farm Record-Keeping System
Farmers do not need expensive software to start.
A simple notebook can be enough for a small piggery.
Create separate sections for:
Animal identification
Breeding
Farrowing
Piglet growth
Feed
Health and medication
Mortality
Expenses
Sales
Profit and loss
As the farm grows, farmers can move to spreadsheets or specialized farm-management software.
The most important thing is consistency.
Common Record-Keeping Mistakes to Avoid
Farmers should avoid:
Recording information weeks later
Write information down immediately whenever possible.
Keeping incomplete records
A record without dates, animal IDs or quantities may have limited value.
Mixing business and personal expenses
Keep piggery expenses separate from household spending.
Ignoring small expenses
Small costs can become large over time.
Failing to review records
Records should be analyzed regularly, not simply stored.
Losing records
Keep important records safely and, where possible, maintain digital backups.
Final Thoughts
Record keeping in pig farming is a powerful management tool for farmers who want to build productive and profitable pig businesses. From breeding and farrowing to feed consumption, disease treatment, mortality, sales and expenses, every important activity provides information that can improve future decisions.
For pig farmers in Uganda, accurate records can help identify the strongest breeding animals, monitor pig growth, control feed costs, detect health problems early and calculate the true profitability of the farm.
At Aaron Vet Farms Ltd, we encourage farmers to combine good records with quality pig genetics, proper nutrition, effective disease prevention, suitable housing and professional veterinary support.
A farmer who knows the numbers behind the piggery is in a much stronger position to make informed decisions and grow the business sustainably.
Start recording today—even if your piggery is small. The information you collect now can become one of your farm’s most valuable assets in the future.