Looking beyond mortality totals to understand survivability challenges and opportunities in wean-to-finish production.
Wean-to-finish survivability has become a growing point of pressure for the swine industry. As pigs grow, the financial impact is significantly greater than losses earlier in life, eliminating value already invested through genetics, feed, labor and facilities.
Across the industry, recent survivability trends show a mixed picture. Many systems have made progress in early post-weaning phases, reflecting stronger preparation and early pig care. At the same time, finishing mortality continues to trend upward.
“Finishing mortality is the most concerning from a cost standpoint,” said Nat Stas, PIC Wean-to-Finish Technical Services Director. “By the time pigs are lost later in wean-to-finish, a lot of feed and resources have already been invested, which is why understanding when losses occur is just as important as how many pigs are lost.”
Accurate Mortality Analysis Creates Focus
Farms that make progress in survivability often begin by taking a closer look at when and why pigs are being lost. Reviewing timing, patterns and contributing factors within specific stages of production narrows where attention and resources can make the greatest difference. Mortality data is most useful when it helps explain what is happening during a specific window of production, rather than serving as a summary after the fact.
“By the time pigs are lost later in wean-to-finish, a lot of resources have already been invested. That’s why understanding when losses occur is just as important as how many pigs are lost.”
When losses are evaluated this way, teams can focus their efforts more effectively. Instead of reacting broadly, teams can prioritize the factors influencing survivability during that stage of growth. This approach does not eliminate challenges, but it helps turn concern into targeted action.
Building a Strong Foundation After Weaning
The first days and weeks after weaning are a critical and stressful time in a pig’s life. During this transition, pigs are adapting to new environments, new social groups and new feeding and watering systems all at once. Effective early pig care reduces stress, supports growth and improves performance through finishing.
Strong early performance does not guarantee success through finishing, but it does raise the baseline. Pigs that start well and begin eating and drinking consistently in the first days after placement are better positioned to handle health, environmental and management challenges later in life.
Communication Supports Survivability
Wean-to-finish survivability is influenced by sow farm factors before pigs arrive at the wean-to-finish site. These include pig health, wean weight efficiency[1] and group variation coming out of the sow farm.
Clear communication before placement helps wean-to-finish teams prepare more effectively. Advance awareness of pig quality or variability allows sites to plan space, labor, nutrition and care strategies, reducing surprises once pigs are on feed arrive on site.
“Even small pieces of information shared before placement can make a difference,” Stas said. “When wean-to-finish teams have a better understanding of the pigs they’re receiving, they can prepare resources more effectively and get pigs off to a stronger start.”
Looking Ahead
Survivability remains one of the most meaningful opportunities to improve both efficiency and profitability in wean-to-finish production. New tools and technologies may support earlier detection of issues. However, the largest gains continue to come from fundamentals: understanding when and why pigs are lost, investing in early pig care, and communication between the sow farm and wean-to-finish teams.
Ultimately, wean-to-finish survivability is not driven by a single decision or solution. It reflects how effectively genetics and management work together to protect value and support pigs from placement through market.
To go deeper on wean-to-finish management, explore PIC’s related resources.
[1] Wean weight efficiency is commonly used to describe how actual weaning weight compares to a target or expected weaning weight. For example, if the target weaning weight at 21 days is 13.42 lb and actual weaning weight is 12.5 lb, wean weight efficiency would be 93% (12.5 ÷ 13.42). Many systems target wean weight efficiency greater than 95%.
