United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Safeguarding American Agriculture 

Veterinary Services 

Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health January 2009 

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

Nursery and Grower/Finisher 

Management in Swine 2000 and 

Swine 2006 

In 2000, the USDA’s National Animal Health 

Monitoring System (NAHMS) conducted a study on 

swine health and management practices from a 

random sample of swine production sites in 

17 States divided into 4 regions.1

 These States 

represented 94 percent of the U.S. pig inventory 

and 92 percent of U.S. pork producers with 100 or 

more pigs. 

 The same 17 States participated in NAHMS 

latest study of the U.S. swine industry, Swine 2006. 

In 2006, these States accounted for 94 percent of 

the U.S. pig inventory and 94 percent of U.S. pork 

producers with 100 or more pigs. 

 The following provides a comparison of nursery 

and grower/finisher management practices in 2000 

and 2006 using data collected during both studies. 

Nursery management 

The percentages of sites with a nursery phase 

were similar in 2000 and 2006. In 2000, 

50.4 percent of all sites had a nursery phase 

compared with 53.3 percent in 2006. The South 

region had the lowest percentage of sites with a 

nursery phase (figure 1). 

 

1 States/ Regions

North: Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin 

West Central: Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and South 

Dakota 

East Central: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Ohio 

South: Arkansas, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Texas 

0

20

40

60

80

Swine 2006

Swine 2000

Region

Percent

Figure 1. Percentage of Sites with a Nursery Phase, by Region and

by Study

North West Central East Central

Study

48.5

51.3

59.7 57.0

49.3

56.8

40.5

33.5

50.4

53.3

South All Sites

 Overall, the percentage of sites that specialized 

in nursery pigs exclusively increased from 

4.1 percent in 2000 to 7.8 percent in 2006. 

Although the South region had the lowest 

percentage of sites with a nursery phase, it had the 

highest percentage of sites that specialized 

exclusively in the nursery phase (figure 2). 

0

10

20

30

Swine 2006

Swine 2000

Region

Percent

Figure 2. Percentage of Sites that Specialized Exclusively in the 

Nursery Phase, by Region and by Study

North West Central East Central

Study

South All Sites

4.2

6.9

3.7

7.3

2.8

5.8

14.4

20.6

4.1

7.8
United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Safeguarding American Agriculture 

Biosecurity in the nursery phase

 Table 1 shows the types of housing and flow 

systems used for nursery pigs in 2000 and 2006. 

Most sites containing nursery pigs housed the pigs 

in total confinement in 2000 and 2006. The 

percentage of sites that managed nursery pigs 

using all-in/all-out pig flow increased from 

64.1 percent in 2000 to 71.0 percent in 2006. The 

percentage of sites that used no housing for 

nursery pigs (e.g., pasture) remained nearly 

unchanged from 2000 to 2006. 

Table 1. Percentage of Nursery Sites, by Facility 

Type and by Management Style: 

 Percent Nursery Sites 

 2000 2006 

Facility Type 

Total confinement 75.9 74.0 

Management Style

Continuous flow 32.3 25.0 

All-in/all-out 64.1 71.0 

No housing 3.6 4.0 

Multiple-site production involves moving pigs to 

a separate site/location between phases of 

production to maintain physical separation of pigs 

in different phases. Figure 3 shows that the 

percentages of sites utilizing multiple-site 

production were similar in 2000 and 2006. In 2006, 

41.3 percent of sites moved pigs from the farrowing 

site to a separate nursery site, up from 36.4 percent 

of sites in 2000. Approximately one-half of sites 

moved pigs from the nursery to a separate 

grower/finisher site in 2000 and 2006. 

0

20

40

60

Swine 2006

Swine 2000

Type of Move

Percent

Figure 3. Percentage of Sites that Moved Pigs from One Site to a 

Separate Site as Pigs Changed Production Phases, by Type of 

Move and by Study

Farrowing to separate nursery site Nursery to separate

grower/finisher site

Study

36.4

41.3

50.0 48.2

Deaths in the nursery phase 

 There were no differences in the percentages of 

nursery pigs that died from 2000 to 2006 (2.6 and 

2.9 percent of nursery pigs, respectively). However, 

figure 4 shows that the percentage of deaths 

attributable to respiratory problems increased from 

2000 to 2006, while unknown causes of mortality 

decreased from 2000 to 2006. 

0

20

40

60

Swine 2006

Swine 2000

Producer-identified Cause

Percent

Figure 4. Percentage of Nursery-phase Deaths*, by Produceridentified Cause and by Study

Scours Starvation Respiratory problems

Study

Other known

problems

Unknown

problems

12.6 12.5 13.3

9.8

28.9

44.2

24.5 22.8

20.7

10.7

*Deaths from December through May.
United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Safeguarding American Agriculture 

Grower/finisher management 

 Figure 5 shows the percentage of all sites that 

had a grower/finisher phase in 2000 and 2006. The 

South region had the lowest percentage of sites 

with a grower/finisher phase. 

0

20

40

60

80

100

Swine 2006

Swine 2000

Region

Percent

Figure 5. Percentage of Sites with a Grower/Finisher Phase, 

by Region and by Study

North West Central East Central

Study

South All Sites

83.8 85.5 84.4

79.8

89.4

82.7

63.3

55.2

85.5

80.0

 The grower/finisher phase was the most 

common area of specialization, with about one of 

three sites specializing exclusively in the 

grower/finisher phase during 2000 and 2006 

(figure 6). In the West Central region, the 

percentage of sites with only a grower/finisher 

phase increased from 21.5 percent in 2000 to 31.6 

percent in 2006. 

0

20

40

60

Swine 2006

Swine 2000

Region

Percent

Figure 6. Percentage of Sites that Specialized Exclusivley in the 

Grower/Finisher Phase Only, by Region and by Study

North West Central East Central

Study

South All Sites

39.9

42.0

21.5

31.6

37.5

35.1

41.9

43.9

35.5 36.9

Biosecurity in the grower/finisher phase

 The percentage of sites that housed 

grower/finisher pigs in total confinement increased 

from 42.9 percent in 2000 to 53.2 percent in 2006 

(table 2). The percentage of sites that managed 

grower/finisher pigs using all-in/all-out pig flow 

increased from 56.9 percent in 2000 to 

70.8 percent in 2006. 

Table 2. Percentage of Grower/Finisher Sites, by 

Facility Type and by Management Style:

 Percent Grower/Finisher Sites 

 2000 2006 

Facility Type 

Total confinement 42.9 53.2 

Management Style

Continuous flow 40.5 26.1 

All in/all out 56.9 70.8 

No housing 2.6 3.1 

 The percentage of sites that used the same 

operation (either on-site or off-site) as a source for 

grower/finisher pigs in 2000 was virtually 

unchanged in 2006 (figure 7). The percentage of 

sites that used different pig operations to obtain 

grower/finisher pigs increased from 2000 to 2006. 

However, the question asked producers in 2000 

differed from that asked in 20062

, which may 

account for the increase. 

0

20

40

60

Swine 2006

Swine 2000

Source

Percent

Figure 7. Percentage of Sites that Brought Any Pigs into the 

Grower/Finisher Phase, by Source and by Study

On site Another site belonging to same operation Other pig

producer(s)*

Study

Other

51.4 49.9

13.1 11.8

28.0

38.2

10.8

2.5

*Question in 2000 was "feeder pig producer(s)-both contract and noncontract." In 2006 question was "other 

pig producers." 

 

2 Question in 2000 was “feeder pig producer(s)—both contract and 

noncontract.” In 2006, question was “other pig producers.” 
United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Safeguarding American Agriculture 

 The percentage of sites that used a single offsite source to obtain grower/finisher pigs did not 

differ in 2000 and 2006; 76.1 percent of sites that 

obtained grower/finisher pigs from an off-site 

source used only one source in 2000 and 78.6 

percent of sites did the same in 2006. 

Deaths in the grower/finisher phase

 The percentage of grower/finisher pigs that died 

during the grower/finisher phase increased from 

2.9 percent in 2000 to 3.9 percent in 2006. The 

percentage of deaths attributable to respiratory 

problems increased from 39.1 percent in 2000 to 

61.1 percent in 2006 (figure 8). 

 

0 20 40 60 80

Swine 2006

Swine 2000

Percent

Figure 8. Percentage of Grower/Finisher-phase Deaths*, by Produceridentified Cause and by Study

Scours

Lameness

Other known

identified

problems

Cause

Study

Injury or

trauma

Respiratory problems

Stress

Unknown

problems

5.3

6.7

8.4

5.4

8.0

4.9

39.1

61.1

6.7

3.2

14.2

8.0

18.3

10.7

*Deaths from preceding December through May.

_____________ 

For more information, contact: 

USDA:APHIS:VS:CEAH 

NRRC Building B, M.S. 2E7 

2150 Centre Avenue 

Fort Collins, CO 80526-8117 

970.494.7000 

E-mail: NAHMS@aphis.usda.gov 

http://nahms.aphis.usda.gov

#N497.0109 

_____________ 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits 

discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of 

race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where 

applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, 

religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, 

reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is 

derived from any public assistance program. (Not all 

prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with 

disabilities who require alternative means for communication of 

program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) 

should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720–2600 

(voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to 

USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence 

Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250–9410, or call (800) 

795–3272 (voice) or (202) 720–6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal 

opportunity provider and employer.

Mention of companies or commercial products does not imply 

recommendation or endorsement by the U.S. Department of 

Agriculture over others not mentioned. USDA neither 

guarantees nor warrants the standard of any product 

mentioned. Product names are mentioned solely to report 

factually on available data and to provide specific information.