A pig vaccination schedule is the single most important system on your farm — miss one date and a disease outbreak can wipe out weeks of feed investment in days.
This guide gives you a simple vaccination schedule you can follow regardless of your farm size.
Why vaccinations get missed
Most farmers know vaccinations matter. The problem is remembering when. When you’re managing feed, monitoring health, handling sales, and running a farm day to day — a date in your head doesn’t stand a chance.
The solution isn’t trying harder to remember. It’s building a system.
Core Pig Vaccination Schedule by Disease
These are the non-negotiables for most small to medium pig farms. Consult your local vet to confirm which diseases are prevalent in your region.
Foot and Mouth Disease — vaccinate every 4 months. Critical in regions where FMD is endemic.
Classical Swine Fever (Hog Cholera) — vaccinate every 6 months. One of the most devastating pig diseases. Never skip this one.
Erysipelas — vaccinate gilts and sows every 6 months, 2–4 weeks before breeding or farrowing.
Parvovirus — vaccinate gilts before first breeding. Protects unborn piglets.
E. coli / Colibacillosis — vaccinate sows 3–6 weeks before farrowing to pass immunity to piglets through milk.
A simple schedule framework
Week 1 of each month: weigh and health-check all pigs. Note any that look off.
Every 4 months: FMD booster for all pigs.
Every 6 months: CSF booster for all pigs. Erysipelas booster for breeding stock.
2–4 weeks before farrowing: Erysipelas and E. coli vaccines for sows.
At weaning (3–4 weeks): first health check for piglets, record individual weights.
How to track it without a spreadsheet
Write each pig’s ID and vaccination dates in a notebook kept in the pen area. Cross off each dose when given. Circle the next due date.
If you use PigPal, vaccination reminders are built in — set the date once and the app notifies you when it’s coming up.
What happens if you miss a dose
Don’t double-dose to compensate — this doesn’t work and can cause reactions. Simply give the missed vaccine as soon as you notice, then reset the schedule from that date.
If you miss more than 8 weeks on a core vaccine, treat it as a first dose and restart the full schedule.
Work with your vet
This schedule is a starting framework. Your local veterinarian knows which diseases are active in your area, which vaccine brands are available, and any regional legal requirements. A single vet visit to build your farm’s specific protocol is worth every penny.
Many farmers in Africa and Asia face an additional challenge — limited access to cold-chain vaccines. If refrigeration is unreliable in your area, talk to your vet about heat-stable vaccine options, and always check the cold chain on delivery. A compromised vaccine offers no protection at all
The bottom line
A missed vaccination is a risk you chose to take. A reminder system costs nothing. Set it up this week — notebook, phone alarm, or app — and your herd will be better protected starting today.