If you are raising pigs and not giving iron injections to your piglets, you are losing growth and possibly losing piglets. It costs a few pesos per piglet and prevents a serious problem. There is no reason to skip it.
"Tulo ka adlaw, tuslokon na." (At three days old, inject already.)
Here is why iron matters and how to do it.
Why Piglets Need Iron
Piglets are born with approximately 50 mg of iron in their body. But they need 7–16 mg per day for their rapid early growth, building blood, muscle, and organs. The MSD Veterinary Manual describes this as one of the most common nutritional deficiencies in neonatal pigs.
The problem: sow's milk provides only about 1 mg of iron per day. That is a massive deficit. Without supplementation, piglets exhaust their iron reserves by day 3–4 and become anemic by day 7–10.
"Puti ang biik, kinahanglan og puthaw." (The piglet is pale, it needs iron.)
What Happens Without Iron
Anemic piglets show these signs:
- Pale skin and gums healthy piglets are pink; anemic ones turn white or grayish
- Rough, dull hair coat
- Weakness slow to stand, poor suckling
- Rapid breathing ("thumping") the heart works harder to circulate oxygen-poor blood
- Poor growth anemic piglets grow 20–30% slower and reach market weight 2–4 weeks later
- Higher mortality up to 30% mortality in untreated litters by week 3
- Increased scours susceptibility weakened immune system cannot fight E. coli and other gut infections
How to Give the Injection
Product
Iron dextran (100 mg iron per mL). The Merck Veterinary Manual puts the dose at 100–200 mg of iron dextran by IM injection in the first three days of life. Available at virtually every agri-vet supply store in the Philippines under brands like FerroStar, Dextra-Iron, or generic iron dextran. A 100 mL bottle costs approximately ₱80–150 and provides enough for about 50 piglets.
Timing
- Day 3 of life the standard recommendation
- Optional second dose at day 10–14 if piglets are housed entirely on concrete or slatted floors with no access to soil
Dosage
1 mL per piglet (= 100 mg iron), intramuscular (IM).
Injection site
Behind the ear (neck muscle) or inner thigh (ham). The neck is easier and preferred:
- Clean the injection site with iodine or alcohol
- Use an 18–20 gauge needle, 1 inch long
- Insert the needle into the neck muscle at a slight angle
- Inject slowly
- Withdraw and apply light pressure
- Use a clean needle for each litter at minimum (ideally each piglet)
What About Soil Access?
In traditional Philippine backyard farming where pigs root in dirt, piglets get some iron naturally from the soil. This is why some experienced farmers say "dili kinahanglan og injection kung naa sa yuta" (no injection needed if they are on soil).
Partially true. Soil does provide some iron. But the amount varies a lot, and dirty soil also exposes piglets to parasites and bacteria. The injection is cheap insurance.
If your piglets are on concrete, slatted floors, or any pen without soil access, the injection is non-negotiable. There is no natural iron source.
What to Buy: Brands and Costs
| Product | Brand | Size | Price | Piglets per Bottle | Cost per Piglet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iron dextran 100 mg/mL | Daviron Plus (generic) | 100 mL | ₱80-₱120 | ~50 | ₱1.60-₱2.40 |
| Iron dextran 100 mg/mL | FerroStar | 100 mL | ₱100-₱150 | ~50 | ₱2.00-₱3.00 |
| Iron dextran 100 mg/mL | Dextra-Iron | 100 mL | ₱90-₱130 | ~50 | ₱1.80-₱2.60 |
| Iron dextran 200 mg/mL | Various (double strength) | 100 mL | ₱120-₱180 | ~100 (0.5 mL/piglet) | ₱1.20-₱1.80 |
| Disposable needles (18G) | Generic | Box of 100 | ₱150-₱250 | n/a | ₱1.50-₱2.50 |
Available at any agri-vet supply store. Daviron Plus is the most common budget option in Visayas and Mindanao. If your store only has the 200 mg/mL concentration, give 0.5 mL per piglet instead of 1 mL. Check the label.
For a litter of 8 piglets, your total iron injection cost is ₱13-₱24 plus ₱12-₱20 for needles. Call it ₱30-₱45 per litter. That's what you're spending to prevent 20-30% growth loss across the entire litter. Pretty much the cheapest intervention in pig farming.
Common Mistakes
- Skipping the injection because piglets "look fine" anemia is invisible until it is severe. By the time you see pale skin, the piglet has been iron-deficient for days.
- Using expired iron dextran check the expiry date. Store away from direct sunlight and heat.
- Injecting in the wrong location too close to the spine causes nerve damage; subcutaneous (under skin instead of into muscle) causes a hard abscess lump.
- Sharing one needle between many litters spreads disease. Disinfect between litters at minimum.
- Relying on iron paste alone oral iron is less effective than injection because absorption through the gut is unreliable in young piglets.
Bisaya / Cebuano
Iron Injection sa Baktin: Giya para sa Mag-uuma
Ngano kinahanglan:
Ang baktin gatawo nga gamay ra kaayo og iron sa lawas, mga 50 mg lang. Pero kinahanglan niya og 7-16 mg kada adlaw para motubo. Ang gatas sa anay naghatag lang og 1 mg. Kung walay iron injection, maanemic ang baktin sa day 7-10: puti, luya, hinay motubo.
Unsaon (step by step):
- Day 3 sa kinabuhi sa baktin, tuslokon na
- Gamita og iron dextran (Daviron Plus, FerroStar, o Dextra-Iron), 1 mL matag baktin
- I-inject sa liog (neck muscle), dili sa udto sa likod (basin madamage ang nerve)
- Gamita og limpyo nga dagom (18-20 gauge). Limpyohi og Betadine ang tuslokan
- Usa ka dagom matag litter minimum, pero mas maayo usa ka dagom matag baktin
Pila ang gasto:
| Unsa | Presyo |
|---|---|
| Daviron Plus 100 mL | ₱80-₱120 (para sa 50 ka baktin) |
| FerroStar 100 mL | ₱100-₱150 |
| Dagom (box of 100) | ₱150-₱250 |
| Total matag baktin | ₱2-₱5 lang |
Mao ra kana. ₱2-₱5 matag baktin para malikay sa 20-30% nga kawala sa growth. Kung naa kay 8 ka baktin sa usa ka litter, ₱16-₱40 lang ang total. Walay mas barato nga investment sa pig farming.
Mga sayop nga kanunay:
- Dili motusok tungod "OK ra man tan-awon." Ang anemia dili makita hangtod grabe na. Sa panahon nga puti na ang gums, days na nga iron-deficient ang baktin.
- Paggamit og motor oil o diesel sa panit. Dili ni tambal, poison ni. Ang iron injection mao ang tambal, dili ang lana.
- Dili motusok kung naa sa yuta ang baktin. Partially tinuod nga makakuha og iron sa yuta. Pero dili enough ug dili consistent. Ang injection mas sure.
"Puti ang biik, kinahanglan og puthaw." Tulo ka adlaw, tuslokon na.
Learn More
- When to castrate piglets: timing, technique, and aftercare
- Why piglets die in the first week: iron deficiency is one hidden cause
- How to tell if your pig is pregnant: prepare for farrowing including iron supplies
- Pig diseases in the Philippines, anemia and related conditions
Sources: BAI "Piglet Management During the First Week" (Extension bulletin), Merck Veterinary Manual: Iron Deficiency Anemia in Piglets, PCAARRD Swine Technology Guide, FAO Farmer's Handbook on Pig Production.
