Intestinal diseases are still a problem with nursery-aged pigs. Good hygiene practices are essential for minimizing disease, and this includes running all-in-all-out and washing/sanitization. Barns should be built with materials that are easy to clean. This involves smooth surfaces because of the fact that more infectious organic matter can be lodged in crevices in rough surfaced materials. Dampening the room before high-powered washing can sustain the fecal matter and make removal easier. Proper disinfection should follow immediately after washing to help minimize such diseases as PCV2. Dipping in boot baths along is not suffice; boots need to be scrubbed and cleaned prior to disinfecting in the boot bath.

Three basic rules for a nursery pigs nutritional program include: 1) Start with as heavy a pig as possible. Due to the industry weaning early, the heavier and older pigs tend to grow faster and do better health-wise. 2) Feed as simple diets as possible. This includes lowest-cost feed (to an extent), which can include soybean and grains. The pigs energy feed intake must be maximized (by use of ingredients such as fats) and we make sure that the ingredients used are digestible by the piglets. Supplementing nursery diets with 3000 ppm Zinc Oxide post-weaning has also been observed to have beneficial effects in helping control post-weaning E. coli infections. 3) Focus on nursery feeding management. Adding fiber or restricting feed intake are not viable options for controlling intestinal disease. Feeders need to be adjusted properly as to not allow too much or too little, both of which cases can increase the chance of intestinal disease. Approximately 25 to 50% of the feeding pan should be visible in the first few days after weaning.