The supply chain for pigs is a long chain that is not resilient to environmental changes. The
most vulnerable point in the chain occurs at the pig production level, which consists of
breeding units, great grandparents, grandparents, parents and fattening units. Similar to
other agricultural chains, the pig chain is susceptible to disruptions, such as disease outbreaks.
The reaction to any disruptions in supply or demand can take several months or
even years. A manager might be unable to anticipate changes in the production units and,
thus, be unable to effectively manage the chain. In this study, we develop a system dynamics
model as a tool for managers to visualise the movement of the entire production
chain. This tool enables the integration of important factors at each breeding level that will
affect the number of fattening pigs. Scenarios were applied to explore the mechanism of
the model, and case studies were developed to represent an integrated pig company.