Farmed Animals

Early Piglet Welfare — The First Critical Days

The first days of a piglet's life are critical for welfare outcomes and are shaped by management and housing conditions.

Key Facts

Piglet mortality in the first week of life averages 10-15 percent in commercial systems
Crushing by sows is the leading cause of pre-weaning mortality
Piglets must receive colostrum within the first 12 hours for immune protection
Needle teeth clipping and tail docking within the first few days cause acute pain
Low birth weight piglets are particularly vulnerable to welfare problems in the first week

Welfare Considerations

Early piglet welfare is determined by a combination of housing conditions, sow welfare, and management at and immediately after farrowing. High pre-weaning mortality reflects welfare failure at this critical stage. Investment in farrowing system design, sow nutrition, and pain management for routine procedures prevents enormous suffering.

What You Can Do

Support welfare standards with mandatory colostrum provision and farrowing monitoring
Choose pork from farms with documented low pre-weaning mortality rates
Advocate for mandatory pain relief for all procedures performed on piglets
Support research into farrowing systems that protect piglet welfare without confining sows
Reduce pork consumption or switch to certified higher-welfare sources