Pig Neonatal Care: Reducing Piglet Mortality in the First Week of Life

Piglet mortality in the first week of life is a major welfare and productivity problem in commercial pig farming. Crushing by the sow, chilling, starvation, and disease are the primary causes, all of which are preventable with good stockmanship.

Key Facts

Pre-weaning mortality in commercial pigs typically ranges from 10-20%, with the majority of deaths occurring in the first 72 hours after birth
Crushing (overlay) by the sow accounts for approximately 50% of pre-weaning deaths in loose-housed systems and is a major welfare concern for both piglets and sows
Piglets are born with minimal body fat reserves and are highly vulnerable to hypothermia; environmental temperature in the creep area should be 30-34°C at birth
Colostrum intake in the first 6-12 hours of life is critical for passive immunity; piglets that fail to suckle adequately have much higher mortality and morbidity rates
Modern hyperprolific sow breeds regularly produce litters of 15-18 piglets, often exceeding the sow's functional teat number of 14, requiring cross-fostering or split-suckling management
Farrowing crates prevent crushing but severely restrict sow movement and natural farrowing behaviour, creating significant welfare trade-offs
Farrowing huts with appropriate design features such as low rails, escape gaps, and high-quality bedding can reduce crushing while allowing more natural sow behaviour

Welfare Considerations

The first week of a piglet's life is characterised by substantial suffering and death in many commercial systems. Crushing deaths are often protracted — piglets may be pinned and slowly suffocate or be injured rather than immediately killed. Chilling piglets that fail to access the creep heater experience hypothermia progressively over hours. The welfare cost of high pre-weaning mortality is immense at population scale: the global pig population produces billions of piglets annually, and even modest mortality rates represent enormous numbers of animals dying painfully in their first days of life. Improved stockmanship, better farrowing environment design, and management of litter size relative to sow capacity are proven interventions that reduce this burden.

What You Can Do

Support pig welfare standards and certification schemes that require minimum pre-weaning mortality performance metrics
Advocate for research investment in farrowing system designs that protect piglets without fully confining the sow
Ask pig farmers and pork producers about their pre-weaning mortality rates and management protocols
Choose higher-welfare pork products from farms with documented good neonatal care practices
Support breeding programmes that select for appropriate litter sizes matched to sow capacity, not maximum piglet numbers
Back European and national legislation setting welfare standards for farrowing systems and colostrum management
Donate to pig welfare research organisations working to reduce pre-weaning mortality through evidence-based interventions