Colostrum intake in the first hours after birth is critical for piglet survival and welfare. Management practices significantly affect how many piglets receive adequate colostrum.
The race for colostrum in the first hours after birth is a matter of survival for piglets. In large litters, competition for teats is intense, and smaller or weaker piglets are often outcompeted by stronger littermates. Piglets failing to receive adequate colostrum suffer higher rates of disease, crushing, and starvation in the first week of life — a major source of piglet welfare problems in commercial production. Management interventions including supervised farrowing, split suckling, fostering to even litter sizes, and colostrum supplementation directly address this welfare bottleneck and simultaneously improve farm productivity.