Mortality Scoring Systems for Farmed Pig Welfare Assessment

Systematic recording and analysis of pig mortality patterns provides welfare auditors and farmers with evidence-based tools to identify husbandry problems before they escalate.

Key Facts

Pre-weaning piglet mortality averages 12-18% in European intensive systems
Crushing by sows accounts for the largest share of pre-weaning deaths in farrowing systems
Mortality scoring distinguishes treatable from systemic causes, enabling targeted intervention
Tail-biting outbreaks can escalate to mortality levels of 2-5% in affected finishing pens
Post-mortem examination of dead pigs provides welfare intelligence inaccessible from live inspection

Welfare Considerations

Mortality data is welfare data. High death rates in pig units indicate conditions that cause suffering among survivors as well as those that die. Systematic mortality scoring — recording cause, age, and location of deaths — allows farms to distinguish between sporadic losses and systemic welfare failures. Regulatory frameworks that require mortality recording and trigger inspections above threshold rates provide meaningful incentives for farm improvement. Coupling mortality data with Welfare Quality protocols gives a comprehensive picture of herd welfare status.

What You Can Do

Support certification schemes that require pork producers to report and act on mortality data
Choose pork from producers with transparent welfare auditing including mortality metrics
Advocate for mandatory mortality recording and veterinary post-mortem requirements in pig farming
Reduce pork consumption to decrease demand on intensive production systems