Neonatal piglet welfare in the first 72 hours of life is determined by farrowing environment, sow condition, litter management, and stockperson skill, with mortality rates reflecting welfare standards.
The farrowing period concentrates significant welfare costs for both sow and piglets. Sows confined in farrowing crates cannot perform nesting behavior — a highly motivated pre-farrowing drive — causing significant frustration. Piglets face the combined hazards of competition for colostrum, crushing, hypothermia, and starvation in large litters that exceed sow milk capacity. The trajectory of neonatal piglet welfare is heavily influenced by management: stockperson attention and skill during farrowing, provision of heating lamps and dry bedding, and early identification of piglets failing to thrive all determine survival and subsequent welfare. Higher welfare farrowing systems that allow sow freedom of movement require careful design and skilled management to achieve comparable survival rates, but demonstrate that sow welfare need not be sacrificed for piglet survival.