Pig Litter Welfare: From Birth to Weaning

How the period from birth to weaning shapes pig welfare outcomes and what management practices best support piglet and sow welfare.

Key Facts

The first 24 hours of life are critical for piglet welfare — colostrum intake, thermoregulation, and teat access all matter
Pre-weaning piglet mortality averages 10-15% in commercial systems, much of which is preventable with improved management
Crushing by the sow accounts for the largest proportion of piglet deaths in farrowing systems
Piglets are highly temperature-sensitive in the first week of life, requiring microenvironments of 32-35 degrees Celsius
Anti-bite nose clips used in some systems to prevent piglet cannibalism are a welfare concern requiring better alternatives

Welfare Considerations

The farrowing and lactation period from birth to weaning is the highest-welfare-risk period in commercial pig production. The welfare of sow and piglets are interlocked — a sow in a farrowing crate cannot express maternal behaviour, and her stress responses affect her milk production and care of piglets. Piglets face cold, competition for teats, and risk of crushing from the earliest moments of life. Management practices that improve farrowing welfare — reducing the sow's ability to express maternal behaviour through better crate design or crate-free systems, providing adequate creep heat for piglets, and ensuring all piglets access adequate colostrum — make a substantial difference to outcomes for both sow and litter.

What You Can Do

Support farming systems moving toward farrowing crate alternatives that allow greater sow freedom of movement
Choose pork from farms with documented lower pre-weaning piglet mortality rates
Advocate for farrowing crate-free alternatives to be required in higher-welfare certification schemes
Follow research into welfare-positive farrowing systems from institutions including Bristol Veterinary School
Engage with food companies about their commitments to farrowing crate alternatives in their pig supply chains