The neonatal period is the highest-risk phase in a pig's life. How farms manage colostrum, warmth, and competing piglets determines survival rates and sets welfare trajectories for surviving animals.
The suffering of piglets who fail to access colostrum, are crushed by the sow, or die of hypothermia represents a significant welfare concern on farms with high litter sizes. Genetic selection for extreme litter size has outpaced neonatal care capacity on many farms. Welfare-positive approaches include split suckling, nurse sow programs for runt piglets, staff trained to intervene when piglets are failing, and appropriate farrowing environments. High neonatal mortality is not an inevitable feature of pig farming - it is a measurable welfare indicator that well-managed farms actively work to reduce.