Neonatal piglet welfare in the first hours and days of life is critical, with management interventions including adequate warmth, colostrum access, and skilled supervision significantly reducing mortality and suffering.
The critical neonatal period determines the survival and welfare trajectory of each piglet's life. Hypothermic piglets experience progressive cold distress and weakness before death - a welfare harm that begins at birth and proceeds without human intervention. Crushing deaths, while often quick, cause acute trauma. The combination of large litter sizes in modern production with individual piglet vulnerability creates a high-risk period requiring intensive management. Simple interventions - adequate supplemental heat, skilled supervision during farrowing, split suckling management for large litters - dramatically reduce both mortality and the suffering associated with it. These interventions are evidence-based and achievable in commercial settings.