Farm Animal Welfare

Pig Neonatal Mortality Welfare

Causes of and interventions for neonatal pig mortality, which represents a major welfare problem in commercial pig production.

Key Facts

Neonatal mortality affects 10-25% of piglets in commercial production
Hypothermia, starvation, and crushing by the sow are the primary causes
Hyperprolific genetics that produce large litters increase neonatal mortality rates
Farrowing assistance and supervision in the first 24 hours dramatically reduces mortality
Split suckling and fostering protocols help smaller piglets access colostrum

Welfare Considerations

Neonatal pig mortality represents an enormous welfare burden. Each piglet that dies experiences varying degrees of suffering - from hypothermia to starvation to crushing - before death. The trend toward larger litters in commercial genetics has exacerbated this problem by producing more piglets than sows have teats to feed. Active management of farrowing through supervision, assistance, and strategic fostering can substantially reduce neonatal welfare suffering.

What You Can Do

Support farms with documented low neonatal mortality rates
Advocate for hyperprolific genetics to be evaluated for welfare impacts including neonatal mortality
Choose pork from farms with active farrowing supervision protocols