Farm Animal Welfare

Farm Animal Welfare: Pig Neonatal Anaemia Prevention

Iron deficiency anaemia is ubiquitous in piglets housed on concrete, as they lack access to soil, requiring preventive supplementation.

Key Facts

Piglets are born with minimal iron stores and sow's milk is low in iron
Anaemia develops rapidly within 7-10 days without supplementation on indoor systems
Iron injection is the standard prevention method but causes brief injection pain
Oral iron supplementation or iron-rich substrates are alternatives to injection
Failure to supplement causes poor growth, increased susceptibility to disease, and increased mortality

Welfare Considerations

Neonatal anaemia causes fatigue, poor growth, and immune compromise in unprotected piglets. Prevention is simple and low-cost. Whilst injection causes brief discomfort, it prevents much greater suffering from anaemia. Providing iron-rich rooting substrate such as peat or soil also allows natural behavioural expression alongside supplementation.

What You Can Do

Support pig producers who provide enrichment substrate alongside preventive treatment
Choose pork products from farms with documented piglet health protocols
Advocate for iron provision to be included in all pig welfare standards