Farm Animal Welfare

Farm Pig: Farrowing Supervision and Welfare

Farrowing supervision is one of the highest-impact welfare interventions available, reducing stillbirths and piglet mortality through timely assistance.

Key Facts

Piglets born in the second half of a litter face higher hypoxia risk from placental separation
Intervention to assist stuck piglets or clear airways can save animals that would otherwise die
Farrowing typically peaks between 10pm and 4am, requiring overnight supervision coverage
Stockperson skills in farrowing assistance and neonatal care directly affect welfare outcomes
Electronic farrowing detection systems alert staff when sows begin farrowing

Welfare Considerations

Farrowing supervision prevents some of the most acute welfare harms in pig production. Stillborn piglets that could be revived with timely assistance represent preventable welfare waste. Piglets suffering from prolonged birth hypoxia but surviving may have neurological damage affecting lifelong welfare. Adequate supervision means all farrowings are monitored and all difficulties receive timely, skilled intervention.

What You Can Do

Ensure adequate overnight staffing during peak farrowing periods
Train all staff in neonatal resuscitation and farrowing assistance techniques
Keep resuscitation equipment including towels and glucose readily available
Record farrowing duration and stillbirth rates as welfare performance indicators
Consider electronic farrowing alert systems if manual overnight cover is challenging