Farm Animals

Pig Farrowing Supervision and Night Births

Farrowing supervision significantly reduces neonatal piglet mortality, and extending checks to overnight periods where most births occur improves welfare outcomes.

Key Facts

Up to 70% of indoor pig farm farrowings occur between 10pm and 6am
Unassisted dystocic births and piglet overlays cause significant preventable mortality
Each 2-hour extension of overnight supervision reduces neonatal mortality by 2-4%
Thermal cameras and farrowing sensors alert staff to births without continuous presence
Labour costs of enhanced overnight supervision are offset by improved piglet survival

Welfare Considerations

Neonatal piglet mortality causes significant suffering and is substantially preventable through targeted supervision. Technology can support extended supervision without prohibitive labour costs.

What You Can Do

Support farms investing in farrowing alert technology for overnight supervision
Advocate for farrowing supervision standards in welfare certification
Ask pork producers about their protocols for overnight farrowing management