Farm Animals

Pig Colostrum Management and Neonatal Welfare

Adequate colostrum intake in the first hours of life is critical for piglet survival and welfare, with failure of passive transfer causing immunodeficiency and high early mortality.

Key Facts

Piglets are born without maternal antibodies and rely entirely on colostrum for immune protection
The gut closes to antibody absorption within 24 hours of birth
Piglets need at least 200ml of colostrum in the first 12 hours for adequate immunity
Large litters exceed sow teat number, leaving some piglets without colostrum access
Colostrum banking and supplementary colostrum from recently farrowed sows saves high-risk piglets

Welfare Considerations

Failure to obtain colostrum causes immune failure, disease, and death in young piglets. Active management of colostrum access prevents large numbers of preventable deaths.

What You Can Do

Ensure all piglets suckle within 6 hours of birth as a minimum standard
Implement colostrum banking from high-producing sows to support high-risk litters
Reduce litter size to manageable numbers through split suckling protocols
Monitor piglet weight gain in first 24 hours as an indicator of colostrum success