Hypothermia is the leading cause of neonatal piglet death, causing significant preventable suffering in the first days of life.
Neonatal hypothermia causes suffering and death in millions of piglets annually. The cold piglet that cannot compete for colostrum suffers from both hypothermia and starvation before dying. Providing adequate supplemental heat is one of the highest-impact neonatal welfare interventions available in pig farming and is relatively low cost.