Farm Animals

Farmed Pig Farrowing Supervision: Technology and Stockperson Skills

Night farrowing supervision using monitoring technology reduces piglet mortality while improving sow welfare in farrowing systems.

Key Facts

70% of piglet deaths occur in the first 72 hours, with the majority in the first 24 hours
Night farrowing without supervision is a major cause of preventable piglet mortality
Camera-based monitoring systems allow remote observation of farrowing sows
Machine learning algorithms predict farrowing onset 24-48 hours ahead with over 80% accuracy

Welfare Considerations

Piglets born without supervision in loose farrowing systems face higher crushing and starvation risk. Technology that enables remote monitoring and farrowing prediction allows targeted human intervention when it matters most, reducing welfare losses without requiring constant presence.

What You Can Do

Support pig welfare programmes that invest in farrowing supervision technology
Advocate for 24-hour supervision capability as a welfare standard in loose farrowing systems
Choose pork from farms with demonstrated mortality reduction through active farrowing management