Farm Animals

Farmed Pig Piglet Hypothermia: Prevention and Intervention

Neonatal piglet hypothermia is a major cause of pre-weaning mortality that is preventable through environmental management.

Key Facts

Piglets are born with minimal fat reserves and cannot thermoregulate for the first days of life
Optimal creep area temperature is 32-35 degrees Celsius for newborn piglets
Heat lamps placed in creep areas reduce hypothermia mortality significantly
Night farrowing supervision enabling prompt drying of piglets after birth is critical

Welfare Considerations

Hypothermic piglets die from cold exposure over hours in a state of progressive weakness and distress. Maintaining appropriate creep temperatures and ensuring piglets are dried and warmed after birth prevents the majority of cold-related deaths. This is one of the most cost-effective welfare interventions in pig farming.

What You Can Do

Support farm welfare standards requiring appropriate creep heating and temperature management
Advocate for night farrowing supervision requirements in loose farrowing welfare standards
Choose pork from farms with documented low pre-weaning mortality from hypothermia prevention