Farm Animal Welfare

Pig Litter Size and Neonatal Survival Welfare

Increasing litter sizes in commercial pig breeding create welfare challenges for both piglets and sows that require systematic management responses.

Key Facts

Average litter sizes have increased from 11 to over 17 in some genetics
Born alive piglets have lower birth weight on average in large litters
Sow teat numbers limit the number of piglets that can be nursed directly
Litter standardisation through fostering requires careful management to avoid stress
Neonatal mortality in large litters exceeds 20% in poorly managed systems

Welfare Considerations

Large litters represent a welfare challenge at both ends - more small, vulnerable piglets, and sows under greater lactation stress. Genetic improvement must be balanced with management capacity to support neonatal survival.

What You Can Do

Advocate for litter size to be balanced with management capacity in breeding programmes
Support sow welfare research that considers lactation stress in modern genetics
Choose welfare-certified pork products that audit neonatal mortality rates