A major welfare and economic issue in the swine industry is pre-weaning mortality (PWM). Pre-weaning mortality needs to be reduced in order to increase the welfare of the animals and the profits associated with them. There are many management techniques that can be put in place to help decrease PWM. Having staff present during farrowing may be the most beneficial technique, as problems can be detected and solved much sooner. Other management practices include checking sows in 30-minute intervals during farrowing, syringe feeding colostrum to non-viable piglets, split suckling on all litters with 14+ piglets, creating a litter of light piglets 24 hours post farrowing, using a nurse sow when the number of piglets born is greater than cross-fostering can accommodate, taping splay-legged piglets within 6 hours post farrowing, and preventing and managing savaging in sows.
Reducing pre-weaning mortality (full article)
