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Behavioural perspectives on piglet survival.

¹Animal Research Centre, Agriculture Canada, Ottawa.

Journal of Reproduction and Fertility. Supplement

|January 1, 1990

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Piglet mortality is high due to sibling competition and crushing. Preventing death requires identifying and separating weaker piglets, addressing malnutrition, and understanding litter-wide risk factors.

Area of Science:

Animal Science
Veterinary Medicine
Behavioral Ecology

Background:

Domestic piglet litters exhibit intense sibling competition, leading to significant variations in birth weight and growth rates.
High piglet mortality rates in unassisted litters suggest a reproductive strategy involving 'spare' young vulnerable to competition.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the primary behavioral causes of piglet mortality, focusing on malnutrition and crushing.
To identify key risk factors contributing to high mortality in entire litters of piglets.

Main Methods:

Analysis of behavioral pathways leading to piglet deaths, including suckling success and crushing incidents.
Examination of the relationship between piglet malnutrition, vulnerability to crushing, and sow behavior.

Related Experiment Videos

Identification of litter-wide risk factors such as early sow hypogalactia and piglet hypoxia.

Main Results:

Malnutrition from unsuccessful suckling and crushing by the sow are major causes of piglet death.
Ventral crushing remains a significant threat despite farrowing crates preventing posterior crushing.
Early malnutrition and farrowing difficulties (hypoxia) are identified as critical litter-wide risk factors.

Conclusions:

Preventing piglet mortality necessitates addressing malnutrition and crushing, with a focus on improving suckling success and reducing ventral crushing.
Interventions should target early identification and separate rearing of vulnerable piglets.
Future research should emphasize litter-wide risk factors, including sow milk production and birth process complications.