Getting pigs born alive and started right in the first few days of life can reasonably be called “risk management.”

It is estimated that any increase in survivability achieved by reduction of stillborn rate or preweaning mortality will improve cost of production by at least 50-60¢/pig.

Risk factors vary by farm, management style and, perhaps most importantly, with the level of staff training. The 12 risk factors that follow, and the management recommendations that address them, were compiled from controlled and in-field studies.

1. Pigs born without supervision (during lunch break, at the end of the day, overnight)

   Some studies show the stillbirth rate of unsupervised farrowings at twice the frequency as supervised farrowings (6% vs. 3%).

   Further, when additional supervision was extended through the first three days of life, the risk of death fell from 1.29 pigs in unsupervised litters to 0.85 pigs in supervised litters.

   The success of supervised farrowings is dependent on effective training of farrowing attendees, and whether sows were induced to farrow at a time when employees were available.

   On farms where monitoring is available 24 hours a day, induction may not be necessary. However, when sows are induced to farrow, more pigs are available for crossfostering, farrowings can be timed to when supervision is available, and there is more opportunity to pre-plan other tasks in the farrowing barn.

   Farrowing attendees can provide sows and pigs with extra individual care, such as:

   • Remove placental membranes to prevent suffocation;

   • Warm and dry newborn piglets (hot boxes, toweling, drying agents);

   • Give special care to lower viability pigs (extra heat, colostrum);

   • Practice split suckling of large litters;

   • Administer fluid to dehydrated pigs (orally or subcutaneously);

   • Tape the legs of splay-legged pigs;

   • Record natural farrowing interval of individual sows using monitoring cards;

   • Offer obstetrical assistance when farrowing interval exceeds normal farrowing interval for a sow;

   • Practice early crossfostering post colostral intake.

   Additional tasks farrowing attendees can do:

   • Flag high-risk sows to increase observation;

   • Remove fecal material behind sows;

   • Shorten or tie navel cords;

   • Administer early treatments prescribed by veterinarian;

   • Ensure early colostral intake of all pigs via split suckling, syringe feeding or stomach tubing prior to crossfostering;

   • Walk farrowing crates the first three days to check for laid-ons, weak pigs, signs of illness in sows (mastitis, agalactia, infections);

   • Treat sows aggressive to pigs;

   • Stagger lunch breaks so someone is with farrowing sows at all times;

   • Late in the day, mark first born, so if pigs need to be crossfostered before staff leaves, they know which pigs most likely have had colostrum.

   Timing of induction is the key to optimizing the viability of the pigs and the number of sows farrowing during the day. It is recommended that induction be based on the average gestation length of the herd.

2. Born to high-risk sows

   Higher stillborn rates in litters from older sows are well-documented.

   In the mid-'80s, research by Tim Blackwell, DVM, showed the risk of stillborns in Parities 1 and 2 at 15%, Parities 3 and 4 at 25%, Parities 5 and 6 at 35%, and Parities 7 and higher at 45%.

   Some farrowing managers choose to only induce and monitor high-risk sows (Parity 4 and higher), thin or obese sows, or sows with a history of stillborns. It is helpful to flag high- risk sows as rooms are loaded or at induction.

   Attendees must understand that if a sow is synchronized with oxytocin 20-24 hours post-induction, increased vigilance is necessary to ensure the sow is provided wise obstetrical intervention (vaginal palpation; udder stimulation; oxytocin administration) when farrowing interval is excessive.