How to Stop Piglets From Dying Shortly After Birth

How to Stop Piglets From Dying Shortly After Birth

My best sow farrowed fourteen piglets one cold night, and by the end of the week I was burying six of them. Nobody was to blame, I told myself. That is just how pigs are, some die. It took a visiting vet, a thermometer, and a long look at my farrowing pen to show me that every one of those six deaths had a cause I could have prevented.

Here is the direct answer. Most piglets that die in the first days of life die from only a handful of causes: chilling, starvation because they did not get enough colostrum or milk, crushing by the sow, and infections or scours in dirty pens. Weak, small piglets are the most at risk. You stop the losses by keeping newborns warm and dry, making sure every piglet drinks colostrum in the first hours, giving the sow a safe, clean farrowing space where she cannot easily crush them, supervising births, and caring for the weak ones early. These steps cost little, and on most small farms they cut losses dramatically.

Let me walk you through how I handle it, from the late days of pregnancy to the end of the first week.

What most farmers get wrong

The first mistake is accepting piglet deaths as normal. Some losses are unavoidable, but many farms lose far more than they need to. If you are regularly losing a fifth or more of every litter, something in your management needs fixing.

The second mistake is leaving piglets cold. A newborn piglet is born wet, with little body fat, and cannot keep itself warm. A draughty or cold pen can chill piglets in minutes, and a chilled piglet will not suckle, which leads to starvation.

The third mistake is missing colostrum. The first milk carries antibodies that protect piglets from disease, and it provides energy. A piglet that does not drink colostrum within the first hours is at serious risk. Weak or small piglets, and those born last, are often pushed out.

The fourth mistake is leaving the sow unsupervised during farrowing. Without help, some piglets get stuck in membranes, suffocate, or are born into a cold, dirty pen and left.

The fifth mistake is a poor farrowing pen. Small, slippery floors, no rails, a pen full of wet bedding, or too much space can all increase crushing and chilling.

The sixth mistake is a thin or poorly fed sow. A sow in poor condition may have weak piglets and little milk. A sow that is overfed and fat may farrow with difficulty and crush more piglets.

Understanding why piglets die

Newborn piglets are fragile. They are born with very little body fat, a thin coat, and an immune system that does not work yet. They depend on warmth, colostrum, and a clean environment.

Chilling and hypothermia. A piglet’s body temperature can drop quickly in cool air, especially if it is wet. Piglets need a warm resting place, usually much warmer than the sow needs. A cold piglet becomes weak, stops suckling, and soon dies.

Starvation and low energy. Piglets have small energy reserves. If they miss feeds in the first hours, their blood sugar falls, and they weaken. Small or weak piglets lose out in the fight for the best teats, and a sow with little milk cannot feed a large litter.

Crushing. Sows are heavy and often lie down carelessly. Piglets that are weak, cold, or hungry lie close to the sow for warmth and are more likely to be crushed. A good farrowing pen reduces this risk, but cannot remove it completely.

Infections and scours. Dirty pens, wet bedding, and poor hygiene allow germs to multiply. Piglets with no colostrum get sick quickly. Diarrhoea, called scours, can dehydrate and kill young piglets rapidly.

Weak or stillborn piglets. Some piglets are born dead or very weak, because of a long, difficult farrowing, disease in the sow, poor nutrition, or other problems. Long births can starve piglets of oxygen.

Disease in the herd. Some diseases cause stillbirths, mummified foetuses, or weak piglets. If you see unusually high losses, repeated stillbirths, or sick sows, call a vet.

Savaging by the sow. Occasionally a nervous or stressed sow attacks her piglets. This is more common in first-time mothers or sows in a stressful environment.

Before farrowing: prepare the sow and the pen

Feed and manage the sow properly. A sow that is in good condition, not too thin and not too fat, in the last weeks of pregnancy gives birth to stronger piglets and has better milk. Provide a balanced feed suited to late pregnancy, with enough minerals and vitamins, and make sure she has constant access to clean water. Ask a vet or livestock officer for a ration that suits your breed and system. Sudden diet changes can upset her.

Keep the sow healthy. Follow a vaccination and parasite control programme set up by your vet. Healthy sows pass protection to their piglets through colostrum. Deworm and treat for lice and mange as advised.

Prepare the farrowing pen. Move the sow to the farrowing pen several days before she is due, so she can settle. Clean and disinfect the pen thoroughly beforehand, and let it dry. Use a disinfectant recommended by your vet or livestock officer and follow the label. Provide a dry, non-slippery floor, since wet or slippery floors cause injuries and crushing.

Provide protection rails or a farrowing crate, if possible, which gives piglets a safe space and reduces crushing. If you do not use crates, install guard rails around the pen walls, a bit above the floor, so piglets can escape under them when the sow lies down. Make sure the pen is the right size, not too big and not too small.

Provide bedding. Use clean, dry bedding such as straw, wood shavings, or similar materials, but avoid too much loose material that piglets could get tangled in. Add bedding in moderation and keep it dry.

Create a warm creep area. Piglets need a warm, draught-free resting spot of their own, separate from the sow. Provide a corner or covered area with a heat source, such as a heat lamp, heating pad, or similar, installed safely to avoid fire and burns. Newborn piglets need a much warmer environment than the sow. Ask your livestock officer what temperature to aim for at each age. Make sure the heat source is secure, and cannot fall or be knocked over. Keep the rest of the pen cooler so the sow stays comfortable.

Gather supplies. Before farrowing, keep clean towels or dry cloths, a bucket of warm water, antiseptic for the navel cord as advised, clean scissors or a clean blade, a torch, a thermometer, gloves, and the vet’s phone number ready.

During farrowing: supervise and help

Be present, but calm. Farrowing often takes several hours. Stay nearby, watch quietly, and avoid disturbing the sow unnecessarily. A calm sow farrows better.

Know the normal pattern. Piglets are usually born at intervals of fifteen to thirty minutes or so, though this varies, and the whole litter may take a few hours. Call a vet if the sow strains hard with no piglet for a long time, if she is exhausted, if there is heavy bleeding or foul discharge, or if the farrowing stops while piglets remain.

Dry and warm the piglets. As each piglet is born, check that it is breathing. Remove membranes from the nose and mouth with a clean cloth. Rub it dry with a towel, and place it under the heat source or in a warm, dry spot, if it is not already suckling.

Help weak piglets breathe. A limp piglet that does not breathe may be helped by clearing the airway and rubbing vigorously with a towel. If you are not sure how to do this, ask your vet to show you.

Care for the navel cord. If the cord is long, ask your vet how to tie and cut it safely and clean it with antiseptic. Dip or spray the navel cord with a recommended antiseptic to prevent infection. Do not use harsh or untested products.

Make sure every piglet gets colostrum. Within the first hour or so of life, piglets should find a teat and suckle. Guide weak piglets to a teat. If the piglet is too weak to suckle, ask your vet about safe ways to give colostrum, such as milking the sow, since forcing liquid down a weak piglet can send it into the lungs and kill it.

Watch for crushing. Keep an eye on the sow when she lies down, and be ready to help if a piglet is trapped. Move weak piglets to the warm area when they are not feeding, and return them to the sow for suckling.

Handle the afterbirth. The sow should pass the afterbirth within a few hours after the last piglet. Remove it from the pen when it comes. If it does not pass or the sow seems unwell, call a vet.

The first week: protect and monitor

Keep piglets warm. Maintain the warm creep area for the first days, and watch where the piglets rest. Piglets huddled tightly under the heat source are probably cold, and piglets spread out far from it may be too hot. Adjust the heat or position accordingly.

Check suckling. Every piglet should be feeding regularly, and have a round, full belly. Watch the litter for piglets that are small, weak, or not feeding. Check that the sow has milk, her teats are working, and she is eating and drinking normally.

Cross-fostering. In large litters, there may be more piglets than the sow has working teats. Moving some piglets to another sow that has farrowed at about the same time, once they have had colostrum from their own mother, can help. Ask your vet or experienced farmers about when and how to do this safely.

Look after weak piglets. Give small or weak piglets extra attention. Ensure they get access to a teat, and consider separating them for supervised feeding if advised. Do not try to hand-rear them without advice, as improper feeding can kill them.

Keep the pen clean and dry. Remove dung and wet bedding daily, and keep the floor as dry as you can. Cleanliness greatly reduces scours and infections.

Give iron. Newborn piglets reared indoors can develop anaemia in the first weeks because sow’s milk is low in iron. Ask your vet about iron supplementation and the right timing and method for your system. Do not guess at doses.

Handle routine procedures carefully. Procedures like tail docking, teeth clipping, castration, and ear notching are done on some farms. Some are restricted or discouraged in some places. If you do any of these, do them only as advised by a vet, with clean tools and care, and avoid doing too many procedures at once on very young piglets.

Watch for scours and illness. Check for diarrhoea, dullness, sunken eyes, shivering, coughing, or swollen joints. Sick piglets deteriorate fast. Call your vet early, because dehydration and infection can kill within a day or two. Do not give random medicines or antibiotics without advice.

Warning signs to watch for

I stay alert for piglets that are cold, shivering, or huddled apart, piglets not suckling, weak or small piglets at the back of the litter, a sow that is off her feed or has no milk, a hot or swollen udder, diarrhoea in the litter, piglets with a swollen or red navel, piglets lying under the sow, repeated stillbirths, and a sow that is restless or aggressive toward piglets. Any of these needs attention that day.

What I would do differently if I started today

I would buy a thermometer and set up a proper heated creep area before the first sow farrowed.

I would sit with every sow during farrowing, at least for the first few litters.

I would make sure every piglet had colostrum in the first hour.

I would keep records of litter sizes, births, and deaths, so I could see patterns.

I would invest in a clean, well-designed farrowing pen with protection rails.

And I would find a vet who knows pigs before I needed one.

Frequently asked questions

Why do newborn piglets die in the first few days?
The main causes are chilling, starvation because of low colostrum or milk, crushing by the sow, and infections. Weak and small piglets are most at risk.

How do I keep newborn piglets warm?
Provide a warm, dry, draught-free creep area with a safe heat source, dry the piglets at birth, and keep bedding clean and dry. Ask your livestock officer for the right temperature.

Why is colostrum so important for piglets?
It supplies antibodies and energy. Piglets that do not get enough in the first hours are far more likely to get sick and die.

How do I prevent the sow from crushing piglets?
Use a farrowing crate or guard rails, provide a safe, non-slippery pen of the right size, keep piglets warm so they do not lie against the sow, and supervise farrowing.

When should I call a vet?
If the sow strains for a long time without producing a piglet, if there is heavy bleeding or foul discharge, if there are many stillborn or weak piglets, if the sow is unwell, or if the piglets develop scours or other illness.

The advice worth bookmarking

A piglet is born with no fat, no defences, and no second chances, so give it warmth in the first minute, colostrum in the first hour, and a clean pen from the first day, and most of your losses will never happen.