Glacier FarmMedia – The first 24 hours of a piglet’s life are critical—get it right, and you’re on your way to a healthy, thriving market hog. Get it wrong, and you could be looking at lifelong struggles.
Fortunately, there are experts such as Laura Greiner, an associate professor of animal sciences at Iowa State University, whose business it is to understand these things. She shared some of that knowledge with the audience at last month’s Swine Seminar in Winnipeg.
“If we think about all mortality from birth to market, half of that is occurring from birth to wean,” said Greiner, highlighting the importance of those first 24 hours.
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She added that modern breeding trends, which prioritize total born over birth weight, have led to an increase in the number of pigs in the 700 to 900 gram range. Piglets weighing less than 700 grams have nearly a 90 per cent mortality rate, while those around 900 grams experience about 40 per cent mortality. This significantly complicates management and care.
In order to help farmers navigate that complicated landscape, Greiner highlighted some important areas for farmers to prioritize during those first precious hours of a piglet’s life, when every decision can influence the piglet’s survival and growth potential.
“I’m not going to tell you this is the exact way to handle day-one pig care, as every farm and production system is different, with unique needs,” said Greiner, adding she hoped it would give farmers some food for thought on how to approach it on their own farms.
Preparation
Care starts before birth, with proper gilt selection in the development phase. Greiner recommended selecting gilts with enough teats to support a large litter, and choosing gilts with evenly spaced teats so every piglet has room to nurse.
It’s also important to think about the sow’s body condition as she’s going through gestation. Their diet should be adjusted to ensure a healthy fat and amino acid profile to support colostrum production.
“Sows that have more than 2.4 centimetres of back fat actually have poor colostrum quality,” said Greiner.
“So we don’t want overweight sows.”
And finally, a clean, dry farrowing house with properly prepared heat zones is essential for piglet health.
First moments after birth
Once the sow farrows, the clock starts ticking. The piglets are cold and wet, so it’s crucial to ensure warm, dry environments for piglets right after birth to help them start nursing quickly.
“Cold pigs don’t nurse; they’re just going to shiver in a corner, or worse yet, they lean up next to mom, and then she rolls over,” said Greiner.
“If they’re not nursing, they’re not getting colostrum, which could lead to enteric diseases down the road.”
Colostrum intake
Colostrum is essential for piglets. While it’s widely understood to provide vital antibodies, it also contains maternal immune cells that further bolster the piglet’s immune system, Greiner said.
These immune cells are part of the “entero-mammary system,” which facilitates the transfer of bacteria from the sow’s gut to the piglet, helping to establish the piglet’s essential gut microbiota.
However, there’s only so much colostrum to go around, and as litter size increases, each piglet gets less colostrum. This puts last-born piglets at a particular disadvantage, especially with delayed parturition.
If the labour is available, Greiner said research shows actively drying piglets and helping them nurse can reduce pre-weaning mortality by up to 38 per cent.
“So, there is an opportunity. It’s effective, but it comes at a cost,” she said, referring to the time investment required for drying each piglet.
Piglets can only benefit from colostrum for a brief window, making the timing of their first intake critical for their survival and health.
“We talk about the first six hours because this is when we start to see gut closure in the piglet, meaning they can no longer absorb immunoglobulin,” said Greiner.
“By 24 hours, that process is complete.”
Split suckling — is it worth it?
The practice of split suckling involves rotating piglets: half nurse from the sow while the other half warms up, and then they swap. The goal is for all piglets to receive equal amounts of colostrum.
However, Greiner pointed to research on its effectiveness that is mixed — only two studies showed a positive effect, while others found no benefit or even negative impacts.
In one study, pigs with enough teats per sow showed no improvement, and larger piglets were disadvantaged, unable to nurse long enough to meet their nutritional needs. Smaller piglets also showed limited benefits in terms of survival.
“But I do think that this is important; when you have large litters, there may be a benefit to split suckling,” said Greiner, adding that each farm may need to weigh the pros and cons based on their specific conditions.
Umbilical cord care
Umbilical cords can be a point of infection because they are often still carrying bacteria. Trim and disinfect the cords to reduce the risk of umbilical hernias and other infections, which can negatively affect piglet health and future performance.
“Research shows that 88 per cent of those umbilical cords still have bacteria in them,” said Greiner.
“And that umbilical cord is a freeway right into the body.”
Cross fostering
Cross-fostering, which means moving piglets to different sows to ensure all have access to a teat, should be done carefully. The rule of thumb used to be 72 hours, but Greiner said research now shows it’s best to move piglets within the first 24 hours, after they’ve had colostrum. Delaying this process can disrupt the bonding relationship between piglet and sow, which can also affect survival rates.
“These little critters, they know where they belong very early in life,” said Greiner.
“So get this done and get this done quickly.”
Don’t forget Mom
Greiner said producers must also pay attention to the sows.
“Make sure she’s in good body condition, maximize her intake and make sure she’s not constipated, she said.
“We don’t want her up and down those first 24 hours because that’s going to increase crushing risk.”
