Sow Health Influences Piglet Survival

Abstract

Identifying factors which affect piglet survival can help producers develop interventions and management strategies to reduce pre-weaning mortality. While puerperal disease affects subsequent fertility and litter size of sows (Hoy, 2006), Gerjets and Kempter (2009) suggested that the primary economic impact of post-parturient problems is via increased pre-weaning mortality of piglets. We hypothesis that both pre- and post-farrowing sow characteristics can be identified which are indicative risk factors for their piglets' survival until weaning and examine a range of potentially important sow level factors in a multivariate context.