Piglet Attributes at Birth Can Influence Survival

Abstract

Piglet attributes at birth are important for postnatal survival. Knot et al. (2002) demonstrated that some aspects of piglet quality had declined due to prior selection for improved production efficiency. Determining attributes (eg. birth weight, rectal temperature, crown-to-rump length) which define better piglet quality and therefore an improved survival rate may enable producers to identify "at risk" piglets (for intervention) and potentially new selection criteria for breeding programs. We hypothesise that individual piglet attributes evaluated soon after birth in a commercial setting are associated with their survival until weaning.