Reducing mortality rates in piglets in farrowing environments

摘要

Increased litter size might sound good for the books, but not if it leads to higher mortality rates. DUE TO SELECTIVE breeding, piglet litter sizes have increased in many pig-producing nations. In Denmark, where pigs outnumber people by four to one, litter sizes have increased from 12 to more than 18 in the last 20 years. This has had a negative impact on piglet survivability, increasing the number of dead piglets to about 2-4 per litter.