Pork News & Views

摘要: As litter sizes continue to increase, so will the production of small, less competitive piglets. Often these are the smaller birth weight piglets, but with the right care immediately after birth, they can become full value pigs. Remember that piglets have very few energy reserves when born. They need to get dry and suckle shortly after birth in order to thrive. Keep in mind that if a piglet doesn’t suckle right away, and appears cold, it needs to be given an energy boost before being put under a heat lamp or on a heat pad. A good dose of colostrum is also very important for each and every piglet, as this is how they receive immunity from their mother. Cross fostering, split suckling, raised decks and nutritional management strategies can all be used as tools to increase the performance of these piglets. Strong neonatal management in the farrowing room can significantly decrease PWM rates, improving animal welfare and increasing the number of full value pigs going to market.