First-Day Farrowing House Procedures –Piglets

Determine farm protocols to:

  • Provide a dry, warm environment for all piglets.
  • Observe each pig for health status and vigor.
  • Assure that appropriate amounts of colostrum are available and consumed by each piglet.
  • Identify and provide appropriate treatments for sick, newborn pigs.
  • Record observations and actions taken for improvement in animal care.
  • Determine criteria to revise current protocols or take additional actions.

There are multiple ways to perform this procedure. The following is a template to assist in customizing a standard operating procedure for this procedure on your farm. Edit as necessary to describe the procedures specific to your farm.

Introduction

First-day farrowing procedures are critical to help ensure piglets’ immediate and future health. Piglets need to be farrowed in a safe, warm, draft-free environment and have access to colostrum (first milk) as soon as possible.

Safety

Hazards: stepped on by animal, struck by animal, stuck by or against object, cut, needle stick, fall (slip, trip), caught between gates, sow feeder or safety bars, animal bite, pinch points, dust (respiratory), noise (hearing)

Personal protective equipment (PPE) that may be used to help ensure safety includes protective eyewear, hearing protection, exam gloves and safety-toe boots.

Preparation

Supplies for first-day farrowing proceduresmay include:

  • Heat lamps and/or mats
  • Temperature gun
  • “Hot box” container
  • Small container for sow milk
  • Syringe without needle
  • Oxytocin and administration supplies

Procedure

Provide a warm, dry area appropriate for piglet needs.

  • If using heat lamps and mats, adjust the height of the heat lamp in the farrowing stall’s piglet area so that the surface temperature of the mat in that area is approximately 95° F.
  • If using a heated enclosure such as a “hot box,” place a second heat lamp over a container, tub or box. Placea bedding layer of sawdust, rolled oats or other drying agent in the box to help piglets quickly dry following birth. Prior to use, the hot box should be cleaned, disinfected and dried.

Dry and warm all piglets.

  • If using hot boxes, place any wet, recently-farrowed piglets, and any chilled piglets that need warming, into the hot box until they are dry and warm.
  • If using heat lamps, dry piglets and place them under the heat lamp.

If using the split-suckle technique:

  • Place bigger piglets that have already suckled in the hot box. Then make sure that any smaller piglets start to suckle.
  • After the small piglets have had a sufficient chance to suckle (approximately60 minutes), remove the larger piglets from the hot box, and place the smaller piglets in the hot box.
  • If the litter is evenly sized, place one-half of the litter in the box, and leave the other half of the litter out at a time.

Conducting regular checks of newly farrowed litters will improve piglet survival. Observe each pig to determine if it’s sucking. Full bellies indicate adequate colostrum intake. Piglets with partially full bellies may require assistance getting colostrum as follows:

  • Hold the piglet needing colostrum up to teat, and strip milk out of teat into piglet’s mouth.
  • Split-suckle the litter again. You may put up to 10 piglets in a box/basket and leave as few astwopiglets out if there are only twothat need help.
  • Oral administration of colostrum:
  • Strip some milk out of a sowinto to get the milk into a small container.
  • Place sow’s milk into syringe (without needle attached).
  • Slowly give 5 cc of milk to the piglet orally with a syringe. Do not force milk down, since milk may get into the lungs of a struggling piglet.

Check sows where whole litters don’t seem to be getting enough milk. The sow may:

  • Have mastitis
  • Have a retained piglet
  • Not have sufficient water
  • Need oxytocinto help let down milk
  • Need to be let out of the stall and allowed to walk

Follow-up

Determine farm pre-weaning mortality target. If the farm exceeds this target, consult your farm supervisor.