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Production and Management Featured Articles
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Saving that Extra Piglet
By Bill Raufer, Pork Magazine - A pig's first three weeks are a time of great peril. While some baby pig deaths are outside of your control, others can be prevented, emphasizes animal scientist Don Lay with USDA's Agricultural Research Service.
"About a third of pre-weaning pig deaths occur during the first three days after farrowing," he notes. "Complicating the situation, a piglet's death is often due to interaction of several causes."
Lay continues, "Improvements in genetics and breeding techniques have made great strides increasing the breeding herd's prolificacy. The added profit potential is realized in operations where pigs weaned per sow are keeping pace with the numbers of pigs born alive. But on many farms, there are opportunities for improved care and management at farrowing and throughout the lactation period to make a significant difference in production and profitability."
His thought-provoking observations, explanations and suggestions may help you spot possible pig-saving opportunities in your farrowing facilities, management practices and herd-health program.
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