Best practice fostering

Pre-weaning mortality is the major cause of production loss in the farrowing area with around 80 per cent of piglet losses occuring in the first 72 hours after farrowing. These losses are often due to a lack of colostrum.

Mortality rises with increasing litter size, and as such, piglets will often need to be fostered to ensure they survive.

Guidelines for Fostering: Getting the “one per centers” right is a manual which will assist farrowing house staff in the everyday tasks impacting the successful fostering of piglets.

Value for producers:

• Maximise piglet survival and growth

Recommendations:

• Piglets must be kept warm (above 30 degrees for their first week of life)
• Fostering should only occur in the first 24 hours of lactation, and could only occur to ensure piglets have access to colostrum
• Nurse or foster sows should have at least 12 functional teats, be well-natured, in good body condition, and look after their own piglets well.