Solving the Pig Mortality Puzzle

Researchers share study results that could help farmers increase sow longevity and piglet livability.

- By Courtney Love

High mortality rates have plagued pig farmers for years. In the last decade, sow mortality rates have increased, costing farmers about $800—$1,000 per loss.

“As an industry, we know that we are not where we want mortality to be today, so we need to keep working at it,” said Mike Tokach, a professor and Extension specialist at Kansas State University. “In terms of mortality, you could blame it on the geneticists or the veterinarian, but it is going to take getting everybody involved.”

In 2022, Improving Pig Survivability, a five-year program funded by the National Pork Checkoff and the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, began seeking solutions to increase sow longevity and piglet livability through better management practices. The researchers found several revelations in their studies of raising gilts, caring for sows, and weaning piglets.

Root Causes Dent Sow Herds

In many gestating barns, the loss of sows is rooted in prolapse, the weakening of internal tissues supporting the rectum, vagina, and uterus. Jason Ross, an Iowa State University (ISU) professor, says researchers attributed 20%—30% of mortality on farms to sow prolapse.

“It’s a costly problem for the industry that wasn’t one 10 or 12 years ago,” Ross said. Researchers are still getting to the root cause of prolapse, Ross added.

One study proved that thin sows, or sows bred at lighter weights, were at higher risk than normal-weight or overweight sows. Ross said farmers can use the industry's body conditioning score as a guide for bumping up feed intake for thinner and late-gestation sows to lower their chances of pelvic organ prolapse.