Piglet Mortality in an Outdoor Farrowing Hut: What Contributes to their Demise Over the First 72-h After Parturition?

Pre-weaning mortality has been estimated to cost the industry over $100 million/yr and is a serious animal wellbeing concern. The objective of this study were to determine behavior (nursing) and postures, (active and inactive) for piglets over the first 72-h after parturition when housed in an outdoor farrowing hut. No differences were found for nursing (P = 0.69), active (P = 0.52), inactive (P = 0.59) or unknown (P = 0.78) for piglets that were killed or not killed over the first 72-h after parturition. In conclusion there were no differences in the behavioral repertoire performed by outdoor loose housed piglets that resulted in their death by crushing over the first 72-h after parturition. Therefore, finding few behavioral differences between treatments may indicate that variation among sow behavior is a more significant cause of piglet rushing than variation among piglet behaviors.