Breeding Management Technical Points to Improve Survival Rate of Suckling Piglets

Abstract

Suckling piglets have incompletely developed physiological functions and are highly sensitive to external environmental stimuli. Improper breeding management can easily induce piglet diseases and result in extremely high mortality, causing severe economic losses to farms. Based on the physiological characteristics of suckling piglets, this paper elaborates key technical points including intelligent regulation of pig house temperature, humidity, ventilation and light in modern pig farms, as well as intelligent feeding management for sows and piglets from three dimensions: optimizing breeding environment, managing sows scientifically and strengthening care for suckling piglets. The research aims to effectively raise the survival rate of suckling piglets and promote the sound and stable development of the hog breeding industry.

Keywords: suckling piglets; survival rate; breeding management; technology improvement; intelligent regulation; economic benefits

The suckling stage is one of the most critical links in the whole production cycle of hog breeding. The survival rate of piglets directly affects annual sow productivity, number of weaned piglets and subsequent fattening benefits. However, restricted by immature thermoregulation, underdeveloped digestive system, incomplete immune barrier of newborn piglets, as well as complex environments in large-scale farms, the mortality of suckling piglets remains high all year round, which becomes a core bottleneck restricting the economic benefits of hog breeding. Studies have shown that scientific optimization of key links such as care for newborn piglets, environmental control, nutrition supply and disease prevention can reduce the mortality of suckling piglets by 10%~20% and significantly improve farm production efficiency[1]. At present, domestic and foreign researches adopt intelligent breeding equipment to automatically adjust environmental parameters according to the growth stage and physiological demands of piglets, so as to provide a more suitable living environment. Meanwhile, an accurate nutrition system is built to supply sufficient nutrients for piglets and enhance their autoimmunity. This paper systematically summarizes and expounds practical breeding management technologies to boost the survival rate of suckling piglets, providing comprehensive, scientific and operable technical guidance for hog breeding practitioners to address the low survival rate of suckling piglets and realize efficient and sustainable development of the hog industry.

1 Optimization of Breeding Environment for Piglets

1.1 Precise Regulation of Temperature and Humidity

Piglets aged 1–3 days have underdeveloped thermoregulatory centers with weak temperature adjustment capacity. The suitable ambient temperature is 30~32 ℃; low temperature will trigger cold stress and even death in severe cases. For piglets aged 4–7 days, the temperature should be maintained at 28~30 ℃. As piglets grow older, their thermoregulation improves and the temperature requirement declines: 25~28 ℃ for 8–14 days old, 22~25 ℃ for 15–30 days old, and a constant 22 ℃ from 31 days old to weaning.

In addition, pig house humidity exerts a vital influence on piglet health, with the optimal range of 50%~70%.

Aiming at the characteristics of pig house environments and limitations of existing monitoring systems, Jiang Yecheng[2] designed a remote monitoring system for pig house environments integrating 4G, WiFi, computers, sensors and automatic control technologies. The system collects short-distance data via ZigBee wireless sensor networks and realizes long-distance data transmission through 4G and wireless LAN technologies. With PC and APP management platforms programmed, diversified monitoring modes are available to adjust pig house temperature and humidity in real time based on piglets’ temperature demands, thus improving breeding benefits.

Received date: September 30, 2025

Author brief introduction: Chen Weidong, male, born in 1969, Senior Veterinarian

1.2 Ventilation and Light Management

Proper ventilation effectively reduces the concentration of harmful gases such as ammonia, hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide in pig houses, alleviating irritation to piglets’ respiratory mucous membranes. Reasonable ventilation design including ventilation equipment and air outlets can discharge toxic gases timely and introduce fresh air to keep the house air clean. The selection of ventilation equipment shall comprehensively consider the actual area of the pig house, quantity of piglets and their growth stages to guarantee adequate ventilation volume meeting physiological demands of piglets at different ages. The ventilation volume per piglet is generally 0.3~0.5 m³ per hour. The position and size of air outlets shall be properly designed to avoid dead air zones and ensure uniform air circulation.

Light stimulates the visual and nervous systems of piglets, reduces secretion of inhibitory transmitters such as melatonin, keeps piglets awake, prolongs feeding time and balances feed intake among weak individuals. Meanwhile, light boosts growth hormone secretion, accelerates anabolism and strengthens immunity and growth performance. The light duration and intensity shall be controlled rationally according to piglet age: 24-hour continuous light for piglets within 3 days old to help them adapt to the environment and boost feeding and activity; 16~18 hours of light for 4–7-day-old piglets to reserve more rest time for growth; 8~10 hours of light after one week of age.

The light intensity shall be moderate: 50~100 lx in the first few days after birth, then gradually reduced to 30~50 lx. Modern large-scale farms deploy light sensors to monitor indoor light intensity in real time and adjust it automatically combined with temperature and humidity data. For instance, light intensity will be lowered below 45 lx when the temperature exceeds 30 ℃ to prevent heat stress. Farmers can remotely set light schedules via mobile APP or cloud platforms on computers and receive abnormal alarms (e.g., bulb damage, power failure) to realize real-time control of pig house environments[3].

Li Jiaxi et al.[4] constructed an intelligent environmental regulation system for piglet incubators based on IAP15W4K58S4 single-chip microcomputers and multi-type environmental sensors. Various sensors collect real-time data of core environmental factors including temperature and humidity inside incubators, which are analyzed and processed by single-chip microcomputers. Afterwards, the single-chip microcomputer sends execution instructions to relay modules according to preset threshold values, while digital display modules feed back real-time environmental parameters and equipment operation status. The coordinated operation of all modules realizes stable dynamic control of key environmental factors inside piglet incubators.

1.3 Sanitation and Disinfection Management

Odors in pig houses hinder normal growth of piglets. Modern farms adopt probiotics such as Bacillus subtilis and lactic acid bacteria to decompose ammonia, hydrogen sulfide and other harmful gases and effectively reduce odor concentration[5]. Dilute special deodorizing and ammonia-eliminating agents for farms at a ratio of 1:50 and spray them to degrade odors rapidly and inhibit pathogen reproduction.

Daily disinfection is compulsory in pig houses: spray 0.3% peracetic acid or 0.1% sodium hypochlorite solution every day, and increase disinfection frequency to 2~3 times per day for key areas such as farrowing beds and incubators. Feeding troughs and drinking fountains shall be soaked and disinfected twice a week with 3%~5% lysol solution or 2% glutaraldehyde solution. Pig-safe disinfectants including 0.1% potassium peroxymonosulfate solution and 0.05% povidone-iodine solution can be used for disinfection with live pigs inside the house.

2 Optimized Feeding Management of Sows

2.1 Rational Nutrient Supply

Diet formulation shall fully consider differentiated nutritional demands of sows at various stages to guarantee balanced nutrition. Recommended feed nutritional indicators are as follows:

• Early gestation: Digestible energy 12.55 MJ/kg, crude protein 13%, lysine 0.5%, calcium 0.7%, phosphorus 0.6%
• Mid gestation: Digestible energy 12.13 MJ/kg, crude protein 12%, lysine 0.45%, calcium 0.65%, phosphorus 0.55%
• Late gestation: Digestible energy 12.97 MJ/kg, crude protein 13.5%, lysine 0.55%, calcium 0.75%, phosphorus 0.65%
• Lactation period: Digestible energy 13.81 MJ/kg, crude protein 14%, lysine 0.7%, calcium 0.8%, phosphorus 0.7%

Daily feed intake shall be flexibly adjusted based on sow body weight, fat condition and parity. For multiparous sows with moderate fatness, feed intake shall be restricted in early gestation and gradually increased in late gestation. For gilts still in physical development, feed intake shall be raised step by step throughout gestation. During lactation, adjust feeding volume timely according to sow milk yield and piglet growth to ensure sufficient nutrients for lactation.

Based on an intelligent feeding system, Xie Huan et al.[6] adopted a multi-source heterogeneous sensor fusion framework integrating UHF passive RFID tags (915 MHz), thermal infrared body temperature monitoring modules (640×480 resolution), resistance strain dynamic weighing platforms (accuracy ±20 g) and soundprint-based sow estrus identification units. Edge computing gateways realize real-time fusion processing of multi-dimensional biological signals, and the system automatically generates individualized nutrition supply schemes to realize closed-loop control of daily feed dosage for gestating sows (control cycle ≤3 s).

2.2 Rational Application of Feed Additives

In large-scale hog breeding, adding functional amino acids, vitamin derivatives, probiotics, organic trace elements and other active substances to gestation diets can significantly improve sow reproductive performance and raise the survival rate of suckling piglets.

Li Jing et al.[7] found that supplementing 25-hydroxyvitamin D₃ in diets during mid-to-late gestation markedly improved average litter weight and birth weight of primiparous sows, as well as antioxidant capacity of sows and placentas.

Wang Kejuan[8] added compound Chinese herbal preparations composed of Codonopsis, stir-fried Atractylodes macrocephala, Poria cocos, licorice, Angelica sinensis, etc., at a dosage of 50 g per sow per day to sow feed, which greatly increased the survival rate of suckling piglets.

To solve insufficient milk secretion after farrowing and high piglet diarrhea rate on large-scale farms, self-made compound Chinese herbal additives containing seven herbal ingredients including Eucommia leaves, Motherwort and Glossy Privet Fruit can be supplemented at a proportion of 0.5% in sow diets from day 85 of gestation to weaning. The diarrhea index of suckling piglets decreases by 18.67%, the estrus rate of sows within 14 days after weaning rises by 9.22 percentage points, and the total conception rate increases by 12.36 percentage points. Farms can partially replace antibiotics with PFA (containing essential oils, pungent substances, flavonoids and mucilage), increasing the number of weaned piglets per sow per year by 1.2 heads.

2.3 Strengthen Disease Prevention and Control

Strictly implement farm biosecurity protocols and disinfect pig houses and breeding tools regularly to reduce pathogen breeding and transmission. Conduct regular physical examinations and health monitoring of sows to detect and eliminate potential disease risks timely. Reinforce prevention and control during epidemic high-incidence periods by restricting personnel and vehicle access to avoid introduction of external pathogens. Ensure hygiene of feed and drinking water to block disease transmission caused by contaminated feed or water.

3 Enhanced Care for Suckling Piglets

3.1 Timely Intake of Colostrum

Colostrum secreted by sows within 24 hours after farrowing is rich in nutrients and irreplaceable for piglet growth and immunity improvement[9]. Guide newborn piglets to suck nipples independently right after birth. Manual intervention is required: assign weak piglets to front and middle nipples with high milk yield, and robust piglets to rear nipples with relatively low milk output.

For sows with large litter size or a high proportion of weak piglets, batch nursing is recommended. Divide piglets into 2~3 groups by body weight; weak piglets shall be nursed 8~10 times daily with each nursing session extended to 20 minutes to guarantee even colostrum intake. Closely monitor feeding conditions of weak piglets within 7 days after birth to prevent starvation.

3.2 Scientific Iron Supplementation and Drinking Water Management

Piglets have high iron demand for growth, while breast milk only contains approximately 1 mg iron per 100 mL, far below the daily requirement of 7~16 mg for piglets. Besides, newborn piglets have limited iron reserves; insufficient iron supplementation will lead to iron-deficiency anemia and hinder healthy development. Therefore, inject 100~200 mg dextran iron per piglet at 2~3 days old, and perform secondary iron supplementation at 7 days old as needed. Install automatic drinking fountains in pens to supply clean drinking water at 25 ℃ and prevent diseases triggered by contaminated water[10].

3.3 Rational Cross-Fostering Management

Cross-fostering is necessary when sows suffer from insufficient milk or inadequate nipples to feed all piglets. Select foster litters with piglets of similar body weight delivered by primiparous sows. For distribution, assign weak piglets to docile sows at parity 2~3 with strong lactation capacity, while robust piglets can be fostered by sows at parity 1 or above parity 4.

Complete cross-fostering within 24 hours after birth to improve survival rate of fostered piglets. Mix fostered piglets with biological offspring in advance or smear sow milk on fostered piglets to mask their foreign odor. Monitor growth performance of fostered piglets after placement and reassign them if retarded growth is observed.

4 Conclusion

In summary, breeding management technologies to lift the survival rate of suckling piglets shall formulate feeding schemes based on piglet physiological traits and environmental adaptability. Staged temperature control, proper ventilation and pen sanitation management can avoid environmental stress risks. Combined with coordinated immunity of sows and piglets as well as dynamic disease monitoring, piglet mortality can be effectively reduced, providing core support for breeding benefit improvement and sound development of the hog industry.