Why Piglets Die in the First Week (Common Causes in the Philippines)

Losing piglets in the first week is one of the most frustrating experiences in backyard pig farming. You wait months for your sow to farrow, she delivers eight healthy-looking piglets, and by morning three are dead.

A Philippine longitudinal study (Lanada et al., 2005) found that 49% of piglet deaths at smallholder farms occurred within 24 hours of birth. Pre-weaning mortality across two Philippine study sites ranged from 9% to 17%.

"Bantayi gyud ang anay kung manganak na — usa ka gabii lang, daghan na'g mamatay nga baktin." (Watch the sow carefully when she farrows — in one night, many piglets can die.)

Most of these deaths are preventable with basic management. pig333's piglet survival resources show that farms implementing simple interventions can reduce pre-weaning mortality by 30-50%. Here is what actually kills piglets, ranked by how common each cause is.

The Top Causes

1. Crushing by the sow (~27% of deaths)

This is the number one killer, as confirmed by ThePigSite's neonatal mortality research. The sow lies down and a piglet gets trapped underneath. Larger sows are worse. It happens most often in the first 72 hours when piglets are small, slow, and sleep close to the sow for warmth.

Prevention:

• Install guard rails (creep rails) — a horizontal bar 20–25 cm from the wall and 25 cm above the floor. This creates a safe space piglets can escape to when the sow lies down. Cost: scrap lumber or bamboo.
• Create a separate creep area — a small enclosed corner with bedding where piglets sleep away from the sow.
• Attend the farrowing if possible, especially the first 12 hours.

2. Starvation / failure to nurse (~19% of deaths)

Piglets that do not get colostrum within the first 6 hours are at very high risk. Colostrum provides both nutrition and immune antibodies the piglet cannot get any other way. After 36 hours, the piglet's gut can no longer absorb these antibodies.

Why it happens:

• Sow has no milk (agalactia) or mastitis
• Large litter — not enough functional teats for every piglet
• Weak piglets pushed away from teats by stronger siblings
• Sow refuses to lie down and nurse (common in gilts or stressed sows)

Prevention:

• Make sure every piglet nurses within 6 hours of birth. Physically place weak ones on a teat if needed.
• Cross-foster: move excess piglets to another sow that farrowed around the same time and has fewer piglets.
• If sow has no milk, use commercial milk replacer or fresh goat's milk as emergency substitute.

3. Scours / diarrhea (~10% of deaths)

Bacterial scours (E. coli) and coccidiosis (Isospora suis) are the most common causes in Philippine backyard conditions. Piglets develop watery or yellowish diarrhea, dehydrate rapidly, and die within 24–48 hours if untreated.

Prevention:

• Keep the farrowing pen dry and clean. Scrub with lime (apog) before the sow enters.
• Ensure piglets get colostrum (immune protection against E. coli).
• Watch for diarrhea starting at 7–14 days — this timing suggests coccidiosis, which requires toltrazuril treatment.

4. Born weak / low birth weight (~9% of deaths)

Piglets under 800 grams at birth have very low survival rates regardless of management. These are typically runts from large litters or from sows with poor nutrition during gestation.

Prevention:

• Feed the sow adequately during gestation — protein supplementation (copra meal, fish meal) in the last 3 weeks of pregnancy increases piglet birth weights.
• Avoid breeding very young gilts (under 8 months).

5. Hypothermia (even in the Philippines)

This surprises many farmers. The Philippines is tropical, but newborn piglets are wet, have no body fat reserves, and cannot regulate their temperature. During the wet season, a rain-soaked farrowing pen drops to 22–25°C at night — cold enough to kill newborns.

Prevention:

• Dry piglets immediately after birth with clean rags.
• Provide a dry, draft-free corner for piglets.
• During the wet season, a 60-watt bulb in the creep area provides enough warmth.
• Use rice straw or dried banana leaves as bedding — never bare concrete.

What Farmers Often Say

"Kung daghan kaayo ang baktin, dili tanan mabuhi." (If there are too many piglets, not all will survive.)

This is often true, but not inevitable. Research shows litters of 13+ piglets have 24% mortality versus 12% for litters of 8–10. The difference is not the litter size itself — it is that larger litters mean more competition for teats and more piglets at risk of crushing. Cross-fostering and creep areas solve both problems.

A Simple Farrowing Checklist

1. 1 week before due date: Move sow to clean, dry farrowing pen. Install guard rails.
2. Day of farrowing: Have clean rags, iodine (for navel dipping), and thread (for cord tying) ready.
3. First 6 hours: Ensure every piglet nurses. Dry any wet piglets. Dip navels in iodine.
4. Day 1–3: Watch for diarrhea. Inject iron dextran on day 3 (prevents anemia).
5. First week: Check that all piglets are nursing and gaining weight daily. Remove any dead piglets immediately. If you plan to castrate male piglets, see when to castrate piglets in the Philippines for the right timing and technique.

Learn More

• Common pig diseases in the Philippines — symptoms and what to do
• How to build a backyard piggery — includes farrowing pen design with guard rails
• Best pig breeds for small farmers — breed traits including mothering ability

Sources: Lanada et al. 2005 "A longitudinal study of growing pigs raised by smallholder farmers in the Philippines" (Preventive Veterinary Medicine 71:3-4), pig333.com "Causes of Piglet Mortality in the Farrowing Unit," FAO Farmer's Handbook on Pig Production, Ogalo et al. pre-weaning piglet mortality study (comparable tropical smallholder systems), MDPI Animals 2022 neonatal piglet welfare review.