7 April 2025

4 minute read

By: Zoetis

Key takeaways

• Pre-weaning mortality reached a high of 14.4% in 2021.¹

• It’s critical to provide exceptional care following a piglet’s birth to impact health outcomes.

• Day One Pig Care guides individuals on how to better care for sows and pigs, improve efficiency on the sow farm, decrease pre-weaning mortality and gives the crew more time to focus on pig care.

The period immediately following a piglet’s birth is critical. According to the National Pork Board, pre-weaning mortality reached a five-year average high of 14.4% in 2021.¹ That’s why it is essential to equip caregivers with the information and tools they need to provide exceptional care at a crucial time. Being proactive with continued education on pig care eases costs in the long run by providing preventative care up front.

A strong start is just the beginning.

The health of your operation depends on the health of your herd. With pre-weaning mortality hitting a one-year high in 2021, addressing basic animal husbandry practices from day one can make a huge difference and result in saving more piglets.

“Knowing that the majority of piglet mortality was occurring in the first three days after farrowing,” said Terry Moeller, strategic account manager for Zoetis, “we developed a program designed to provide a systematic approach to caring for newborn piglets in the farrowing barn.”

Day One Pig Care is designed specifically for sow farm staff to learn how to help decrease pre-weaning mortality rates and to help improve overall animal well-being. Caregivers will build confidence and enhance skills to prepare sows for successful litters, assist in farrowing, care for newborns, identify at-risk piglets, ensure optimal colostrum intake, optimize litter management and piglet body temperature, and improve team communication.

“We’re not changing the way you raise pigs; our team is tweaking the way your team works in order to ensure consistency every day,” Moeller said.

What you can expect: Right tools. Right time. Best start.

With leading experts in sow care and piglet management at the helm, this program was developed with producers in mind. With classroom-style presentations paired with hands-on, in-barn practical training, teams gain confidence in the skills they already have with additional tools and resources to become more successful.

“Consider this program as additional support to the things that you have already implemented and are working on. We want to be an extension of your team, with presence from our pork production specialists and technical service veterinarians,” explained Jesus Garcia, Pork Production Specialist for Zoetis.

Garcia reinforced that, by guiding the farm staff on better care for sows and pigs, farms are rewarded with improved sow farm efficiency, reduced sow mortality and increased time to enhance focus on individual pig care. Being bilingual helped Garcia make connections with farms that have TN visa workers. This language fluency allowed Garcia to better understand employee cultural challenges and break down communication barriers, ultimately resulting in a better understanding of day-to-day tasks.

Reducing pre-weaning mortality together.

Proper protocols play a significant role in your operation’s health, contributing to each pig’s well-being. Day One Pig Care training ensures your team knows how to protect piglets from the start, including:

• Preparing sows for farrowing
• Assisting sows when needed
• Ensuring colostrum intake
• Optimizing piglet body temperature
• Improving team communication

Moeller shared that the keys to lowering pre-weaning mortality are simple: consistency, comprehension and confidence. Day One Pig Care provides this. Courses can be in English or Spanish, and the program is supported by Zoetis Technical Services Veterinarians, Pork Production Specialists and Strategic Account Managers. Real people ready to help every step of the way.

Don’t wait. Take advantage of training at every step.

Setting up your operation for success starts with proper training for your team.

“In the last two years, we have conducted Day One Pig Care trainings with over 500 caregivers, impacting around 2.5 million pigs. Being able to support producers in this way makes a difference,” Moeller expressed.

Zoetis offers a series of programs in addition to Day One Pig Care to assist customers in raising healthy pigs. Ask your Zoetis representative about how Individual Sow Care, Individual Pig Care and the Vaccinologist Program can help.