Newborn piglets in a Manitoba farrowing barn

Hog farmer Kenny, from the Rural Municipality of Springfield in Manitoba, submitted this video of his farrowing barn in April 2018. The video shows a farrowing barn, where mother pigs (sows) give birth to their litters, which can range in size from 8 to over 20 baby pigs, each weighing about 1 kg (2.2 lb) each. You can see the sows feeding their piglets in their individual farrowing pens. Newborn piglets will start suckling from their mother’s udder within a few hours of birth. Animal caregivers ensure that all piglets have access to their mother’s milk during the entire suckling phase, which lasts about three to four weeks. The farrowing pens are designed with piglet safety in mind, with adjustable rails to prevent a sow from lying down too quickly and hurting her piglets, and escape areas where piglets can retreat. Heating pads and lamps keep the piglets warm and comfortable. Follow this link to visit Manitoba Pork's website for more information on how pigs are raised: http://www.manitobapork.com/on-the-farm/how-pigs-are-raised/the-farrowing-barn .

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