Cuidados com os leitões nos primeiros dias de vida

Abstract

Maternity is the area used to house sows from one week before piglets’ birth to the end of lactation. It is the phase that requires care due to the different needs between sows and piglets. The neonatal phase is one of the most critical moments in pig farming, so hours after the birth, they need care. This review aims to address the management adopted in the maternity and the care that should be taken with piglets in the neonatal phase. Management such as cleaning and resuscitation of apparently dead piglets, colostrum ingestion, Universal Ear-notching System, piglet transfer, cut and wear of teeth, caudectomy, castration, iron supplementation and creep-feeding. Therefore, the maternity phase is complex and delicate. Correct management is essential, respecting the animal welfare of both sows and piglets.