Split suckling survey: Most prefer to start with the smallest piglets, but is this right?

In April we surveyed Pig333's users on piglet management and the practice of split suckling. Specifically, we asked them which piglets they let suckle first during split suckling. We received a total of 339 responses from 52 countries.

The results showed that the majority of respondents, 53%, let the smallest piglets suckle first when doing split suckling. In contrast, 32% believed that the piglets born last should suckle first and 15% of users let the biggest piglets suckle first.

The practice of split suckling helps us ensure that each piglet gets the required amount of colostrum and helps the smallest piglets achieve this. However, it is not always the smallest piglets that should be the first to suckle, as it is important that they are dry and that their body temperature is adequate in order for them to be able to consume colostrum properly.

In the article Split suckling: The importance of the first few hours, which contains an informative video, we explain how to correctly perform split suckling according to the circumstances during which the sow farrows.