+330 g Weaning Weight and 26% Lower Piglet Mortality – New China Trial

What if improving piglet performance before weaning did not rely only on saving the smallest pigs in the litter?

A commercial farm study has shown that supporting piglets with early-life nutritional supplementation can significantly improve growth and survival before weaning. In this trial, piglets were 330 g heavier at weaning (+7%), and pre-weaning mortality was reduced by 26%.

These improvements highlight the potential impact of targeted early-life nutrition during the first days of life, a critical window for piglet gut development and nutrient absorption.

The Challenge: Piglet Growth and Survival Before Weaning

Piglet survival and growth during lactation remain key drivers of productivity in modern pig production.

Today’s hyper-prolific sows produce larger litters, which increases competition between piglets for milk and nutrients. As a result, piglets within the same litter often show significant differences in birth weight and early growth.

Common challenges during the pre-weaning period include:

• limited energy reserves at birth

• competition for teats

• immature digestive systems

• uneven nutrient intake across the litter

These factors can lead to uneven growth and higher mortality during lactation, making early-life management strategies increasingly important.

Study Overview: Commercial Farm Trial in China

A field study (26-007-P-P) on a 2,400-sow commercial farm in China evaluated 1,347 piglets across 112 litters.

Treatment and control groups were managed simultaneously in the same farrowing rooms.

Piglets in the treatment group received Tonisity Px according to the following schedule:

• Day 2–8: 500 ml per litter per day

• Day 9–11: 200 ml per litter per day on creep feed

• 3 days before weaning: 200 ml per litter per day

Control litters did not receive supplementation.

The study evaluated two key outcomes: weaning weight and pre-weaning mortality.

Study Results: Heavier Piglets at Weaning

The results showed a clear improvement in piglet growth before weaning.

Piglets receiving early nutritional supplementation were +330 g (+7%) heavier at weaning.

Heavier piglets at weaning are widely recognised as an important indicator of improved lifetime performance. Pigs that start the nursery phase with higher body weight typically show better growth rates and improved resilience.

Growth Response by Piglet Weight Category

Piglets in the study were categorised according to their body weight on day 2 of life:

• Light piglets: < 1 kg

•  Medium piglets: 1–1.6 kg

• Heavy piglets: > 1.6 kg

The largest growth improvements were observed in medium and heavier piglets, not only in the smallest pigs.

For these categories, improvements ranged from:

+360 g to +470 g additional weaning weight compared with the control group.

Medium-weight piglets alone represented 77% of the pigs evaluated, meaning the majority of the population benefited from improved growth.

Lower Pre-Weaning Mortality

In addition to improving growth, the study also showed a reduction in piglet losses during lactation.

Piglets that were given Tonisity Px showed:

26% lower pre-weaning mortality compared with the control group. This corresponds to approximately 15 additional pigs weaned per 1,000 pigs born.

Reducing mortality before weaning not only improves animal welfare but also has a direct impact on farm productivity.

A Key Insight

The Majority of Gains Come from Medium-Weight Piglets

Piglet management strategies often focus heavily on the smallest pigs in the litter. While supporting light piglets remains important, the findings from this study highlight another critical opportunity.

The largest performance improvements were observed in medium and heavier piglets, which make up the majority of pigs in most litters.

Because these pigs represent the largest proportion of the population, improvements in their growth can have the greatest impact on overall farm productivity.

Even moderate increases in weight among these pigs can translate into:

• higher total weight weaned per litter

• more consistent pig flows through the production system

• improved efficiency across the entire herd

This highlights the importance of management strategies that support the whole litter, not only the smallest piglets.

Could Your Farm Achieve Similar Results?