Iowa State University to Lead Research to Increase Pig Survivability
- Advanced Animal Systems

Increasing sow and piglet survivability is one of the most intractable issues facing the pork industry. While this is a clear animal welfare problem, it is also one of the most important productivity and economic issue for producers. FFAR is pleased to be part of this important research that unquestionably will have a multitude of positive impacts.Sally Rockey, Ph.D.
Executive Director
The project seeks a full understanding of the biological mechanisms that limit pig and sow survivability, how they interact and how they can be effectively improved.
The project’s overarching goal, through effective research and extension activities, is to improve swine survivability by 1 percent or more each year. Increasing the wean-to-finish survival of animals by 1 percent would represent an estimated gain in productivity of approximately 1.2 million pigs a year for the nation’s swine industry.
The research team objectives include:
- Evaluate producers’ management attitudes and economics associated with improving survivability in U.S. swine production
- Identify the causes of mortality on U.S. sow farms to support development and implementation of targeted strategies to maximize survivability
- Define factors that influence wean-to-finish survivability and implement management strategies based on production-based research
- Develop national extension, outreach and education resources and strategies to encourage adoption and implementation of management practices to improve survivability in pork production.
Another aspect of the project is the significant effort placed on training future industry leaders. This includes graduate students and staff, but is also expected to employ many undergraduate and veterinary students through internship programs.
Additional information on the project team, specific efforts and progress can be followed on the project website www.piglivability.org.
About the National Pork Board
The National Pork Board has responsibility for checkoff-funded research, promotion and consumer information projects and for communicating with pork producers and the public. The Pork Checkoff funds national and state programs in advertising, consumer information, retail and foodservice marketing, export market promotion, production improvement, science and technology, swine health, pork safety and sustainability and environmental management. For information on checkoff-funded programs, pork producers can call the Pork Checkoff Service Center at (800) 456-7675 or check the internet at pork.org.
About the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research
The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research, a nonprofit organization established by bipartisan Congressional support in the 2014 Farm Bill, builds unique partnerships to support innovative and actionable science addressing today’s food and agriculture challenges. FFAR leverages public and private resources to increase the scientific and technological research, innovation and partnerships critical to enhancing sustainable production of nutritious food for a growing global population. The FFAR Board of Directors is chaired by Mississippi State University President Mark Keenum and includes ex officio representation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and National Science Foundation. Learn more: www.foundationfar.org
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Contacts:
Jason Ross, Animal Science, Iowa Pork Industry Center, 515-294-8647, jwross@iastate.edu
Ed Adcock, Agriculture and Life Sciences Communications Service, 515-294-2314, edadcock@iastate.edu
On the Web: This and all other Iowa State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences news releases and related photos are available at http://www.cals.iastate.edu/news/.