About the Pig Livability Project
Reducing pig mortality is a complex challenge influenced by animal health, management, environment and other factors throughout production. To reduce losses, producers need to know where losses occur and which prevention strategies are effective. Additionally, producers need to assess whether they can afford to implement those strategies.
The Pig Livability Project addresses these challenges. Led by Iowa State University, the project brings together researchers, veterinarians, economists, producers and other specialists to identify and address the risks pigs face from birth to market to reduce the overall mortality in the U.S. commercial swine industry.
The project’s first phase received $1 million each from FFAR and the Pork Checkoff to invest in research from 2019 to 2024. The research identified practical strategies to reduce pig mortality, including earlier treatment of sow lameness and improvements in nutrition, feeding and enrichment.
The second phase builds on these initial findings and focuses on solutions producers and veterinarians can use. FFAR, the Pork Checkoff and other industry stakeholders are providing $1,643,357 for this phase.
Learn More
Visit the Pig Livability Project site.