Pre-weaning mortality

I am still surprised when I visit farms where pre-weaning mortality is not only exceeding 20%, but also such performance is considered acceptable and even normal. Perhaps this was as best as it could had been 50 years ago, but today having a pre-weaning mortality below 10% should be the average target for all operations, with the best shooting for 5% or below. © There are many reasons that cause elevated pre-weaning mortality. These include genetic predisposition, faulty facilities and equipme