Sow mortality

This article presents survey information on sow mortality rates, an analysi s of the factors that increase mortality on individual farms, and a descrip tion of the most common causes of unexpected death in sows. Multiple-farm s urveys of sow mortality revealed that the death rate is increasing, probabl y because of increased herd size, confinement housing, and changes in feedi ng practices. Major causes of sow mortality are torsion of and accidents in volving abdominal organs, cystitis and pyelonephritis, complications from p arturition, and cardiac failure. Sudden death from Clostridium novyi infect ion is a major cause of mortality in some European herds, but this conditio n has not been described in North America.