Below are links to 2 different pages I found discussing this problem in a useful manner that others can learn from:
- http://www.nadis.org.uk/
bulletins/savaging-of-piglets. aspx This is an interesting article from the National Animal Disease Information Service in UK
I think this discussion forum has the best answer I’ve seen so far. I am a bit tired, so will have to stop here. But I think you can use the answer provided by one of the contributors – which I have reproduced below. It’s the most practical, and is given by an experienced and well known member:
What he said at the end is an example of the best practice requirement I told you about.
you can cull sows for twenty years and never eliminate this problem, understand it and it will go away for ever.
The above implies that you MUST aim to find a PERMANENT solution by UNDERSTANDING every aspect of your farm business operation!
============Below is a preview of his full contribution – Starts============
This is not a genetic problem or even a breed problem, it is unfortunately more of a newbie problem. You don’t see this on many large farms because they understand what causes it.
I would expect to find this is 25x’s more likely on a hobby farm.
Continue reading in the forum…
http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/threads/what-makes-a-sow-eat-her-young.336661/
==================Ends========
NB: This post is based on excerpts from a support email I sent to a Piggery Farm Business CEO/Financial Consultant who recently joined my Farm Business Ideas club. He has been experiencing this problem of sows eating their young on his farm, and had on several occasions expressed his frustrations to me about not being able to identify the root cause, and find a permanent solution to it.