Danish pig farmer halves stillborn deaths with new breeding approach

A leading Danish pig producer has cut stillborn piglet deaths by half after switching breeding programs, DR reports. The move comes amid growing scrutiny of high mortality rates in intensive pig farming.

Thomas Kristoffersen, who produces 100,000 piglets annually at Skinnerupgaard farm in Thy, reduced stillbirths from 2.8 to 1.1 per litter by abandoning Denmark’s dominant DanBred program in favor of Dutch-Norwegian firm Topigs Norsvin. The new sows also have two additional teats—16 instead of the usual 14—reducing the need to relocate piglets to foster sows.

“It makes no sense if all the breeding progress ends up in the dead-piglet container,” Kristoffersen said, referencing the green bins used for carcasses. Under the old system, sows birthing 20+ piglets forced farmers to separate litters, stressing animals and increasing deaths from crushing or starvation. “Every time you move a piglet to another sow, you’re setting it back,” he explained.

While the new approach yields fewer piglets per litter (16.7 vs. 19.4), survival rates improved dramatically. Kristoffersen’s internal data—unverified by DR—show lower mortality both during birth and in the weeks afterward. The shift also stabilized economics: despite fewer births, overall output remained steady, and Kristoffersen called it “the best decision I’ve made.”

Denmark’s pig industry faces pressure after reports of 25,000 daily piglet deaths nationwide, a figure that drew political attention during recent elections. Critics argue decades of selective breeding for larger litters have prioritized quantity over welfare, with sows physically unable to nurture all offspring. Kristoffersen’s results suggest an alternative path, though he acknowledges factors like farm management and space also play roles.

Topigs Norsvin, less common in conventional Danish farms, is more widely used in organic production. The company’s sows are bred for robustness rather than maximum litter size—a trade-off Kristoffersen argues pays off in both animal welfare and long-term productivity.