Sow in Brazil reported to have litter of 45 piglets
A sow in the interior of Brazil has reportedly given birth to 45 piglets at Granja Santa Inês, Minas Gerais state, on January 22, 2025. It was confirmed in a press release by the integration Pif Paf Alimentos.
The property belongs to Gilda de Oliveira Santos Silva, a pig farmer integrated into Pif Paf’s organisation. The integration is now considering submitting the record for recognition by the Guinness Book of World Records.
‘Continuous genetic improvement’
According to Airton Martins, executive manager at Pif Paf, the figure could be reached due to continuous genetic improvement, proper nutrition and efficient management. In the press release he said, “Such results can only be achieved through excellent genetic quality, adequate nutrition, and careful management, with special attention from the field team in handling the animals. While these factors do not guarantee success, they provide the best conditions for animals to express their full reproductive potential.”
In private correspondence, Pig Progress enquired about the performance of other sows on this farm. He responded: “The farm’s average was 15.2 piglets born per sow in 2024. It is not common for litters to be significantly above this average; the farm has previously recorded births of 38 piglets in a single litter.” Martins added that the sow that produced the litter was an Agroceres PIC (Agpic) Camborough 90.
“A rare phenomenon”
From time to time, there are reports of exceptionally large litter sizes in Brazil. In March 2023, for instance, at the birth of a different litter with 40+ piglets in the country, pig and poultry researcher Osmar Dalla Costa, attached to the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), was asked for his input. He said that, from his 37 years of experience in pig farming, he did not recall another case with such numbers. In comparison, a high-performance sow usually produces around 36 piglets annually with an average of 2.4 litters.
At the time, he commented, “This is a rare phenomenon, which can only be explained by a combination of factors, such as hyperovulation of the sow, high-quality semen, favourable environmental conditions and optimal nutrition.”
Exceptionally prolific sows are not only observed in Brazil. In 2024, in the Netherlands, a sow was recorded to have a litter with 37 piglets.
Profitability of large litter is questionable
As yet, no detailed data were available yet about the survival rate of the large litter in the Minas Gerais farm. Litters with an extremely high number of piglets are not always considered to be profitable. The survival and development of such small piglets are often compromised. Typical breeding sows have 7 pairs of teats and some may have 8 as a result of genetic developments. However, 14 to 16 teats are still too low to feed 45 piglets.
Reaction of shock and apprehension
Asked for the initial reaction on-farm to the birth of so many piglets, the caretakers were said to be both surprised and concerned by the large number of piglets being born, Martins commented in correspondence with Pig Progress.
“In cases of large and unexpected litters, there may initially be a reaction of shock and even some apprehension, as the level of care and attention required for each piglet increases significantly. The caretakers had to act quickly to ensure that all piglets had access to milk, implementing segregated suckling. The team had to divide tasks to effectively care for all the animals.”
Commitment to health, comfort and safety
In the press release, Gisele Dela Ricci, animal welfare specialist at Pif Paf, reflected on the company’s commitment to health, comfort and safety of the animals throughout the production process. She said, “We work to guarantee the health, comfort, and safety of our animals. This includes training, daily monitoring, and a commitment to continuous improvement. Every stage of the process is guided by principles aimed at more ethical and efficient practices.”
The standard procedure in this case is to use foster sows and rotate feeding shifts among the piglets. She added, “Due to the large number of live births, the piglets are usually unsteady, and many may not survive.”
