Max F. Rothschild Iowa State University

Publish Date: June 3, 2006

Abnormalities are deviations from normal development and can involve any part of the pig, internal or external. These defects can impair the pig’s ability to function or even cause death. Anatomical abnormalities or defects occur in at least 1% of newborn pigs. These defects may be caused by genetic or environmental factors. Although the frequency of these defects is low, they can be frequent enough in an individual herd to cause substantial economic loss.