In general terms, piglets that died before weaning have difficulty taking their first breath after birth, lower birth weight, lower colostrum intake, lower weight gain during the first 24 hours after birth, lower rectal temperature, higher plasma cortisol concentration, lower plasma IgG and glucose concentrations at 24 hours after birth than piglets still alive at weaning. Numerous factors influence the amount of colostrum available per piglet, such as: 1) a short period of time (24 hours) when colostrum is available; 2) competition among piglets due to differences in body size, vitality, and number of piglets per litter; 3) the effect of birth order on amount of time available for piglets to consume colostrum; 4) colostrum is more abundantly secreted in the early phase of the colostrum period; 5) colostrum composition changes dramatically within the colostrum period, and (6) missing nursing bouts during first 24 hours of life. It is absolutely essential that ALL piglets receive their fair share of colostrum to enhance their chance for survival. The production of colostrum does not increase with litter size. Individual colostrum intake during the first 24 h after birth averages 250-300 g/d.