Pig Weaning Welfare and Early Life Stress

Weaning is one of the most stressful events in a pig's life. Early weaning at 21 days (standard UK) causes physiological and psychological stress that affects lifetime welfare.

Key Facts

EU law allows weaning from 21 days, but 28 days is better for piglet welfare
Newly weaned piglets stop eating for up to 48 hours, losing weight and immune function
Post-weaning aggression from mixing unfamiliar piglets causes significant injury
Post-weaning diarrhoea is a major welfare and economic problem linked to early weaning
Enrichment and supplementary solid food provided before weaning reduces weaning stress

Welfare Considerations

Weaning at 21 days removes piglets from their mother and social group and places them in an unfamiliar environment with strange piglets - a simultaneous nutritional, social, and environmental challenge. The resulting stress causes a withdrawal from eating that leads to gut changes, immune suppression, and vulnerability to disease. Post-weaning aggression from mixing unfamiliar piglets causes wounds and submission injuries. Extending weaning to 28 days allows piglets to be nutritionally prepared, and providing creep feed before weaning reduces the nutritional shock. These welfare improvements also reduce reliance on antibiotic prevention of post-weaning diarrhoea.

What You Can Do

Support campaigns for minimum 28-day weaning age in UK and EU pig legislation
Choose pork from farms that extend weaning beyond 21 days where possible
Advocate for pre-weaning enrichment and solid food provision to be standard practice
Support research into weaning stress reduction in pig production
Engage with pig industry transition away from 21-day weaning as a welfare priority