Farm Animals

Farmed Pig Weaning Age Welfare

Commercial pig production weans piglets at 3-4 weeks of age, far earlier than the natural weaning age of 12-17 weeks, causing significant stress to both sow and piglets.

Key Facts

Wild pigs wean at 12-17 weeks; UK commercial systems wean at 21-28 days
Early weaning causes gastric stress in piglets whose digestive systems are not adapted to solid food
Sow milk letdown is disrupted by early separation, causing discomfort and mastitis risk
Post-weaning diarrhoea is a major welfare and economic problem linked to early weaning

Welfare Considerations

Piglets weaned at 3 weeks experience acute separation distress, nutritional stress from the transition to solid feed and immune compromise from loss of maternal antibodies. They vocalise extensively, reduce activity and show increased aggression toward pen-mates in the days after weaning. Earlier weaning is primarily driven by productivity requirements rather than piglet welfare. Extended suckling systems show substantially better piglet welfare outcomes.

What You Can Do

Support pork certification that requires minimum 28-day weaning age
Advocate for regulation setting minimum weaning age based on welfare evidence
Choose higher-welfare pork from producers with extended suckling systems
Back research into extended weaning systems that maintain commercial viability