Early weaning of piglets at 21 days or younger is standard in commercial production but creates significant welfare costs for both piglets and sows.
The standard commercial weaning age of 21 days represents a compromise heavily weighted toward production efficiency at the expense of piglet welfare. Piglets at 21 days are physiologically and behaviorally unprepared for separation from the sow, and the consequences are visible in elevated disease rates, aberrant behaviors, and the stress response of both piglets and sows at weaning. Extending weaning to 28 or even 35 days would significantly reduce these welfare costs. The EU has restricted weaning before 28 days in most circumstances, and this standard should become universal in welfare-conscious production systems.