Advanced welfare science on enrichment provision for newly weaned piglets, covering the critical weaning period stress, enrichment types, and management strategies that reduce suffering in commercial pig production.
The weaning transition represents one of the most welfare-significant periods in the life of a commercial pig. Within days, piglets experience separation from their mother, loss of familiar littermates, introduction to unfamiliar pigs and environments, and transition from milk to solid food — simultaneously. This multi-factorial stress causes measurable immune suppression, behavioral disruption, and psychological distress. Enrichment provision during this period is not a luxury but a welfare necessity — piglets with manipulable materials to redirect their exploratory behavior show dramatically lower rates of harmful behaviors and better welfare outcomes. The gap between what enrichment science recommends and what the industry provides remains enormous in most countries.