Commercial pig production weans piglets at 21-28 days, far earlier than the natural weaning age of 12-17 weeks, causing significant distress and compromised immunity that has cascading welfare effects.
Early weaning imposes compounding welfare costs on piglets: separation distress, immunological vulnerability from incomplete maternal antibody transfer, and the physiological challenge of transitioning to solid food before the gut is mature. Post-weaning diarrhea — a direct consequence of early weaning — causes significant suffering and mortality in affected piglets. Extending weaning age toward natural timelines improves welfare at every step in the post-weaning period.