Farm Animal Welfare

Pig Wean-to-Service Interval and Sow Welfare

The interval between weaning piglets and the sow's next oestrus is a critical welfare and productivity period for sows.

Key Facts

Normal wean-to-service interval (WSI) is 4-7 days in well-managed herds
Prolonged WSI indicates nutritional deficit or stress during lactation
Thin sows with excessive weight loss have longer WSI and more failed services
Lactation nutrition and length significantly influence WSI outcomes
Detecting prolonged WSI is an early warning signal for sow welfare problems

Welfare Considerations

Prolonged WSI reflects compromised sow welfare during lactation. Thin body condition at weaning indicates nutritional stress and correlates with poor welfare during the demanding lactation period. Monitoring WSI is a welfare as well as production indicator.

What You Can Do

Advocate for nutritional welfare standards for sows during lactation
Support monitoring systems that use WSI as a sow welfare indicator
Choose pork products from farms with documented sow welfare monitoring programmes