Pig Nursery Environment: Welfare in the Post-Weaning Period

The post-weaning period is one of the highest welfare risk phases in pig production, with environmental management critical to minimising stress and disease.

Key Facts

Weaning at 3-4 weeks is stressful for piglets involving separation from the sow and dietary change
Post-weaning diarrhoea is a major welfare and production problem driven by gut microbiome disruption
Floor temperature, air quality, and stocking density all significantly affect post-weaning welfare
Providing enrichment and learning opportunities in the nursery reduces abnormal behaviour development
Higher weaning age improves gut development and reduces post-weaning welfare challenges

Welfare Considerations

Newly weaned piglets experience multiple simultaneous stressors: maternal separation, social regrouping, dietary transition from milk to solid feed, and a novel physical environment. This combination predisposes them to post-weaning diarrhoea, immune suppression, and chronic stress. Floor temperature below 28-30 degrees C causes additional thermal stress in recently weaned piglets. Providing appropriate environmental conditions including warmth, enrichment, and ad libitum water access reduces the welfare burden of the transition period.

What You Can Do

Support longer weaning ages (beyond 21 days minimum) in welfare standards
Advocate for nursery temperature standards that prevent post-weaning thermal stress
Encourage provision of enrichment materials from first entry into the nursery
Support research into post-weaning welfare-positive management innovations
Choose pork products from farms with higher welfare weaning and nursery standards