Nursery Phase Pig Welfare: Weaning to 30 kg

The nursery phase following weaning at 21-28 days is one of the highest welfare risk periods in commercial pig production.

Key Facts

Weaning causes acute stress through simultaneous social, nutritional, and environmental change
Post-weaning diarrhoea (PWD) is the most common disease of nursery pigs
Antibiotic use at weaning has been substantially reduced through improved feed and management
Group mixing at weaning combines litter-mates from different sows, causing aggression
Average weaning age in the UK is 21-28 days, higher than in many other EU countries

Welfare Considerations

The transition from suckling to solid food, combined with separation from the dam and social regrouping, creates a perfect storm of welfare stressors at weaning. Post-weaning diarrhoea causes pain, dehydration, and death if untreated. The stress of weaning depresses immune function and increases susceptibility to respiratory disease. Belly nosing and other oral stereotypies are behavioral indicators of frustration and nutritional inadequacy. Providing supplemental feed before weaning (creep feeding) reduces the nutritional shock. Mixing same-litter pigs where possible reduces aggression. Providing complex environments with rooting materials reduces stress behavior. Later weaning ages are associated with better welfare outcomes but longer farrowing crate occupation periods.

What You Can Do

Support pig welfare standards that set minimum weaning age requirements
Advocate for reduced antibiotic use through investment in welfare-positive weaning management
Choose pork from farms with certified high welfare nursery management standards
Back research into weaning management approaches that reduce post-weaning disease burden