Producer KT

Weaning

Husbandry and management techniques should aim to make weaning a process and not an event. The stockperson plays a vital role in the weaning process.

At weaning the piglet experiences a number of disruptions such as loss of maternal care, physical relocation, unfamiliar source of nutrients and water (from sow’s milk to separate sources - water and dry feed) and mixing with unfamiliar piglets. If the overall quality of the environment for the newly weaned piglet is not ideal, then such disruptions will have negative carry-over effects, resulting in poor health and growth.

These basic steps have been reviewed in a BPEX booklet which can be found on this website. Additional underpinning knowledge will be generated from the on-going programme of research under the AGEWEAN, NUTWEAN and GUTWEAN packages. The results from the AGEWEAN study will be reported during 2008 and further information about all three of these research programmes can also be found in the 07-08 BPEX Annual Technical Report.

Some Action for Productivity factsheets relating to weaning have also been produced, click to download:

5. Creep feeding
9. Establishing the weaner