17/07/2026
Weaning 🐷
With good management, piglets are typically weaned between 4 and 6 weeks old. By this stage, they are consuming enough solid feed, their digestive system is more mature, and they are better equipped to thrive without relying on the sow’s milk.
Some commercial production systems choose to wean pigs at 21 days. However, early weaning requires excellent management, high-quality creep feed, appropriate housing, and close monitoring of the piglets’ health and welfare. Without these conditions, early weaning can increase stress, reduce growth rates, and make piglets more susceptible to disease.
On the other hand, leaving piglets with the sow for too long isn’t ideal either.
As piglets grow, the sow’s milk can no longer meet all of their nutritional requirements. At the same time, larger piglets place greater demands on the sow, causing her to lose body condition and potentially delaying her return to heat, which can impact the next breeding cycle.
This is why introducing creep feed before weaning is so important. Offering a high-quality solid feed while piglets are still nursing helps @ them become familiar with eating independently and makes the transition away from the sow much smoother.
When piglets are weaned, it’s important to avoid making too many major changes at once. Keeping the piglets in a clean, comfortable environment with constant access to fresh water and a quality diet will help minimise stress and encourage them to settle and continue growing well.
Mixing litters can also increase stress and competition - this is one of the reasons we merge sows and litters prior to weaning and keep them in those groups.
The ideal time to wean is when the piglets are healthy, confidently eating solid feed, and able to maintain steady growth without depending primarily on the sow’s milk.
There is no single weaning age that suits every farm.
