Studies on Early Weaning of Pigs

Seventeen litters of pigs were divided into three groups and each group was weaned at a different age. Weaning ages were 21, 42, and 56 days. The pigs weaned at 21 days were started on a ration suited for small pigs; it consisted of about 20-percent crude protein 1 week before the weaning date. All the others were started on the same ration at 21 days. The feed consumption of each group was recorded. All of the pigs were weighed at 21, 42, and 56 days. The evaluation of each weaning method was based on these two characteristics. The results obtained indicated that there was a highly significant difference in favor of the pigs weaned at the customary 56-day age. They consumed less concentrate feed and weighed more at weaning time, favored, no doubt, by the additional milk obtained from theh dams. If weaning is to occur at all before 56 days, it apparently should occur at 21, rather than at 42 days. Since differences are not significant between these two groups, weaning at 21 days will save some time and extra labor.