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The environmental requirements of the early-weaned pig

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 November 2017

W.H. Close  and
A.T. Smith
W.H. Close
Affiliation:
National Institute for Research in Dairying, Shinfield, Reading, RG2 9AT
A.T. Smith
Affiliation:
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Woodthorne, Wolverhampton, WV6 8TQ
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Extract

Early weaning represents a critical period in the life of a piglet since it is an abrupt process which removes the piglet from the comfort of the mother and the ad libitum supply of feed which she provides. Although the age at which piglets are weaned is variable, economic pressures encourage weaning at an early age as a means of shortening the reproductive cycle of the sow and thus improving her output. If a system of early weaning is to be successful it must supply the correct nutrition, enhance the natural disease resistance and provide an environment which creates least thermoregulatory demand on the animal. In addition, it should minimise disease challenge and avoid stressors such as those caused by overcrowding and inappropriate structural surfaces.

Type
Feeding and Management of Early Weaned Pigs
Information
Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Production (1972) , Volume 1984 , March 1984 , pp. 27
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Production 1984

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References

Close, W.H. and Stanier, M.W. (1983) Anim. Prod., 36, 530.Google Scholar
Le Dividich, J. (1981) Livest. Prod. Sci., 8, 75.Google Scholar