Pigs suckle their piglets for a comparatively long time. If you let sows and piglets choose the weaning time themselves, the first piglets will only start weaning naturally after about eight weeks. Under the conditions of performance-oriented sow husbandry, separation from the mother usually occurs after just 4 weeks. Organic farms extend the nursing period to at least 40 days (according to EU Organic Regulation 848/2018). Regardless of this extension, weaning represents a massive change for many piglets.
The abrupt switch from liquid food to exclusively solid food leads to changes in the piglet's intestines, and diarrhea is a common consequence. But it's not just the change in feed that causes problems for the animals; the switch from passive to active immunity also occurs during the weaning period. Weaning occurs exactly during the period of highest susceptibility to harmful bacterial and viral germs. There are also social stress factors such as separation from the mother and new pen mates. The piglets' malaise is also expressed in reduced performance, such as impaired growth, and is therefore economically relevant for farmers.
The project video also provides an insight into the cooperation of the operational group, which successfully implemented the project.
