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Thirty sows and their litters were studied. In the experimental treatment, solid partitions between two to three adjacent farrowing pens were removed starting from day 5 after farrowing of the last sow to weaning, and thus suckling piglets were allowed to socialise with non-littermates (group housing treatment). In the control treatment, sows and litters were kept under conventional conditions until weaning. In total, 330 piglets were weaned at 28 days of age and transferred to the nursery unit. Piglets from the control treatment were mixed with unfamiliar litters (n=143), whereas piglets from the group housing system were housed with those they had been co-mingled with before weaning (n=187).
During the first week post- weaning, group-housed piglets gained 33% more weight than conventionally reared piglets. Also, feed intake tended to be higher. Prior to weaning, no differences were observed in the number of scratches on the skin between treatments. In contrast, after weaning, piglets of the control group had more scratches on the snout, shoulder and flank. A negative correlation between skin lesions on the shoulder and flank of piglets one day after weaning and the growth of piglets during the first week after weaning was found. In conclusion, group-housed suckling piglets experienced weaning as a less stressful event.
Céline Van Kerschaver, Jeroen Degroote, Sander Palmans, Mario Vandaele, Dirk Frematu, Joris Michiels. Effet du logement en groupe des porcelets pendant l’allaitement sur la performance et le comportement agressif après sevrage. 51èmes Journées de la Recherche Porcine.