MANAGEMENT PIH-111
PURDUE UNIVERSITY. COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE.
WEST LAFAYETTE, INDIANA
Management and Nutrition of the Newly Weaned Pig
Authors
Frank Aherne, University of Alberta
Maynard G. Hogberg, Michigan State University
E. T. Kornegay, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Gerald C. Shurson, University of Minnesota
Reviewers
Michael and Susan Brocksmith, Vincennes, Indiana
Gilbert R. Hollis, University of Illinois
James E. Pettigrew, University of Minnesota
In general, earlier weaning can result in increasing the
number of pigs weaned per sow per year and may allow for heavier
pigs at 8 weeks of age. Because of this potential and our
increased knowledge of the nutritional and environmental needs of
the young pig, weaning between 2 and 4 weeks of age has now
become the normal practice in many herds, with most herds weaning
at about 24 days of age.
Successful weaning starts before weaning with: 1. A sound
breeding and feeding program with the gestating sow to ensure
large, healthy pigs at birth. There is a highly positive rela-
tionship between birth weight and weight at weaning. 2. Good baby
pig and sow management during lactation to ensure heavy and
healthy pigs at weaning.
Creep Feeding
The percentage of the suckling pig's daily nutrient require-
ments coming from sow milk or creep feed changes with stage of
lactation. At 3 weeks, only about 5% of the pig's nutrient
requirements are being met by creep feed intake, whereas at 5
weeks of age, creep feed may supply one-third of the pig's
nutrient requirements.
Even though there doesn't appear to be an advantage in creep
feeding pigs weaned at 3 weeks, there may be an advantage in
offering a creep feed to those pigs weaned later than 3 weeks of
age starting as early as 10 days of age.
The creep feed is intended to allow the pig to maintain
optimum growth rate after the sow's milk yield starts to decline
at 3 to 4 weeks after farrowing. For pigs weaned after 21 days of
age, creep feed also may stimulate earlier development of the
digestive system, induce digestive enzyme secretions, stimulate
hydrochloric acid (HCl) secretion in the stomach and in many
other ways prepare the pig for weaning to a dry, cereal grain,
vegetable protein-based diet. There is some evidence that use of
a palatable, digestible creep feed with fast growing pigs weaned
at 24 to 28 days of age will significantly improve weight at
weaning and improve feed intake and growth rate in the first two
weeks after weaning.
If a creep feeding program is to be successful, feed should
be fresh (changed frequently) and the diet must be highly diges-
tible and palatable. Because most of the suckling pig's amino
acid requirements are met by milk proteins, a creep feed may be
formulated to contain only 15% to 16% protein. Ingredients com-
monly used to meet these requirements are dried whey, dried skim
milk, fish meal and dehulled rolled oats.
Before weaning, a suckling pig will consume approximately
0.55 lb of milk dry matter per day, allowing a growth rate of
0.70 lb per day. After weaning, feed intake can fall to about 0.2
lb per day and then increase by about 0.1 lb per day, but will
generally not reach the preweaning level of nutrient intake until
8 to 10 days after weaning.
Post Weaning
The performance of the pig after weaning is determined by
age and weight at weaning, genetic potential for growth, quality
of management and environment, nutritional program and disease
status. Management and environment are more often the limiting
factors to producing good feeder pigs than are nutrition and
genetics. Weaning at any age is stressful for young pigs, but the
younger and lighter the pig is at weaning, the higher its tem-
perature requirement, the lower the ability to digest grains and
vegetable proteins, the lower its appetite, and the lower its
resistance to disease.
Age and Weight at Weaning
A successful weaning program depends on choosing an age at
weaning that suits the facilities, nutritional program and
management skills of the producer. In general, the heavier the
pig at weaning, the more developed its digestive and immune sys-
tem, the better it is able to cope with the stresses of weaning
and the better its post-weaning growth rate. With good housing,
feeding and management, pigs weaned at about 14 lb can average
0.8 to 1.2 lb of gain per day from weaning to eight weeks of age
with a feed conversion of 1.4 to 2.0 (Table 1). For the best
herds, a target of 70 lb pigs at 60 days of age is attainable.
Table 1. Performance targets for weaned pigs from 14 to 45 lb
bodyweight.
_________________________________________________________________
| Good Better Best |
_________________________________________________________________
| Average daily gain, lb 0.75 1.0 1.20 |
| Average daily feed intake, lb 1.55 1.70 1.70 |
| Feed conversion 2.00 1.70 1.40 |
| Mortality, % 2.50 1.50 0.50 |
|_______________________________________________________________|
Nutrition
After weaning, there is a sudden change in the pig's diet
from 16 regular meals a day of a very palatable, highly nutri-
tious and digestible milk diet to a dry feed based on less diges-
tible and less palatable ingredients. When the pig is weaned,
its ability to digest solid food and resist digestive upset is
greatly reduced. The limited capacity of the digestive system of
the pig is even further reduced by damage caused to the gut wall
by the stress of weaning. The result is a period of reduced feed
intake after weaning, the extent and duration of which depends on
the palatability and digestibility of the feed, the management
system of weaning and the weight of the pig.
In some circumstances, the period of low feed intake is fol-
lowed by consumption of large quantities of feed which may over-
load the digestive system and result in outbreaks of diarrhea. To
avoid or minimize postweaning diarrhea, it is sometimes suggested
that feed intake be restricted for a few days after weaning.
Although restricted feeding may reduce the incidence and severity
of postweaning diarrhea and gut edema, it also reduces growth
rate of the pigs so that in general the performance of pigs fed
free-choice is superior. Therefore, the aim should be to provide
an environment and a management system along with a diet that can
be fed free-choice without causing problems of diarrhea and that
will minimize the postweaning growth lag.
The nutrient requirements of the weaned pig depend on its
weight at weaning and its subsequent level of performance. A
guide to the nutrient allowances recommended for pigs of dif-
ferent weights and specific targeted performance levels is shown
in Table 2.
Table 2. Nutrient allowances*
_________________________________________________________________
| Weight, lb |
| Item 10 to 25 lb 25 to 45 lb |
_________________________________________________________________
| Weight gain, lb/day 0.55 1.0 |
| Feed conversion 1.80 2.11 |
| Feed intake/day, lb 1.00 2.10 |
| Kcal ME/lb 1500 1500 |
| Protein, % 20.00 18.00 |
| Lysine, % 1.25 1.00 |
| Calcium, % 0.85 0.75 |
| Phosphorus, % 0.70 0.65 |
|_______________________________________________________________|
*Adapted from NRC (1988)
The energy level recommended in Table 2 will maximize growth
rate, but feed efficiency may improve with increases in energy up
to 1650 kcal ME/lb. These diets supply about 5.5 and 4.5 grams of
lysine per pound of diet or 3.8 and 3.0 grams of lysine per 1,000
calories, respectively. Synthetic lysine supplementation can be
used to reduce diet protein concentration by about 2% while main-
taining lysine levels. Maintaining methionine plus cystine,
threonine and tryptophan at 55%, 65% and 18% respectively of the
lysine level to produce an ideal protein ratio is recommended.
Starter Diet Composition
Digestibility of the postweaning diet is the key factor in
improving feed intake and achieving higher growth rates without
increasing the incidence of diarrhea. Therefore, the ingredients
used in the starter diet must be suited to the digestive capacity
of the pig. Diets based on milk products, fish meal, blood prod-
ucts and cooked cereals are most suitable for supplying the
nutrient requirements of the early weaned pig, but these
ingredients also are expensive. Thus, the nutrition of the newly
weaned pig is usually a matter of compromise between economics
and the needs of the pig. However, the pig's digestive system
changes quickly, as do its nutrient requirements (Table 2).
Therefore, with early weaning, a two or three phase starter diet
sequence can be used to reduce cost and improve pig performance.
An example of a phase feeding program is shown in Table 3. By the
time the pig weighs 25 lb, it can be fed a traditional grain-
soybean meal starter diet.
Nutrient Sources
Diets containing dried whey are superior to simple grain-
soybean diets for pigs of less than 15 lb at weaning. Perfor-
mance is optimized when whey is included at 15% to 20% of the
diet and the largest response from adding whey is during the
first 10 to 14 days after weaning. Pig performance is superior
when an edible grade whey rather than a feed grade whey is used.
Reduction in feed grade whey quality appears to be due to exces-
sive drying temperatures and high ash and salt content. A 25%
lower level of available lysine has been shown in roller dried
compared with spray dried whey. It appears that the response to
whey is both a lactose and a protein effect. Therefore, it is
recommended that weaned pigs be fed an edible grade, high-lactose
whey.
Table 3. Key elements of a three phase starter program.*
_________________________________________________________________
| Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 |
|_______________________________________________________________|
| Time 10 days prior day 7 to day 14 day 14 after|
| to weaning & after weaning weaning to |
| 7 days after 45 lb |
| weaning |
| Weight up to 15 lb 15 to 25 lb 25 to 45 lb |
| |
| Protein, % 24 20 18 |
| Lysine, % 1.40 1.25 1.10 |
| Metabolizable |
| energy, |
| kcal/lb 1550 1500 1475 |
| Fat, added, % 3 3 4 |
| Whey, % 20 10 -- |
| Skim Milk, % 15 -- -- |
| Fish meal,% 4 2 -- |
| Copper sulfate** + + + |
| Antibiotic + + + |
| Physical form 1/8 in 1/8 in meal |
| pellets pellets |
|_______________________________________________________________|
*Based on corn, wheat, barley, oat groats, grain sorghum.
**Copper levels beyond the nutritional requirements.
Because whey is very expensive and soybean meal is not
well-digested by starter pigs, there has been considerable
interest in using processed soybean protein products such as soy
protein concentrate, soy flour and isolated soy protein. These
products, although generally too expensive to use, are more
easily digested by the young pig and produce less intestinal dam-
age than soybean meal. These products improve pig performance
compared with soybean meal in the first 14 days after weaning but
not thereafter.
Spray-dried porcine plasma (SDPP), a by-product of blood
obtained from pork slaughter plants, contains about 68% protein
and 6% lysine. Spray-dried porcine plasma, up to a maximum level
of 8% to 10%, with or without the addition of lactose to the
diet, can effectively replace some or all of the dried skim milk
in the diet of starter pigs. Supplemental methionine and lactose
may be needed when SDPP is added to the diet.
Fat
The ability of the young pig to efficiently utilize fat
increases with age. Although fat supplementation does not signi-
ficantly improve pig performance during the first one or two
weeks after weaning, it does reduce fat loss during that period.
For the first two weeks after weaning, it is recommended that the
level of supplemented fat should be limited to 2% to 3% of the
diet. Soybean oil, coconut oil, corn oil, peanut oil, canola oil,
or a mixture of these oils are relatively well-utilized by the
weaned pig. Fat is added to the diet as an aid to the pelleting
process.
The digestibility of fats or oils improves from about 69% in
the first week after weaning to 88% by four weeks after weaning.
By 3 to 4 weeks after weaning, the level of fat in the diet can
be increased to 4% to 5%, and for that age pig, fat will result
in improved growth rate and feed efficiency. At that age, there
is no significant difference in the digestibility of fats or
oils.
The response to fat supplementation by the newly weaned pig
is greater when the protein and lysine level of the diet is
increased to maintain a constant energy-protein ratio.
Feed Additives
The development of low pH (about 4) in the pig's stomach
will help to ensure efficient digestion of the feed and help in
controlling the proliferation of potentially harmful bacteria.
The ability to secrete hydrochloric acid in the stomach is not
well-developed in the 3 to 4 week old pig. It is, therefore,
recommended that ingredients with a high acid-binding capacity,
such as ground limestone, be kept to a desirable minimum. A level
of 0.85% to 0.90% calcium in the starter diet should be adequate
for weanling pigs. The addition of 1% to 2% organic acids, such
as fumaric, lactic, citric or propionic acid, may result in a 4%
to 5% improvement in feed efficiency, but they may not be econom-
ical. The response to the addition of organic acids is greater
with grain-soybean meal based diets than with dried whey supple-
mented diets and during the first two weeks after weaning. In
most cases, the addition of organic acids is not cost effective
because of the high cost of the acids.
Addition of antibiotics to the starter diet will generally
improve pig growth rate by 10% to 20% and increase feed effi-
ciency by 5% to 10%. Similar but slightly lower responses in
growth and feed efficiency have been obtained with the addition
of copper sulfate to the diet. A combination of an antibiotic
plus copper sulfate at 125 ppm gives better pig performance than
either alone.
Addition of probiotics to the starter diet generally has not
produced an improvement in pig performance. Supplementation of
starter diets with digestive enzymes such as amylase, sucrase,
beta glucanase, protease, lipase or cellulase also does not con-
sistently improve the performance of weaned pigs.
Recent research involving a single B vitamin complex injec-
tion has shown performance benefits for pigs weaned at 17 to 28
days. However, addition to the diet of folic acid, thiamin,
biotin or ascorbic acid (Vit C) in general does not result in
improved pig performance when pigs are weaned at 17 to 28 days of
age.
Flavors, sweeteners and aroma enhancers are used widely in
commercial starter diets. When pigs have a choice, they will eat
more of a diet containing feed flavors than an unflavored diet.
However, although these additives may help to improve intake in
some circumstances, the benefits in most cases are small.
Medicated Early Weaning (MEW)
Medicated early weaning is a method of reducing the exposure
of pigs to a wide spectrum of pathogens with the aim of reducing
the incidence of diseases in pigs. This system is based on the
principle that in a closed, well-managed herd, the balance
between immunity and infection tends to reach a stable equili-
brium. The MEW technique involves (1) medicating the sow diet
with broad spectrum antibiotics before farrowing and until wean-
ing, and (2) removing pigs at an early age (10 days or less) from
the sow and placing them at a new location, and (3) giving the
litter appropriate medication (broad spectrum antibiotics) from
birth until five days after weaning.
MEW has been found to be effective in eliminating the organ-
isms responsible for enzootic pneumonia, swine dysentery, pseu-
dorabies and one of the organisms responsible for atrophic rhin-
itis (Bordetella bronchiseptica) and other organisms. Postweaning
mortality is increased (ranging up to 12% to 25%) and there are
additional costs due to off-site sow facilities and extra labor.
However, substantial beneficial effects have been reported in the
finishing performance of MEW pigs: 14% increase in average daily
gain and 9% improvement in feed efficiency.
Producers interested in MEW should consult with their swine
veterinary practitioner and Extension swine specialist for
appropriate procedures and to determine if MEW is a viable prac-
tice for their operation.
Environment
The common environmental stresses experienced by the pig at
weaning are chilling, drafts, temperature fluctuations, poor san-
itation, and inadequate housing and penning conditions such as
feeder space, floor type, pen size, number of water nipples, and
their location and flow rate.
Chilling. The reduced feed intake and loss of body fat after
weaning make the newly weaned pig very sensitive to cold. The
recommended environmental temperatures for pigs weaned at 3 to 5
weeks of age are shown in Table 4. The younger and smaller the
pig, the higher and more stable the temperature required. Daily
variations of more than 4o F during the first week after weaning
can cause outbreaks of diarrhea and poor performance. Room tem-
perature should be read at pig level because temperature at eye
level can be 9o F higher than at ground level. Thermostats also
should be hung at a low level and the sensory coils should be
kept free of dust. Temperatures in excess of those shown in Table
4 will cause a restriction of feed intake. Research has shown
that night time temperature in the nursery can be lowered about
10o F after the first or second week after weaning without affect-
ing the performance of the pigs.
Table 4. Temperature requirements of weaned pigs.
_________________________________________________________________
| Pig weight, lb Initial temperature, o F |
_________________________________________________________________
| 8 to 12 85 |
| 12 to 17 80 |
| 17 to 27 76 |
| 27 to 40 70 |
|_______________________________________________________________|
Drafts. Air movement at the level of the pig should be kept
as low as possible. A scarcely noticeable air speed will chill a
pig as much as a drop in temperature of 5o F. On slatted floors,
up-drafts are very common and an overlay should be used. It has
been shown that pigs in a draft-free environment grow 6% faster
on 26% less feed than do pigs exposed to drafts. The use of bed-
ding, such as straw, can help the pig create a microclimate that
can reduce heat loss. However, the use of bedding has been aban-
doned by most producers because of labor costs and incompatibil-
ity with many manure management systems. Wet concrete floors also
can increase chilling of the young pig and can be equivalent to a
drop in temperature of 5o F to 10o F. Huddling with penmates also
reduces heat loss, but excessive huddling should be taken as an
indication of an unsatisfactory pig environment.
Sanitation. The young pig's immunity to disease is not
well-developed until it is 5 to 6 weeks of age. Before weaning,
the pig is provided with immunoglobulin A (IgA) in the milk which
helps it to combat enteric diseases such as diarrhea. After wean-
ing, the pig does not have this protection; therefore, it is very
important that pigs are moved to a clean, dry, warm environment
and fed a palatable, digestible diet fortified with an appropri-
ate antibiotic. Use of an all-in, all-out system of management
improves pig performance and reduces the incidence and severity
of scours.
Stockmanship. There is some evidence that keeping litters
intact after weaning reduces the incidence of diarrhea, improves
performance and reduces postweaning mortality. The general
recommendation is for 3 sq ft per pig for pigs from weaning to 45
lb on solid floors and 2 sq ft per pig on slatted floors. If pigs
are crowded, growth rate and feed intake will be reduced. Optimum
group size appears to be about 12 to 16 pigs per pen. With larger
group size, growth rate tends to decline and variation within the
pen increases. Research has shown little if any difference in the
performance of pigs raised in single, double or triple decks.
For best weaning pig performance, select flooring that has excel-
lent cleaning qualities, provides a comfortable surface for pig
movement and sleeping, and minimizes the heat loss. Even though
there are growth performance differences among floor types, other
more subjective features of flooring materials such as durabil-
ity, ease of cleaning and pig comfort, as well as cost should be
considered.
Feeding System. No advantage in feed intake or pig perfor-
mance has been shown from floor feeding pigs for the first three
days after weaning, but feed wastage will be much greater with
floor feeding. Feed wastage can amount to 8% to 15% of the feed
from poorly designed and unadjusted self-feeders. Feed wastage is
less from feeders with feeder holes, easily adjustable feed
plates and lips that prevent feed from flowing out of the front
or sides. Use of single-space, wet-dry feeders is not recommended
for newly weaned pigs because the pigs play with the water nip-
ples in the feeders and flood the trough, resulting in feed was-
tage and reduced pig performance for the first week after wean-
ing.
Nipple drinkers are the preferred watering system for weaned
pigs. They do lead to increased water waste, but they are easier
to keep clean. The orifice should be at least 3 mm and the flow
rate should be one cup per minute for pigs 10 lb to 25 lb and two
cups per minute for pigs 25 lb to 50 lb. It is suggested that
there be at least one nipple drinker for each 6 to 8 pigs, or one
bowl for each 12 pigs. The drinker height should be adjustable
and should be set 4 inches to 6 inches above the pigs back at an
angle of about 45 degrees.
Summary
o Feed a well-balanced, high-energy, palatable diet.
o Keep feed fresh and clean.
o Temperature at pig level should be 85o F for pigs 8 to
12 lb and 80o F for pigs 12 to 17 lb.
o Provide clean, dry, disinfected pens.
o Allow one water nipple for every 6 to 8 pigs.
o Use an all-in, all-out system.
o Provide draft-free environment and use overlays on
slatted floors.
o Number of pigs per pen should be 16 or less.
o Water flow rates should be checked and nipple
height adjusted regularly.
o Adjust pen-mates within a weight range of 2 lb to 3 lb.
o Provide adequate floor space per pig.
Reference to products is not intended to be an endorsement
to the exclusion of others which may be similar. Persons using
such products assume responsibility for their use in accordance
with current directions of the manufacturer.
REV 12/92 (7M)
______________________________________________
Cooperative Extension Work in Agriculture and Home Economics,
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culture Cooperating. H.A. Wadsworth, Director, West Lafayette,
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