Effect of weight and age based split weaning on growth performances and welfare of Large White Yorkshire piglets

Abstract

With an objective to minimize the weaning stress and to maximize the welfare, early weaning was combined with split weaning in 41 piglets of Large White Yorkshire (LWY). Weaning method was either “Weight Based Early or Split Weaning” i.e. TES or “Conventional Weaning” i.e. TC and treated as control. The weaning age in TC was 56 days. In TES, heavier (> 1.5 kg) medium weighing (1.0-1.5 kg) and lighter (> 1.0 kg) piglets were weaned at 30 (TESH), 37 days (TESM) and 42 days (TESL), respectively. Different records pertaining to body weight, feed consumption, haematological profiles etc. were collected up to 120 days. At the end of the study period, body weight of piglets was almost equal in both groups. The overall ADG at the end of study period was almost equal in all three sub-groups and in control. FCR of piglets under split and conventional weaning groups was significantly better (P>0.05) in TESH than Tc group, both during pre- and post-weaning period. The PCV (%) and TLC value under different sub-groups of split-weaned piglets were almost similar to different sub-groups of conventionally weaned piglets and were within normal range. There were significant differences among haemoglobin level among different sub-group of TES and Tc and it was within the range of normal reference value. From the present study it can be concluded that split weaned piglets performed almost equally to conventionally weaned piglets.