A preweaning socialization system is described as the co-mingling of non-littermate piglets before weaning. This approach allows 2 or more unfamiliar litters to interact and socialize during the lactation period. This system involves the removal of dividers between farrowing stalls and walkways and allows piglets to freely socialize while the sow remains in her stall. Piglets are allowed to choose which sow to nurse from and are exposed to larger social environments. We hypothesized that the preweaning socialization system would reduce preweaning mortality and increase weaning weights compared to a conventional farrowing system. However, results indicated that pigs raised in the conventional farrowing system had increased livability, lifetime growth performance, and improved carcass characteristics compared to the preweaning socialization system.

Read the full article in the Journal of Animal Science.