The behaviour of early-weaned piglets following transport: Effect of season and weaning weight

Abstract

Two groups of 48 Cotswold piglets were weaned at 17 ± 1 d of age and assigned to road or simulated transport during summer or winter. Following transport (0, 6, 12 or 24 h), piglets were grouped by weaning weight (light, medium and heavy) in pens of four. Piglet behaviour was recorded on days 1–4, 7 and 14 after weaning and transport. As transport duration increased, drinking behaviour increased (P < 0.05). Control (0 h) piglets fed less (1.5%) than transported piglets (3.1%) during the first 3 d in housing. Significant differences were observed on days 2 and 3 only (P < 0.02). Across season and transport treatment, heavy piglets spent more time fighting (P < 0.005) during the first day in housing, and less time feeding (P < 0.05) during the first 3 d in housing compared with light and medium piglets. During the first 3 d in weanling pens, piglets spent less time feeding following road transport (2.4%) than following simulated transport (2.9%, P < 0.05). Piglets transported by road also spent more time engaged in oral/nasal behaviour during the first 3 d in housing compared with simulated transport groups, although this reached significance on day 3 only (P < 0.05). These results suggest that transport of early-weaned piglets may exacerbate the stress of weaning through additional stress related to factors associated with truck movement, such as noise and vibration, and by imposing an increased risk of dehydration following long journeys (> 12 h). Key words: Early weaning, transport, pigs, behaviour, season