When Stress Stacks Up: 8 Ways to Minimize Weaning Stress in Pigs

Sep 18, 2023

When you consider the number of stressors wean pigs face, it’s no surprise that starting pigs in the nursery can be challenging, says Madie Wensley, a nutritionist for Pipestone Nutrition. So, the question becomes, what can you do to help? Here are eight tips to help reduce stress.

1. Creep Feeding

Creep-feeding litters during the suckling period is one strategy that can acclimate pigs to solid feed before weaning, explains Wensley. Creep feeding should be considered for older wean-age pigs (over 21 days), as litter intake remains relatively low up until approximately 20 days of age.

2. Barn Preparation

Are the lights on? Is the heat on? Is the feed there? From Techmix Innovations Leader Denny McKilligan's perspective, early lifetime care, if done well, pays big dividends down the road. Make sure nipple waterers are turned on and cup waterers are full, feed is available in feeders, barn temperature and ventilation are at the appropriate set points, mats are in place, and brooders are lit well before pigs arrive at the site.

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.