TY - JOUR AU - Main, RG AU - Dritz, SS AU - Tokach, MD TI - Effects of weaning age on postweaning belly-nosing behavior and umbilical lesions in a multi-site production system T2 - Journal of Swine Health and Production JF - Journal of Swine Health and Production J2 - JSHAP SN - 1537-209X DP - American Association of Swine Veterinarians PB - American Association of Swine Veterinarians DA - 2005/Sep// PY - 2005 VL - 13 M1 - 5 IS - 5 M2 - 259 SP - 259-264 L2 - https://www.aasv.org/shap/issues/v13n5/v13n5p259.html UR - https://www.aasv.org/shap/abstracts/abstract.php?v13n5p259 L1 - https://www.aasv.org/shap/issues/v13n5/v13n5p259.pdf KW - swine KW - weaning age KW - belly nosing KW - behavior KW - segregated early weaning KW - SEW N2 - Objective: To determine the effects of weaning age on postweaning belly-nosing behavior and umbilical lesions in a commercial multi-site production system environment. Materials and methods: This study was conducted as a randomized complete block design. Treatments were weaning at 12, 15, 18, and 21 days of age (N = 2272 pigs). Each block was an off-site nursery, with four replicates (pens) of each treatment in each of four blocks. All pigs in a block were weaned from a 7300-head sow farm on the same day (Day 0). Each pen was observed for 15 minutes on Days 7, 14, and 21. Pigs demonstrating sustained belly-nosing behavior (>= 10 seconds) were recorded. After the observations on Day 21, the umbilical region of each pig was examined and scored for lesions associated with belly nosing. A repeated measures mixed model with linear and quadratic contrasts was used to test the effects of weaning age on belly-nosing prevalence, percentage of pigs classified as "nosers," umbilical lesion scores, and percentage of pigs with umbilical lesions at Day 21, with pen the experimental unit in all analyses.Results: Belly-nosing behavior and umbilical lesions were less frequent (quadratic, P < .05) as weaning age increased. Although the incidence of belly-nosing behavior gradually decreased as weaning age increased to 21 days, nosing activity and umbilical lesion scores nearly doubled as weaning age decreased from 15 to 12 days of age.Implications: Weaning pigs at less than 15 days of age significantly increases belly-nosing behavior and associated umbilical lesions. ER -