The Weaner Pig

Weaning represents a significant challenge to every young piglet and the success of the process is crucial to the lifetime performance of the animal. The transition from a liquid diet to one that is usually based on dry food ingredients is accompanied by major changes in digestive physiology, immune status and social and physical environments. Successful weaning is, therefore, the key to effective growth, feed efficiency and the subsequent development of the pig. This book has been developed from a British Society of Animal Science occasional meeting, held in September 2000. The Weaner Pig: Nutrition and Management brings together all the scientific disciplines involved in the pre- and post-weaning biology of the piglet, concentrating on growth/development, nutrition, immunology/health, ethology and the physical environment.