Effects of Weaning on Immunity and Nutrition in Piglets

The number of birth per year was an important indicator of the sow's productivity and it was related to the duration of breastfeeding.Weaning had been shown to be a stressful period.The weaning age had declined over time in order to increase sow productivity and the fact that weaning under modem-day commercial conditions inflicted stress (environmental,nutritional and psychological/social) on pigs and associated with marked changes in gastrointestinal tract (GIT) physiology,microbiology and immunology.However,the early weaning resulted in post-weaning diarrhea,mainly related to intestinal dysbiosis during this rapid adaptation to the new diet.The environment and feed had influence on physiology,gut morphology,immune system and diseases of weaned piglets.