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This past October we launched a brief survey among 333 users that consisted of two questions about the weaning age of piglets. Specifically, in the first question, we asked what the average age at weaning is in their system, and in the second question, what they think it will be in five years. We received a total of 246 and 177 responses for the first and second questions, respectively, from 51 countries.
The results of the first question indicated that 54% of the respondents currently wean their piglets at less than 28 days, as reflected in Figure 1. Although we cannot verify the accuracy of the data, we can see that the graph shows a clear asymmetry to the right. The mean and median are 26.6 and 26.8, respectively, although we see differences according to the continent.
| Continent | Median | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Europe | 28 | 27.2 |
| Asia | 25 | 25.7 |
| Latin America | 25 | 25.8 |
Figure 1: Current weaning age (333 survey)
Regarding the responses on the average age at weaning in five years, as shown in Figure 2, more than half of the 333 users who participated in the survey (51.41%) think that we will approach 28 days.
Figure 2: Weaning age in five years (333 survey)
Although on average the responses speak of an increase in the weaning age, if we evaluate the relationship between the current weaning age and the age that the same user estimates he/she will have in five years, we see that certain users, especially those who currently wean at over 24 days, also consider a reduction in the age at weaning in five years.
Figure 3: Evolution of weaning age in five years as a function of current weaning age (333 survey). X axis: current weaning age. Y-axis: expected variation in five years.
And, as we are reminded by Enric Marco in the article about the best age for weaning piglets which he wrote for the 25th anniversary of 333, back in 2009 Josep Barceló explained what, in his opinion, was the best age for weaning piglets: 28 days. In 2023 we find ourselves in the same situation, the average age at weaning has not yet reached 28 days in Spain.