Belly-nosing in early-weaned piglets is not influenced by diet quality or the presence of milk in the diet

Early weaning of piglets can lead to an increase in belly-nosing and other oral-nasal behavior (nosing, chewing, or sucking other piglets), but the ca usative factors involved in these behavior patterns are largely unknown. Be cause these behavior patterns resemble massaging the udder and sucking, the y may be associated with feeding. The objectives of this study were to dete rmine any effect of diet quality or the presence of milk in the diet on bel ly-nosing behavior of piglets weaned at 14 to 18 d. During the first 2 wk a fter weaning, piglets were fed diets differing in quality and inclusion of milk products. Six replicates of eight piglets per replicate, blocked by in itial body weight, (n = 192) were offered one of four dietary treatments: H QM: high quality, high in milk products; HQ: high quality, no milk products ; PQ: poor quality, no milk products; HQ+MR: high quality, no milk products (as HQ) sprayed with milk replacer five times daily. Thereafter, the pigle ts were fed a standard nursery diet. Feed intake was measured daily for wk 1 and again at the end of wk 2. Behavior was recorded every 5 min during tw o 4-h periods on d 2 to 7, 10, 14, 17 and 21 after weaning. Dietary treatme nt influenced ADFI and ADG during wk 1. Average daily feed intake (P < 0.05 ) and ADG (P < 0.05) of piglets on PQ were less than those of piglets on th e other treatments. During wk 2, ADFI (P > 0.10) and ADG (P > 0.10)were the same across all treatments. Overall, ADFI was not influenced by the inclus ion of milk products in the diet or the addition of milk replacer (P > 0.10 ); however, ADG was. Piglets on HQM had higher ADG than those on HQ during wk 2 (P < 0.05) and 3 after weaning (P < 0.05). However, milk replacer did not influence ADG (P > 0.10). Although the dietary treatments did affect AD FI and ADG, there were no effects on any behavior pattern recorded, includi ng time spent at the feeder (P > 0.10). Lower weight-for-age piglets perfor med more oral-nasal behavior, in total, than higher weight-for-age piglets (P < 0.03). Neither feeding a poor-quality diet nor the presence of milk in the diet had an effect on belly-nosing or other oral-nasal behavior patter ns during the first 3 wk after weaning. Belly-nosing does not seem to be as sociated with feeding.