animals Review Management and Feeding Strategies in Early Life to Increase Piglet Performance and Welfare around Weaning: A Review Laia Blavi * , David Solà-Oriol , Pol Llonch , Sergi López-Vergé , Susana María Martín-Orúe and José Francisco Pérez Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Animal Nutrition and Welfare Service, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain;
[email protected] (D.S.-O.);
[email protected] (P.L.);
[email protected] (S.L.-V.);
[email protected] (S.M.M.-O.);
[email protected] (J.F.P.) * Correspondence:
[email protected]; Tel.: +34-93-581-1504 Simple Summary: Weaning is an important period for the swine industry and is influenced by the early events that occur during gestation and lactation. Therefore, a range of dietary and management strategies have to be implemented to achieve optimal health status, maturity, and weight at weaning. In this review, we aimed to identify the major dietary nutrients and management strategies to enhance fetal growth, reducing the oxidative and inflammatory status of sows, modulating the microbiota of sows, enhancing colostrum and milk production, and taking care of neonatal piglets. Abstract: The performance of piglets in nurseries may vary depending on body weight, age at weaning, management, and pathogenic load in the pig facilities. The early events in a pig’s life are very important and may have long lasting consequences, since growth lag involves a significant cost to the system due to reduced market weights and increased barn occupancy. The present Citation: Blavi, L.; Solà-Oriol, D.; review evidences that there are several strategies that can be used to improve the performance and Llonch, P.; López-Vergé, S.; welfare of pigs at weaning.