Ž . Applied Animal Behaviour Science 65 1999 123–135 Alternative housing for sows and litters: 2. Effects of a communal piglet area on pre- and post-weaning behaviour and performance Daniel M. Weary a, ) , Edmond A. Pajor b,1 , Marjolaine Bonenfant b,2 , Stephen K. Ross b,3 , David Fraser a , Donald L. Kramer b a Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Centre for Applied Ethics, UniÕersity of British Columbia, 2357 Main Mall, VancouÕer, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4 b Department of Biology, McGill UniÕersity, 1205 Docteur Penfield, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 1B1 Accepted 4 May 1999 Abstract We conducted an experiment to determine how allowing piglets access to a communal area affects pre-weaning and post-weaning behaviour and performance. Litters were housed in pens with sows in crates until piglets reached 11 days of age. For 10 experimental cohorts, barriers between the pens of three litters were removed allowing piglets to mingle freely in a central area. Ž . For the 10 control cohorts also three litters each , litters were not allowed to mix before weaning. There was little aggression when experimental litters were allowed to mix, and piglets played and rested in mixed-litter groups. Time spent in the common area increased from approximately 20% Ž . Ž . just after mixing 12 days old to approximately 45% at day 26 week 4; P -0.001 . Experimen- tal piglets were nursed less often than controls, especially during the later stages of lactation Ž . P -0.01 . However, there was no difference in the amount of creep feed consumed or rate of weight gain before weaning. After weaning, experimental piglets ate more solid food than controls Ž . approximately 70 grday more during the second week after weaning, P -0.05 , and showed a ) Corresponding author. Tel.: q1-604-822-3954; fax: q1-604-822-4400; E-mail: danweary@unixg.ubc.ca 1 Current address: Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, 1026 Poultry Science Building, West Lafayette, IN, 47907-1026 USA. 2 Current address: 560 Mercier, St. Lambert, Quebec, Canada J4P 1Z5. 3 Current address: Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Road, Atlanta, GA 3032 USA. 0168-1591r99r$ - see front matter q 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. Ž . PII: S0168-1591 99 00053-2