Moving and Mixing
Pigs from larger groups tend to move and load a lot easier. Another major advantage is that you can add or delete pigs from pens with little or no visible signs of fighting or stress.

Crowding
If you end up having to crowd the pigs for a short term due to a peak in production, the larger pens are more forgiving than traditional pens.

Disadvantages of Large Group Sizes

Handling
It can be harder for some people to catch individual pigs for treatment. Vaccinating or tagging pigs is also more difficult. This can be overcome to some degree by using portable partitions.

Age and Health
The younger the weaning age or the lower your health status, the more problems you will have with larger groups.

Conclusion

For anybody thinking about larger groups for weaners I would make thefollowing recommendations:Add 20% more feeders and waterersHave a hospital pen in each room or a separate hospital room.An alley could be incorporated but we manage without one.Instead of 160 per pen try 80 per pen.Keep the recommended square footage as you would in a conventional barn. Do not try and reduce footage per pig.If I were to build a new barn I would incorporate the larger group size pens.

On our existing weaner facilities, I would not change them as they are also working very satisfactorily.

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Source: Paper presented at the Banff Pork Seminar - January 2003, published October 2003