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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 9, 2026

Transition of Farm Pigs to Research Pigs using a Designated Checklist followed by Initiation of Clicker Training - a Refinement Initiative

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Published on: August 21, 2021

Early-Life Socialization Enhances Social Competence and Alters Affiliative Preference in Piglets.

Lu Luo¹, Zhengyu Li¹, J Elizabeth Bolhuis²

¹College of Animal Science & Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.

Animals : an Open Access Journal From MDPI

|December 11, 2025

Summary

Early-life socialization reduces aggression in pigs, regardless of sex. However, socialization

Keywords:

aggression comingling regrouping social test welfare

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Published on: January 24, 2025

Area of Science:

Animal Behavior
Ethology
Animal Welfare

Background:

Early-life experiences, such as socialization, can shape social behaviors in animals.
The sex-specific effects of early-life socialization on pig social behavior remain largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the impact of early-life socialization on social interactions and behavioral responses in pigs.
To determine if the effects of early-life socialization on pig social behavior are sex-dependent.

Main Methods:

Piglets were either comingled (Socialized, SOC) or not (Control, CON) from 14 days of age until weaning.
At 40 days of age, pigs were tested individually in an arena with a familiar pen mate and an unfamiliar pig of the same sex, separated by fences.
Behaviors including environmental exploration, fence exploration, social contact, and aggression were recorded over an 8-minute period.

Main Results:

Socialized pigs exhibited significantly less aggression towards unfamiliar conspecifics compared to control pigs, an effect independent of sex.
A significant sex-by-treatment interaction was observed in the later stages of the test, with socialized males showing increased exploration of the familiar pen mate's fence compared to socialized females and all control pigs.
General exploratory and locomotor behaviors were minimally affected by early socialization or sex.

Conclusions:

Early-life socialization effectively reduces aggression in pigs towards unfamiliar individuals.
The influence of early socialization on social preference and interaction patterns appears to be sex-dependent, with males potentially showing a stronger preference for familiar individuals under certain conditions.
These findings highlight the nuanced impact of early social experiences on the development of social behavior in pigs, with implications for animal welfare and management practices.