Suckling Induces Differential Gut Enzyme Activity and Body Composition Compared to Feeding Milk Replacer in Piglets.

The aim of this study was to investigate differences in growth, hematology, metabolism, small intestine (SI) morphology, and enzyme activity of sow-reared piglets (SOW) compared to artificially reared piglets (MILK) given milk replacers in two different environments. Thirty-six piglets were selected at birth based on their birth weight; eighteen were kept on a commercial farm, another eighteen transferred to an animal research facility for artificial rearing. Differences were observed in enzymatic activity, with a larger amount of sucrase in the SOW compared with MILK group across the SI. SOW piglets also had a body composition with a larger amount of fat, muscle, and bone mass content. Differences in hematology were observed, suggesting environmental influences, biochemistry differences reflective of the diets given, and finally, an increased dry matter (DM) intake in SOW piglets was estimated. No differences were observed in immune function and only small differences in the gut integrity were found between the two groups. It can be concluded that body composition and enzyme activity can be manipulated through dietary intervention and that an increase in DM during lactation is beneficial for gut function. The study warrants further investigation into what this means for the subsequent weaning period.

Peroral iron supplementation can be provided to piglets through a milk cup system with results comparable to parenteral iron administration.

The objective of this study was to investigate if iron can be allocated to piglets through sow milk replacer fed in a milk cup system with efficacies comparable to intramuscular (IM) administration of 200 mg gleptoferron. Two hundred and ninety-four piglets from 21 litters were allocated to three different iron treatments (n = 98). The treatments were 1) Control (CON) provided no supplemental iron, 2) Injected iron (II) provided 200 mg gleptoferron IM on day 3 postpartum, and 3) Milk iron (MI) provided sow milk replacer "DanMilk Supreme" added 1 % "Piglet Boozt" ad libitum from day 0 until 21 days postpartum. All piglets had access to dry feed from day 6. Initial and final body weight was registered and hemoglobin (Hb) levels were analyzed on day 0, 3, 7, 10, 17, and 21 after farrowing. In order to correlate drinking pattern with Hb level and growth, video cameras were installed, and drinking pattern was recorded on day 18 postpartum. A blood sample was drawn from piglets from three litters per treatment on day 21 for a complete hematology profile. The results showed that iron treatment had an effect on Hb levels (P < 0.001) that were different between all groups from day 10, resulting in a mean Hb level of 76.2 g/L (CON), 120.9 g/L (II), and 105.4 g/L (MI) on day 21. The mean Hb level for both MI and II was above the anemia threshold of 90 g/L and the Hb level of the II group was above 110 g/L and the piglets thus defined as normal. Treatment had a significant effect on Hb, hematocrit (hct), mean corposcular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), red blood cell distribution width (RDW), lymphocytes (%), neutrophils (bill/L) (P < 0.05), neutrophils (%) (P < 0.01), with CON being significantly different from MI and II that were similar or tended to differ. Total visits at the cup was not correlated to Hb level (r = 0.08) and growth was not affected by treatment (P = 0.99). It is concluded that iron can be supplemented to piglets through a milk cup system with efficacies comparable to parenteral administration of 200 mg gleptoferron.

Pre-weaning adaptation responses in piglets fed milk replacer with gradually increasing amounts of wheat.

Hyperprolific sows rear more piglets than they have teats, and to accommodate this, milk replacers are often offered as a supplement. Milk replacers are based on bovine milk, yet components of vegetable origin are often added. This may reduce growth, but could also accelerate maturational changes. Therefore, we investigated the effect of feeding piglets a milk replacer with gradually increasing levels of wheat flour on growth, gut enzyme activity and immune function compared with a diet based entirely on bovine milk. The hypothesis tested was that adding a starch component (wheat flour) induces maturation of the mucosa as measured by higher digestive activity and improved integrity and immunity of the small intestines (SI). To test this hypothesis, piglets were removed from the sow at day 3 and fed either a pure milk replacer diet (MILK) or from day 11 a milk replacer diet with increasing levels of wheat (WHEAT). The WHEAT piglets had an increased enzyme activity of maltase and sucrase in the proximal part of the SI compared with the MILK group. There were no differences in gut morphology, histopathology and gene expression between the groups. In conclusion, the pigs given a milk replacer with added wheat displayed immunological and gut mucosal enzyme maturational changes, indicatory of adaptation towards a vegetable-based diet. This was not associated with any clinical complications, and future studies are needed to show whether this could improve responses in the subsequent weaning process.

Duroc boars have lower progeny mortality and lower fertility than Pietrain boars.

In pig production, Pietrain and Duroc lines are often used as terminal sire lines to produce crossbred slaughter pigs. The objective of this study was to identify the differences in paternal fertility and mortality during the suckling period of crossbred progeny from Pietrain and Duroc terminal sire lines. In total, 87 purebred Duroc boars and 68 purebred Pietrain boars were used as terminal sires to produce 1,823 crossbred Duroc litters (D-litters) and 1,705 crossbred Pietrain litters (P-litters) in two production herds. The sows were crosses between DanBred Landrace and Yorkshire (F1). All boars were kept at the same artificial insemination (AI) station, and all semen doses were produced in the same laboratory. The experiment was balanced according to herd, boars, and time, with approximately 13 sows from each herd mated to each boar within each breed. The results showed higher fertility expressed as litter size at birth in P-litters compared with D-litters led to 0.5 higher total number born (TNB) for P-litters (P = 0.0076). However, piglet mortality including number of stillborn piglets was lower in D-litters compared with P-litters (P < 0.0001), and 5 d after farrowing, the average litter size in P-litters ranged 0.4 below the litter size in D-litters (P < 0.027). At 21 d after birth, mean litter size in P- and D-litters were 14.5 and 14.9 piglets per litter, respectively (P < 0.015). This indicated that Pietrain progenies were weaker than Duroc progenies, and it was concluded that use of Duroc boars as the terminal sire line led to lower piglet mortality. In the two herds, the mean piglet mortality rate including still born piglets ranged from 19.5% to 23.6% and from 17.6% to 19.1% in P- and D-litters, respectively.