Background: The status of α-tocopherol (vit E) and selenium (Se) has been shown to influence disease resistance in pigs, and may be important for the health of weanling pigs.Methods: Plasma levels of both vit E and Se were followed in weanling pigs under field conditions in six Norwegian pig herds. Plasma vit E and Se were measured in 3 sows from each herd and 4 piglets in the litter of each sow at the day before weaning (day -1); and in the same piglets at days 4, 8 and 18 after weaning.Results: Mean plasma vit E was 4.0 µg/ml in the sows and 2.6 µg/ml in the piglets at day -1, fell to 1.6 µg/ml in the weanling pigs at day 4, and remained low. Mean plasma Se was 0.22 µg/g in the sows and 0.08 µg/g in the piglets at day -1, rose to 0.10 µg/g in the weanlings at day 4, and continued rising. Conclusion:The results suggest that vit E and Se supplementation to piglets and weanling pigs in Norway may still be suboptimal, but that levels of the two nutrients partially compensate for each other in the weaning period.

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Summary A trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of including different levels of deoxynivalenol (DON)‐contaminated oats in the complete diets of growing pigs on immune response and performance. The diets contained 0.6, 1.8 and 4.7 mg DON/kg, and both restricted and ad libitum feeding were used. Performance was recorded as weight gain, feed intake, efficiency of feed utilization and carcass quality. Immune response parameters recorded included primary and secondary antibody titres after injections of five different antigens: Human serum albumin (HSA), sheep red blood cells (SRBC), paratuberculosis vaccine (MPT), tetanus toxoid (TT) and diphteria toxoid (DT). A johnin test was also performed. Lymphocyte stimulation response was measured with three different mitogens (PWM, ConA and PHA). A significant, DON dose‐dependent reduction in secondary antibody response to tetanus toxoid was observed. A slightly higher mitogen response after PHA stimulation in lymphocytes from the medium and high DON groups compared to the low DON group after 9 weeks was considered inconclusive. No other indication of dose‐dependent immune response inhibition or stimulation was found. Significantly reduced feed intake with increased levels of DON was observed in groups fed restricted rations according to weight, but not in animals fed ad libitum.