Immunocrit, colostrum intake, and preweaning body weight gain in piglets after split suckling based on birth weight or birth order1

Abstract

Preweaning survival and growth are compromised in litters with larger numbers of piglets. We evaluated two approaches for altering initial nursing with the goal to improve access to colostrum by groups of piglets that are known to have reduced access to colostrum. Therefore, we temporarily (1.5 h) removed either the heaviest six piglets in the litter (WT) or the first half of the piglets born (ORD) to provide a short period of nursing with reduced competition for the remaining piglets. We found that WT piglets were heavier (P ≤ 0.05) at 7 d after farrowing and gained more body weight (BW) from farrowing to day 7 than control (CON) piglets which were raised in litters with ad libitum nursing during the same period. Further, we found that the heaviest piglets consumed more (P < 0.001) colostrum and gained more (P < 0.001) BW during the preweaning period but did not have (P > 0.10) greater immunocrits. Although ORD piglets had similar colostrum intake, immunocrits, and preweaning weights as controls, we found that overall the piglets born in the first half of litters had greater (P < 0.01) immunocrits than piglets born in the last half of the litter. Therefore, both birth weight and birth order have effects on traits that are important for prenatal growth and survival, but they differ in that birth weight is more closely related to colostrum intake and birth order affects immunocrit.

Herd-Level and Individual Differences in Fecal Lactobacilli Dynamics of Growing Pigs

“…Conversely, Schnier et al [ 32 ] reported numerically lower immunocrit values in S piglets compared to L piglets. On the other hand, Morton et al [ 33 ] reported that piglet birth weight did not affect serum immunocrit values, which is in line with our results.…”

Evaluation of on-farm indicators of gilt reproductive performance potential at 21 days of age1

“…However, it is interesting to note that animals culled between weaning and 25 weeks of age were born into a larger litter, had a smaller body size at both birth and weaning, and a lower ADG between birth and weaning. All of these traits are indicators that animals culled between weaning and 25 weeks likely to consumed less colostrum, thus negatively affecting the overall developmental trajectory of the animal ( de Passille and Rushen, 1989 ; Milligan et al, 2002 ; Le Dividich et al, 2005 ; Devillers et al, 2011 ; Quesnel et al, 2012 ; Morton et al, 2019 ).…”

“…A negative relationship exists between the litter size in which a gilt is raised in and her lifetime reproductive efficiency ( Robison, 1981 ; Van der Steen, 1985 ; Bartol et al, 2006 ; Bagnell et al, 2009 ; Bartol et al, 2009 ), and is likely due to animals in smaller litters having heavier birth weights which is positively related to colostrum consumption ( Le Dividich et al, 2005 ; Morton et al, 2019 ). Gilts that consume greater amounts of colostrum tend to be heavier at birth and gain more weight postnatally ( de Passille and Rushen, 1989 ; Milligan et al, 2002 ), as well as display signs of estrus earlier and have better lactation performance as sows than their low-colostrum counterparts ( Vallet et al, 2015 ).…”

Maintaining continuity of nutrient intake after weaning. I. Review of pre-weaning strategies

“…Limited research has been conducted to determine the best approach for split-suckling. Morton et al (2019) conducted a study evaluating two split-suckling methods, temporarily removing either the heaviest six pigs in the litter or the first half of the piglets born. It was concluded that while both birth weight and order are important for preweaning growth and survival, the two interact differently.…”