Abstract
ABSTRACT The study aimed to investigate the effect of oral protein-energy supplement (OPES) and/or extra colostrum within the first few hours of life on the survival and growth performance of low birth-weight piglets during the suckling period. Based upon nutritional strategy, low-birth-weight piglets (804−1309g) were randomly allocated into four groups: C0S0 (control group, n= 300) - no supplementation; C1S0 (n= 299) - supplementation with 50mL of a colostrum pool through an orogastric tube; C0S1 (n= 298) - oral supplementation with 8mL oral OPES; C1S1 (n= 297) - supplementation with both 50mL of colostrum and 8mL of OPES. The piglets’ body weight was monitored at birth, 24h after birth, on day 7, day 14 and day 20 post-partum. Both colostrum and protein-energy supplementations did not affect (P>0.05) colostrum intake (253.6g; 259.4g; 259.4g; 263.8g for C0S0, C1S0, C0S1, C1S1, respectively), weight gain during the first 24h (62.6g; 68.3g; 67.1g and 69.8g for C0S0, C1S0, C0S1, C1S1, respectively) and pre-weaning mortality (11.3%, 11.4%, 12.4% and 9.4% for C0S0, C1S0, C0S1, C1S1, respectively). Administration of OPES increased (P= 0.032) the average daily weight gain from birth till weaning (189.1 vs. 182.3g) and tended to increase the weight of the piglets (P= 0.060) at weaning (4893.1 vs. 4746.4g for OPES and no OPES, respectively). In conclusion, nutritional manipulation does not affect colostrum intake and pre-weaning mortality of low birth-weight piglets. However, body weight gain during the suckling period and the weight at weaning were observed to be marginally improved by administration of OPES.
Highlights
Advances in genetics and techniques associated with the production of pigs have resulted in significantly larger litters (Baxter et al, 2013)
The C0S1, C1S0 and C1S1 groups were composed of only two piglets instead of three
The present study was conceptualized with the aim of evaluating the efficiency of nutritional strategies such as administration of extra colostrum and protein-energy supplement on factors such as mortality rate, colostrum intake, and weight gain on the first day of life as well as during the suckling period of low birth-weight piglets
Summary
Advances in genetics and techniques associated with the production of pigs have resulted in significantly larger litters (Baxter et al, 2013). A larger litter size is often associated with a reduced birth weight and a greater weightbased variation within the litter (Quiniou et al, 2002). This has a negative impact on piglet vitality as well as survival (Damgaard et al, 2003). Weight at birth is regarded as an important indicator of performance because piglets with low birth-weight (less than 1.0kg) are known to be associated with a reduced potential for growth (Foxcroft et al, 2009). The mortality rate among these low-weight piglets ranges 30−70% (Morise et al, 2008; Furtado et al, 2012; Panzardi et al, 2013)
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