Correlation between body weight and stomach capacity in newborn piglets – A pilot study

Increased litter sizes due to hyper prolific sows have led to litters with up to 30% of piglets being born with signs of intra-uterine growth restriction (IUGR) and thereby needing additional care or/and nutritional supplements. Up to 48 % of piglets that die before weaning have empty stomachs, and it is estimated that piglets need at least 250 g of colostrum within the first 24 hours to survive. It has previously been estimated that IUGR piglets only consume 100 g within the first 24 hours and it is likely to increase survivability of these piglets if they are given a colostrum supplement. The aim of this study was therefore to determine stomach capacity of newborn piglets in order to determine how much colostrum supplement can be given.

Fourteen piglets that had died on the day of birth were selected. The stomachs were dissected out whole and flushed with water to remove any contents. Stomachs were cordoned off by the exit from the pylorus and then filled with water using a syringe through the pars oesophagea. The stomachs were filled until no more water could be contained without overflowing. The amount of water that had been used (the stomach capacity) was recorded. Data was analysed using SAS and correlations presented as spearman rank correlations.

Piglet weights ranged from 481 g to 1300 g (mean 823 ± 260 g). The average weights of empty stomachs were 4.8 ± 1.14 g, and the average weight of the filled stomachs with water were 36.0 ± 8.6 g. The average volume of water filled into the stomachs was 33.4± 8.8 ml. The smallest stomach capacity was 20 ml and the largest 50 ml. The correlation between stomach capacity and body weight was 0.282 (P=0.329), the correlation between stomach capacity and empty stomach weight was 0.692 (P=0.006). Body weight correlated with stomach empty weight with a coefficient of 0.587 (P=0.027). The stomach capacity of a 1 kg piglet was calculated to be 34.35 ml, however it should be considered that this is an artificial situation and the stomach was inflated to the absolute maximum. It is questionable whether the function of the stomach is maintained when filled to its maximum capacity.

The stomachs could contain from 20 ml to up to 50 ml. There was a stronger correlation between stomach capacity and empty stomach weight than there was between weight and stomach capacity. Currently it would not be recommended to give more than 20 ml of colostrum per kg body weight to newborn piglets in one supplement dosage. Further research is needed on a larger sample size to establish the correct dosages as there was not as strong a correlation with body weight as expected.

Disclosure of Interest: None Declared.