Long-term effects of colostrum intake in piglet mortality and performance

Colostrum intake (CI) by neonatal piglets is essential as colostrum is the sole external energy supply and provides immunological protection and growth factors. It is well known that insufficient CI is a major cause of pre-weaning mortality. Some authors have presumed long-term effects of CI on mortality and performance. However, studies investigating such long-term effects of CI are still scarce. Furthermore, most trials on colostrum in pigs are conducted under experimental conditions or in one commercial herd. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the short-term as well as the long-term influence of CI on performance and mortality on 10 commercial Belgian pig herds.

A total of 1,455 live born piglets were followed-up from birth until 22 wk of age. Pigs were individually weighed at birth, at weaning, at onset (intermediate weight) and during the fattening period (finishing weight). One linear mixed model was fitted to model the possible associations between CI and weight at weaning, intermediate and finishing period. In addition to CI as main predictor of interest, also other predictor variables were tested namely birth weight, birth order, sex, breed and the interval between birth and first suckling (t_FS). Three generalized linear mixed models were performed to model the probability of dying either during the suckling, the nursery or the fattening period. Colostrum intake, birth weight, birth order, sex, breed and t_FS were tested.

Colostrum intake and birth weight were positively associated with weaning (P< 0.001), intermediate (P< 0.001) and finishing (P< 0.001) weight. Furthermore, higher CI is more beneficial to weaning (P < 0.001), intermediate (P < 0.001) and finishing (P =0.02) weight in piglets with low versus high birth weights. Birth order was positively associated with weight at each time (P=0.01). Sex was only significantly associated with finishing weight (P< 0.001). Some breeds differed in weight at onset or during the fattening period. The association between t_FS and weaning weight differed by breed. Pre-weaning mortality was negatively associated with CI (P< 0.001) and birth weight (P=0.004) and positively with t_FS (P< 0.001). Mortality during the nursery period was negatively associated with CI (P< 0.001) and birth weight (P=0.002). The negative association between CI and mortality during the suckling (P< 0.001) and nursery (P=0.008) period was more pronounced in small versus heavy piglets.

In conclusion, CI significantly influences performance and mortality in the short-term as well as in the long-term. As colostrum yield is reported to be independent of litter size, sufficient CI per piglet is crucial especially in hyper-prolific sows.

Disclosure of Interest: None Declared.