Q. Is the composition of sow colos-trum affected after inducing the sow to farrow two to three days early?
Yes. Milk secretion begins a few days prior to the birth of the litter. During this time, antibodies and nutrients are secreted or transferred into the mammary glands. If sows are stimulated to farrow early, the composition of the colostrum will be affected. It is preferable that the sow farrow at her natural time.
Q. Is colostrum always available for the neonatal pig?
Yes. Colostrum starts to be secreted about 10 hours prior to farrowing and is available on a continual basis post farrowing without the need for the suckling stimulus (up to 36 hours post farrowing).
Q. Is there an advantage to stomach tubing the neonatal pig with a "sugar" solution?
Nursing the sow and consuming colostrum shortly after birth is critical for pigs of any birth weight. Lightweight pigs have a minimal amount of energy stores at birth and can become hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) shortly after birth if they don't receive adequate nourishment. Research has demonstrated that administering a carbohydrate (e.g., dextrose) directly into the stomach of lightweight pigs can improve their survivability. In contrast, heavier-weight pigs can survive for a longer time without nursing and should not need a supplemental sugar source. Table sugar (i.e., sucrose) is not an acceptable sugar source and may cause extreme diarrhea and possible death of the neonatal pig, whereas glucose (hydrolyzed corn starch, dextrose) is a good carbohydrate source.
Q. When can pigs be effectively transferred to other sows, and what management techniques are effective in improving the chances of success?
Pigs should be transferred within one to three days after farrowing in order to procure a teat for nursing. The earlier pigs are transferred post farrowing, the better their acceptance by the sow and the better their subsequent performance. It is critical that young pigs receive colostrum immediately upon being born, either from their own mother or from the surrogate sow. It is essential that transferred pigs have access to teats when introduced to a new litter. A good management practice is to transfer pigs while the sow is nursing her own litter. Removal of all pigs, putting them in a box, and then reintroducing the litter in two to three hours is frequently used as a management practice. These procedures will allow the natural body odors of the sow's mammary tissue, which she uses for identification, to rub off on the pigs. In addition, the buildup of milk reserves in her mammary gland further encourages her to nurse the litter upon their introduction to the farrowing create.
Q. Because parity-one gilts produce less milk, should larger gilt litters be transferred to older, more mature sows?
Yes. Gilts or first-parity sows will consume approximately 15 to 20% less feed during lactation and also produce less milk than older sows. Equalizing litters between sows is a good practice, but having a smaller litter size on first-parity sows (eight to nine pigs) may result in larger pig weaning weights and better sow rebreeding performance.
Q. How early should an iron injection be administered?
The pig is born with a relatively low body reserve of iron. Because sow milk also supplies a limited amount of iron to the nursing pig, the young pig may show deficiency signs or anemia (slow growth rate, labored breathing, and pale skin) within seven to 14 days of age if additional iron is not given. The pig can be injected with iron (100 to 200 mg) anytime within the first week of life. To reduce additional handling of pigs, iron is generally injected at the time pigs are processed (e.g., clipping needle, etc.) without adverse effect.
Q. What sources of iron are effective for the young pig?
Iron is used for hemoglobin synthesis, which is essential for carrying oxygen in the blood to the pig's tissue. Injected iron is, however, complexed with a compound that will slowly release the iron into the blood system. This compound is generally a carbohydrate (e.g., dextrose, etc.). In the case of oral iron sources, it is not necessary that the iron be complexed with a carbohydrate, as iron absorption is regulated by the intestinal tract, particularly after "gut closure" occurs (24 to 36 hours of age). In the latter case, the iron must be in an available form. (See Table 2.) If pigs are raised on pasture, the soil will provide an adequate amount of iron for the nursing pig, which eliminates the need for an iron injection.
Q. Is it necessary to inject iron at weaning?
No. The 200 mg of iron injected at birth has been shown to provide an adequate amount of iron for approximately 28 to 35 days. If iron is supplemented in the starter diet in a form that has a high availability, and the pigs have normal feed consumption postweaning, there is no need to inject iron into the weaned pig regardless of pig genotype.
Q. What are the causes and symptoms of pig deaths after iron is injected in some litters (i.e., iron toxicosis)?
Research has demonstrated that when neonatal pigs are born extremely deficient in selenium and/or vitamin E and subsequently injected with iron, death may occur within a few hours of injection. This problem is more common with the pigs of older sows. Although the problem is attributed to an initial overload of iron, the cause is a selenium and vitamin E deficiency in the sow and subsequently in the newborn pig. Under this condition, the iron causes tissue damage (free radical formation). A good vitamin E and selenium status of the sow protects against this malady.
Q. Is there a benefit to injecting the newborn pig with vitamin E and selenium or in combination with iron?
Only in those herds having persistent vitamin E and selenium deficiency problems is there a need to consider injecting vitamin E and selenium into the pig shortly after birth. In contrast, iron is well recognized as being necessary for the young pig and must be administered within a few days of birth. Because colostrum is an excellent source of vitamin E and selenium for the young pig, it is better to make sure the sow is provided with an ade-quate quantity of vitamin E and selenium in the gestation diet and only to administer iron to the young pig.