Piglets׳ colostrum intake associates with daily weight gain and survival until weaning

In conclusion, the study demonstrated that piglets׳ daily weight gain and survival until weaning was positively associated with birth weight, colostrum intake per kg birth weight and negatively to time between birth and first suckle. The effect of colostrum intake per kg birth weight seems to be related to a shift in nutrient use. With a decreasing colostrum intake per kg birth weight, piglets use a relatively higher amount of colostral protein in catabolic processes.