Iron status of piglets and impact of phytase superdosing on iron physiology: A review

It has long been considered that an injectable iron supplementation within 48-72 h of birth would sufficiently meet the iron requirement for rapidly growing piglets and the prevalence of iron deficiency and, therefore, the anaemia in nursery barns would not be one of the major issues that compromise the genetic growth potential of young pigs. However, a number of recent commercial farm surveys indicate a significant prevalence of iron deficiency and anaemia in young pigs reared in indoor pork production systems along with a negative relationship between iron status of piglets and body weight gain during the first 6 weeks postpartum. Therefore, this review aims to provide (1) the underline physiology for how iron homeostasis is maintained through regulation of iron absorption capacity, (2) iron status of sows and piglets, (3) supplemental iron in relation to physiological response of pigs, (4) dietary factors involved in the regulation of iron absorption capacity, and (5) possible nutritional strategies to improve iron absorption capacity and hence iron status of piglets.