Intestinal macromolecular transmission in newborn pigs: Implications for management of neonatal pig survival and health

The effect on intestinal macromolecular absorption capacity and immunoglobulin G (IgG) transfer of feeding sow colostrum at different intervals and in different quantities to newborn pigs was studied. An amount of 15 ml/kg body weight (BW) colostrum was fed at 3 (treatment 3-15), 6 (treatment 6-15) or 12 (treatment 12-15) h intervals, respectively, starting 0-4 h after birth for 24 h; or 30 ml/kg BW was fed at 6 h intervals (treatment 6-30) or 60 ml/kg BW at 12 h intervals (treatment 12-60), respectively. All studies had a split litter design. These pigs were compared to littermates kept with the sow (treatment With sow). The absorption of IgG and the capacity for macromolecular uptake into the blood at 12 h (BSA as marker) and at 24 h (HSA as marker) were measured at 3 h after marker feeding and followed to 48 h of age. Gavage feeding unsuckled pigs a total of 120 ml colostrum/kg BW divided into 4-8 feedings over the first 24 h after birth resulted in a blood plasma IgG profile at 48 h comparable to that of their suckling littermates. Pigs fed a total 24-h amount of 30 or 60 ml colostrum/kg BW, had significantly lower plasma IgG levels at 27 and at 48 h, respectively. Feeding these low quantities was enough to initiate closure, so that these pigs still had lower levels of circulating IgG at 48 h than their littermates, and they probably maintained these lower IgG levels throughout the suckling period. It was concluded that feeding 30 ml colostrum/kg BW 4 times over the first 24 h provided the pig with plasma IgG levels comparable to that of their suckling littermates.