The regulation of organ-development, as well as the performance of specific organs follows a certain nutritional cascade.
Up to 40 milking bouts per day!
Natural protective agents in the sow’s mature milk are active in the piglet’s intestines.
• No milk-no protective agents! ►pathogens readily multiply in the intestines
• Hourly milk-take is a prerequisite for a healthy gut and a healthy piglet
Milk production is at peak level on day 18 +/- 1 of lactation where up to about 16 litres/day is produced depending on:
Litter size and vitality of the suckling pigs
Genetic potential
Health status
The protective agents released during the entire lactation remain active in the piglets’ intestines.
Energy intake is the most critical factor in determining piglet survival during the first 3 days of life. Large litters are susceptible to higher mortality because of lower birth weight and increased competition over teats.
Rutger Jansen
Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica has presented its annual Advancement in Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Research Awards, worth $100,000 to four veterinary experts in Minnesota and Iowa.
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