Page 5 of articles about colostrum

In pigs there is no other phase in which such a high percentage of losses occur such as in motherhood, in particular in the first days of life. At this stage the determining factor for survival is the rapid consumption of colostrum.

We have seen the importance of obtaining a sufficient dose of quality colostrum to generate the newborn’s defenses as well as the conflict that this can suppose when we level the litters after birth. Now lets take a look at the importance of rapidly obtaining colostrum and milk to ensure energy supply and minimize temperature loss.

The ingestion of Ig in sufficient quantity is the first priority. So much so that it even comes before the factor that seems most important: the feed supply.

The most common problems are due to interference with maternal antibodies and coincidence of vaccination with a recirculation of PRRS: viremic animals.

The performance and conformation of the pig (the phenotype) depend on the combined effects of its genetic make-up (the genotype), which is mostly fixed at conception, and the environment, which includes health, nutrition, management, housing and climate.

Colostrum offers 3 essential properties to the piglet: very useful energy source (vital for generating movement and avoiding temperature loss), immune supply (protects against germs that the piglet begins to come into contact with) and natural growth factors (complete the maturity of the piglet).