ISSUE FOCUS 44 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE February 2025 more impact on colostrum yield than feeding level. The highest colostrum yield was achieved when sows entered the farrowing unit with a moderate body condition (3-3.25 - the ribs, spine, and hip bones can only be felt with firm pressure but are not visibly prominent). Overfeeding should be avoided to prevent sows from becoming excessively fat pre-farrowing. Sows experience increased energy demands during farrowing due to the physical needs of parturition and the physiological changes occurring in their bodies. Withholding feed on the day of farrowing is not recommended; instead, offer up to 3kg if the sow has the appetite. Feeding just below the energy requirement helps the sow to mobilize her body fat. Many producers mistakenly withhold feed on the day of the farrow to reduce the incidence of constipation. Feeding, however, stimulates gut motility. Withholding feed can slow gut transit and actually increase the likelihood of constipation. PIGLET FEEDING FOR DEVELOPING INTESTINAL TRACT AND IMMUNE SYSTEM In piglet feeding, two strategies are decisive: the early intake of immunoglobulins via colostrum to protect the piglets against pathogens during their first days of life and the offering of creep feed to stimulate their intestinal development. HIGH-QUALITY COLOSTRUM AS MUCH AND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE When the piglets are born, it is of the highest importance that they ingest colostrum as much and as soon as possible. The piglet can only absorb intact large IgG molecules, the primary source of passive immunity, before gut closure, which begins about 6–12 hours after birth and progresses rapidly to completion in about 24 hours. In any case, the sow will start producing milk by this time and no more colostrum. The concentration of colostrum IgG decreases by 50% within 6 hours after the birth of the first piglet. The target is for piglets to consume 250 g of colostrum within the first 24 hours, ideally within the first 6 hours. However, about 30% of sows produce insufficient colostrum. SPLIT SUCKLING JUMP-STARTS WEAK PIGLETS Split suckling is an effective management strategy to improve piglets' access to colostrum and milk, particularly in increasingly common situations where sows give birth to large litters. This involves temporarily separating the more vigorous piglets from the sow to allow smaller or weaker piglets better access to the teats. This method helps ensure that all piglets receive adequate nutrition during the critical early hours after birth. LARGE LITTERS PROVOKE ENERGY DEFICIENCY IN PIGLETS Piglets are born with limited energy reserves (glycogen and brown fat tissue). Ingestion of colostrum Figure 1. Mortality of piglets until 42 days of age according to intervals of birthweight and colostrum intake (Hasan et al. 2019; the numbers of piglets are shown in parenthesis)
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