Choline Deficiency in the Baby Pig

Abstract

One and 4-day-old pigs have been raised on a “synthetic” diet made up to simulate milk. On this diet, which contains 30% protein as casein (dry basis), the baby pig has been found to require choline. When choline was omitted from the diet, the pigs gained weight at a slower rate and developed fatty infiltration of the liver. The pigs were fed ad libitum. The choline-deficient pigs did not show as good erythrocyte formation, as determined by red blood cell count increases during the 8 weeks to weaning, as did baby pigs receiving the “complete synthetic milk” diet. Definite evidence was not obtained for a requirement of inositol or p-aminobenzoic acid when their combined deficiencies were superimposed on a choline deficiency, although their omission from the diet appeared to accentuate the degree of fatty infiltration of the livers.