Porcine Neonatal Nutrition: Effect of Weaning Time on the Maturation of the Serum Protein Profile

Abstract

Pigs were weaned at one, 4, 8 and 14 days to fortified cow's milk and to an “amino acid” milk. Those weaned to cow's milk at one day experienced a delay in the maturation of their serum protein profile, even though marked changes toward a mature serum profile already had begun. Their response in serum protein development resembled the latent response seen in pigs weaned at the time of birth to cow's milk. Pigs weaned at one day to the amino acid milk showed an arrested immature serum protein profile and eventually died. Pigs weaned to cow's milk after 4 days of nursing were sufficiently mature physiologically so that no delay in serum protein development was observed. Pigs weaned at 4 days to the amino acid milk also developed a mature serum profile, although albumin did not reach as high a level as in the pigs fed cow's milk. Results similar to those obtained in the pigs weaned at 4 days were seen in the pigs weaned at 8 days to cow's milk and amino acid milk. Pigs, with mature serum protein profiles, weaned at 14 days maintained these profiles whether fed cow's milk or amino acid milk.