Hostname: page-component-7dd5485656-jtdwj Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-10-31T01:37:15.273Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Increasing weaning age of piglets from 4 to 7 weeks reduces stress, increases post-weaning feed intake but does not improve intestinal functionality

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 May 2010

J. van der Meulen ,
S. J. Koopmans ,
R. A. Dekker  and
A. Hoogendoorn
J. van der Meulen*
Affiliation:
Animal Sciences Group of Wageningen UR, PO Box 65, 8200 AB Lelystad, The Netherlands
S. J. Koopmans
Affiliation:
Animal Sciences Group of Wageningen UR, PO Box 65, 8200 AB Lelystad, The Netherlands
R. A. Dekker
Affiliation:
Animal Sciences Group of Wageningen UR, PO Box 65, 8200 AB Lelystad, The Netherlands
A. Hoogendoorn
Affiliation:
Animal Sciences Group of Wageningen UR, PO Box 65, 8200 AB Lelystad, The Netherlands
*
†E-mail: jan.vandermeulen@wur.nl
Get access

Abstract

This study tested the hypothesis that late weaning and the availability of creep feed during the suckling period compared with early weaning, improves feed intake, decreases stress and improves the integrity of the intestinal tract. In this study with 160 piglets of 16 litters, late weaning at 7 weeks of age was compared with early weaning at 4 weeks, with or without creep feeding during the suckling period, on post-weaning feed intake, plasma cortisol (as an indicator of stress) and plasma intestinal fatty acid binding protein (I-FABP; a marker for mild intestinal injury) concentrations, intestinal morphology, intestinal (macro)molecular permeability and intestinal fluid absorption as indicators of small intestinal integrity. Post-weaning feed intake was similar in piglets weaned at 4 weeks and offered creep feed or not, but higher (P < 0.001) in piglets weaned at 7 weeks with a higher (P < 0.05) intake for piglets offered creep feed compared with piglets from whom creep feed was witheld. Plasma cortisol response at the day of weaning was lower in piglets weaned at 7 weeks compared with piglets weaned at 4 weeks, and creep feed did not affect cortisol concentration. Plasma I-FABP concentration was not affected by the age of weaning and creep feeding. Intestinal (macro)molecular permeability was not affected by the age of weaning and creep feeding. Both in uninfected and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli-infected small intestinal segments net fluid absorption was not affected by the age of weaning or creep feeding. Creep feeding, but not the age of weaning, resulted in higher villi and increased crypt depth. In conclusion, weaning at 7 weeks of age in combination with creep feeding improves post-weaning feed intake and reduces weaning stress but does not improve functional characteristics of the small intestinal mucosa.

Keywords

pigweaning agecreep feedstressintestine

Information

Type
Full Paper
Information
animal , Volume 4 , Issue 10 , October 2010 , pp. 1653 - 1661
Copyright
Copyright © The Animal Consortium 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Andersen, L, Jensen, KK, Jensen, KH, Dybkjaer, L, Andersen, BH 2000. Weaning age in organic pig production. In Ecological animal husbandry in the Nordic countries (ed. JE Hermansen, V Lund and E Thuen), pp. 119–123. Proceedings from NJF-Seminar no. 303, Horsens, Danish Research Centre for Organic Farming, Tjele, Denmark.Google Scholar
Appleby, MC, Pajor, EA, Fraser, D 1991. Effects of management options on creep feeding by piglets. Animal Production 53, 361–366.Google Scholar
Berkeveld, M, Langendijk, P, Verheijden, JH, Taverne, MA, van Nes, A, van Haard, P, Koets, AP 2008. Citrulline and intestinal fatty acid-binding protein: longitudinal markers of postweaning small intestinal function in pigs? Journal of Animal Science 86, 3440–3449.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bijlsma, PB, Kiliaan, AJ, Scholten, G, Heyman, M, Groot, JA, Taminiau, JA 1996. Carbachol, but not forskolin, increases mucosal-to-serosal transport of intact protein in rat ileum in vitro. The American Journal of Physiology 271, G147–G155.Google Scholar
Boudry, G, Péron, V, Le Huërou-Luron, I, Lallès, JP, Sève, B 2004. Weaning induces both transient and long-lasting modifications of absorptive, secretory, and barrier properties of piglet intestine. The Journal of Nutrition 134, 2256–2262.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bruininx, EM, Binnendijk, GP, van der Peet-Schwering, CM, Schrama, JW, den Hartog, LA, Everts, H, Beynen, AC 2002. Effect of creep feed consumption on individual feed intake characteristics and performance of group-housed weanling pigs. Journal of Animal Science 80, 1413–1418.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Colson, V, Orgeur, P, Foury, A, Mormède, P 2006. Consequences of weaning piglets at 21 and 28 days on growth, behaviour and hormonal responses. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 98, 70–88.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Everts, H, van Beers-Schreurs, HMG, Vellinga, L 1999. Diet in relation to weaning problems in piglets. Tijdschrift voor Diergeneeskunde 124, 44–46.Google ScholarPubMed
Fraser, D, Feddes, JJR, Pajor, EA 1994. The relationship between creep feeding behavior of piglets and adaptation to weaning: effect of diet quality. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 74, 1–6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gu, X, Li, D, She, R 2002. Effect of weaning on small intestinal structure and function in the piglet. Archives of Animal Nutrition 56, 275–286.Google ScholarPubMed
Hampson, DJ, Kidder, DE 1986. Influence of creep feeding and weaning on brush border enzyme activities in the piglet small intestine. Research in Veterinary Science 40, 24–31.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Herskin, MS, Jensen, KH 2002. Effects of open field testing and associated handling v. handling alone on the adrenocortical reactivity of piglets around weaning. Animal Science 74, 485–491.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hessing, MJ, Hagelso, AM, Schouten, WG, Wiepkema, PR, van Beek, JA 1994. Individual behavioral and physiological strategies in pigs. Physiology & Behavior 55, 39–46.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hovi, M, Sundrum, A, Thamsborg, SM 2003. Animal health and welfare in organic livestock production in Europe: current state and future challenges. Livestock Production Science 80, 41–53.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jensen, P, Recén, B 1989. When to wean observations from free-ranging domestic pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 23, 49–60.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kelly, D, Smyth, JA, McCracken, KJ 1991. Digestive development of the early-weaned pig. 1. Effect of continuous nutrient supply on the development of the digestive tract and on changes in digestive enzyme activity during the first week post-weaning. The British Journal of Nutrition 65, 169–180.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kiliaan, AJ, Saunders, PR, Bijlsma, PB, Berin, MC, Taminiau, JA, Groot, JA, Perdue, MH 1998. Stress stimulates transepithelial macromolecular uptake in rat jejunum. The American Journal of Physiology 275, G1037–G1044.Google ScholarPubMed
Kuller, WI, Soede, NM, van Beers-Schreurs, HMG, Langendijk, P, Taverne, MAM, Verheijden, JHM, Kemp, B 2004. Intermittent suckling: effects on piglet and sow performance before and after weaning. Journal of Animal Science 82, 405–413.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kuller, WI, van Beers-Schreurs, HMG, Soede, NM, Langendijk, P, Taverne, MAM, Kemp, B, Verheijden, JHM 2007. Creep feed intake during lactation enhances net absorption in the small intestine after weaning. Livestock Science 108, 99–101.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Miller, HM, Toplis, P, Slade, RD 2009. Can outdoor rearing and increased weaning age compensate for the removal of in-feed antibiotic growth promoters and zinc oxide? Livestock Science 125, 121–131.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nabuurs, MJ, Hoogendoorn, A, van Zijderveld, FG 1994. Effects of weaning and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli on net absorption in the small intestine of pigs. Research in Veterinary Science 56, 379–385.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nabuurs, MJ, Hoogendoorn, A, van Zijderveld-van Bemmel, A 1996. Effect of supplementary feeding during the sucking period on net absorption from the small intestine of weaned pigs. Research in Veterinary Science 61, 72–77.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nabuurs, MJ, Hoogendoorn, A, van der Molen, EJ, van Osta, AL 1993a. Villus height and crypt depth in weaned and unweaned pigs, reared under various circumstances in The Netherlands. Research in Veterinary Science 55, 78–84.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nabuurs, MJ, Hoogendoorn, A, van Zijderveld, FG, van der Klis, JD 1993b. A long-term perfusion test to measure net absorption in the small intestine of weaned pigs. Research in Veterinary Science 55, 108–114.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Niewold, TA, Meinen, M, van der Meulen, J 2004. Plasma intestinal fatty acid binding protein (I-FABP) concentrations increase following intestinal ischemia in pigs. Research in Veterinary Science 77, 89–91.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pluske, JR, Williams, IH, Aherne, FX 1996a. Villous height and crypt depth in piglets in response to increases in the intake of cows’ milk after weaning. Animal Science 62, 145–158.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pluske, JR, Thompson, MJ, Atwood, CS, Bird, PH, Williams, IH, Hartmann, PE 1996b. Maintenance of villus height and crypt depth, and enhancement of disaccharide digestion and monosaccharide absorption, in piglets fed on cows’ whole milk after weaning. The British Journal of Nutrition 76, 409–422.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ruis, MA, de Groot, J, te Brake, JH, Dinand Ekkel, E, van de Burgwal, JA, Erkens, JH, Engel, B, Buist, WG, Blokhuis, HJ, Koolhaas, JM 2001. Behavioural and physiological consequences of acute social defeat in growing gilts: effects of the social environment. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 70, 201–225.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sellwood, R, Gibbons, RA, Jones, GW, Rutter, JM 1975. Adhesion of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli to pig intestinal brush borders: the existence of two pig phenotypes. Journal of Medical Microbiology 8, 405–411.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sørensen, MT, Vestergaard, EM, Jensen, SK, Lauridsen, C, Højsgaard, S 2009. Performance and diarrhoea in piglets following weaning at seven weeks of age: challenge with E. coli O149 and effect of dietary factors. Livestock Science 123, 314–321.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Spreeuwenberg, MA, Verdonk, JM, Gaskins, HR, Verstegen, MW 2001. Small intestine epithelial barrier function is compromised in pigs with low feed intake at weaning. The Journal of Nutrition 131, 1520–1527.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
van Kalkeren, AA 2002. Stress-induced decrease of intestinal barrier functioning: a general biological phenomenon?. University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.Google Scholar
van Beers-Schreurs, HMG, Bruininx, EMAM 2002. Nutritional management to prevent disorders in post-weaning pig health. In Nutrition and health of the gastrointestinal tract (ed. MC Blok, HA Vahl, L de Lange, AE van de Braak, G Hemke and M Hessing), pp. 135–158. Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen, The Netherlands.Google Scholar
van Erp-van der Kooij, E, Kuijpers, AH, van Eerdenburg, FJ, Dieleman, SJ, Blankenstein, DM, Tielen, MJ 2003. Individual behavioural characteristics in pigs: influences of group composition but no differences in cortisol responses. Physiology & Behavior 78, 479–488.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vente-Spreeuwenberg, MAM, Beynen, AC 2003. Diet-mediated modulation of small intestinal integrity in weaned piglets. In Weaning the pig: concepts and consequences (ed. JR Pluske, J Le Dividich and MWA Verstegen), pp. 145–198. Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen, The Netherlands.Google Scholar
Vente-Spreeuwenberg, MAM, Verdonk, JMAJ, Bakker, GCM, Beynen, AC, Verstegen, MWA 2004. Effect of dietary protein source on feed intake and small intestinal morphology in newly weaned piglets. Livestock Production Science 86, 169–177.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Verdonk, JMAJ, Spreeuwenberg, MAM, Bakker, GCM, Verstegen, MWA 2001. Nutrient intake level affects histology and permeability of the small intestine in newly weaned piglets. In Digestive physiology of pigs. Proceedings of the 8th Symposium (ed. JE Lindberg and B Ogle), pp. 332–334. CABI Publishing, Wallingford, UK, Uppsala, Sweden.Google Scholar
Verdonk, JMAJ, Bruininx, EMAM, van der Meulen, J, Verstegen, MWA 2007. Post-weaning feed intake level modulates gut morphology but not gut permeability in weaned piglets. Livestock Science 108, 146–149.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weary, DM, Jasper, J, Hötzel, MJ 2008. Understanding weaning distress. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 110, 24–41.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wellock, IJ, Fortomaris, PD, Houdijk, JGM, Kyriazakis, I 2008. Effects of dietary protein supply, weaning age and experimental enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli infection on newly weaned pigs: health. Animal 2, 834–842.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wu, G, Flynn, NE, Knabe, DA 2000a. Enhanced intestinal synthesis of polyamines from proline in cortisol-treated piglets. The American Journal of Physiology 279, E395–E402.Google ScholarPubMed
Wu, G, Meininger, CJ, Kelly, K, Watford, M, Morris, SM 2000b. A cortisol surge mediates the enhanced expression of pig intestinal pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthase during weaning. The Journal of Nutrition 130, 1914–1919.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed