Published online by Cambridge University Press: 20 November 2017
It was the purpose of this study to ascertain whether concentrations of glucose (GLU), urea and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) in blood collected from the umbilical cords of newborn piglets vary according to the position of the piglet in the birth order of a litter. Umbilical cord blood is representative of the piglets status at the time of birth. It would therefore be advantageous to know whether blood withdrawn from the umbilical cord of one piglet is representative of the litter in terms of these metabolites. This study was therefore designed to test the hypotheses that position in the birth order, and time of birth relative to delivery of the first piglet in a litter, will influence GLU, urea and NEFA concentrations in umbilical cord blood.