Looking to biological variables predicting growth during the first three weeks after weaning in pig

Abstract

Pig production needs to conciliate the reduction of the use of antibiotics and animal welfare while maintainingprofitability. The early detection of animals with high risks of diseases could allow the implementation of individual care and/or treatments. This study aims to look for the association of health of piglets after weaning with biological variables measured before or immediately after weaning. Growth was used here as a rough indicator of health. Piglets (n=270) coming from 15 commercial farms, weaned at 28 days of age, were blood sampled at 26 and 33 days of age and weighed at 26, 33, 47 days of age. Biological parameters (n=19) concerning immunity, stress, oxidative stress or nutrients metabolism were measured. Considering the strong correlation between average daily gain (ADG) and live weight, the relative 26/47 ADG, calculated as the ratio of ADG between 26 and 47 days of age and live weight at 26 days of age, was used. A linear model was built for each biological variable, testing its explanatory role on relative 26/47 ADG. Then a Bonferroni correction was implemented and all variables with significance below 0.1 were included together in a final model. This model included farm effect, plasma day 26 hemoglobin and day 33 creatinine, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and vitamin A plasma concentrations. The model explained 43% of the variance of relative 26/47 ADG with 31% accounting for farm effect and 6% for creatinine concentration. Apart from farm effect, piglets having a low relative 26/47 ADG displayed low hemoglobin concentration before weaning, and high protein (high creatinine) and energy (high NEFA) mobilization and low antioxidant concentration of vitamin A in blood after weaning. This study gives promising insights of the early detection of piglets with low relative growth after weaning