Colostrum ingestion within the first 12 hours post-partum is vital for the establishment of normal patterns of growth and development in all neonate mammals. Colostrum contains specific peptides, proteins and immunoglobulins that are essential for immune protection and for proper development of the absorptive capacity of the gastrointestinal tract. A key concern of pig growers is that gilt progeny do not grow as efficiently as sow progeny and therefore represent a potential drain on production efficiency. To investigate this we undertook a preliminary survey of colostrum and milk composition of sows and gilts to determine if the inferior growth performance of gilt progeny was associated with an inferior milk and/or colustrum composition.
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