Iron is a vital nutrient for the suckling piglet and a deficiency will reduce the quantity of circulating haemoglobin and red blood cells inducing iron deficiency anaemia. The initial iron stores at birth (50 mg) and the low amount of iron absorbed from the sow's milk (1 mg/day) is so limited that piglets surfer from chronic iron deficiency within the first week. It is generally accepted that haemoglobin content has to be at least 9 g/100 ml of blood. In case of infectious diseases, worm infestations, bleeding and feed deficiencies, the iron requirement is even higher. In all modern production systems, newborn piglets have no access to iron from their environment and without extra iron supplementation it gives rise to anaemia which slows down the growth potential of the piglets with serious economic consequences. Further, it has been demonstrated that the need for iron during lactation can be up to 67 mg/ kg weight gain.
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