Effect of Parity on Reproductive Performance and Composition of Sow Colostrum during First 24 h Postpartum

摘要

This work looks at the effects of the number of parturitions on the reproductive performances of sows and on the composition of the colostrum. We also studied the effect that sample collection time (0–24 h postpartum) has on colostrum composition. The reproductive parameters of the sows were hardly affected by the number of parturitions, and only the birth weights of piglets born alive were lower in sows first, third and fifth farrowing. The colostrum of primiparous sows had higher concentrations of dry matter, fat, lactose and non-fat-solids than those of the rest of the sows. The postpartum sampling time had a strong effect on colostrum composition, the first sample being higher in protein and lower in lactose than those obtained later. From an immunological point of view, the concentration of immunoglobulins in the colostrum was not influenced by the sow’s parity. Serum IgG showed a strong correlation with colostrum IgG and IgM, and colostrum IgG with colostrum IgM, but not with IgA. In turn, IgA did not correlate with any other immunoglobulin, which suggests that the immunoglobins in colostrum behave differently.