title: A rearing system for colostrum-deprived neonatal piglets.
abstract: A system for the artificial rearing of colostrum-deprived neonatal piglets is described. A total of 443 piglets in 6 batches was reared. Each piglet, immediately after birth was placed in a separate incubator which was ventilated with heated filtered air. Piglets were fed hourly by an automatic system and were offered a liquid milk substitute. The mean survival rate up to the time piglets were transferred out of the rearing unit at 2 weeks of age was 78 +/- 7%. The mean daily live weight gain up to 2 weeks of age was 148 +/- 16 g/day and the dry matter intake over the same period was 154 +/- 10 g/day per piglet.
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed; D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000502:physiology*; D003126:Colostrum; D005260:Female; D011247:Pregnancy; D013552:Swine / Q000502:physiology*