title: Blood variables and body weight gain on the first day of life in crossbred pigs and importance for survival.
abstract: Improving survival is a continuous objective in swine breeding. The aim of this study was to record 22 blood variables and BW gain on the first day of life in Landrace-Yorkshire-Duroc crossbred piglets and to find associations between these variables and survival at weaning. All live piglets from 18 litters were weighed and blood sampled at birth and on d 1 and were monitored to weaning at the age of 5 wk. A total of 261 piglets were born, of which 8.8% were stillborn. Additionally, 15.1% died before weaning. The blood variables glucose, immunoglobulins, and white blood cells increased from birth to d 1 (P < 0.001), whereas α(1)- and β(1)-globulin, red blood cells, hemoglobin, and hematocrit decreased (P < 0.001). At birth, concentrations of lactate (P = 0.004), pH (P = 0.007), red blood cells (P = 0.017), hemoglobin (P = 0.018), and hematocrit (P = 0.052) were associated with survival to weaning. Also, concentrations of lactate increased (P = 0.030) and pH decreased (P < 0.001) when piglets were born in the last third of a litter. On d 1, concentrations of glucose (P = 0.015), hemoglobin (P = 0.025), and BW gain (P = 0.001) were all decreased in piglets that did not survive to weaning. Body weight gain also decreased (P = 0.005) when piglets were born in the last third of a litter. Concentrations of IgG on d 1 was not associated with survival at weaning (P = 0.230) but decreased (P < 0.001) when piglets were born in the last third of a litter. We conclude that several blood variables recorded at birth and on d 1 and BW gain on d 1 were highly associated with survival at weaning and that piglets born in the last third of the litter had less favorable vitality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, PO Box 8146 Dep., N-0033 Oslo, Norway. vibeke.rootwelt@nvh.no
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rootwelt
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Reksen
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Farstad
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Framstad
mesh_terms: D000510:Alpha-Globulins / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000097:blood* / Q000254:growth & development; D001609:Beta-Globulins / Q000032:analysis; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D004906:Erythrocyte Count / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D006400:Hematocrit / Q000662:veterinary; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000097:blood; D007773:Lactates / Q000097:blood; D007958:Leukocyte Count / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D013552:Swine / Q000097:blood / Q000254:growth & development; D014886:Weaning; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000510:Alpha-Globulins; D001609:Beta-Globulins; D001786:Blood Glucose; D006454:Hemoglobins; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D007773:Lactates