EFFECT OF FAT-CONTENT OF COLOSTRUM ON VOLUNTARY COLOSTRUM INTAKE AND FAT UTILIZATION IN NEWBORN PIGS

The effects of colostral fat level on voluntary colostrum and ME intak e were determined in 25 newborn pigs during the first postnatal day. W ithin a litter, five pigs were obtained before nursing and allotted on the basis of initial body weight (BW) at 2 h of age to one of the fiv e treatments: killed or ad libitum bottle-fed sow colostrum containing 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, or 10.0% of total fat. A total of 24 feedings was prov ided at 60-min intervals, and pigs were killed 1 h after the final fee ding. Total colostrum intake averaged 584.8 +/- 42 g (i.e., 436 g/kg o f average BW) with the first two feedings accounting for 19.8% of the total consumption. Colostrum intake decreased linearly (P < .08) by 5. 9 g/kg of average BW per 1% increase in the level of fat. However, GE and ME intake increased linearly (P < .01) by 7.65 and 4.09 kcal/kg av erage BW per 1.0 g/kg of average BW increase-in fat intake, respective ly. Adipose tissue Lipoprotein Lipase increased (P < .01) during the f irst postnatal day. Carcass fat deposition and fat oxidation increased linearly (P < .01) by .36 and .20 g/kg of average BW per 1.0 g/kg of average BW increase in fat intake, respectively. We suggest that incre asing the fat content in colostrum has little effect on voluntary colo strum intake, and the practice may be an efficient method for improvin g the energy supply to newborn pigs.