EFFECT OF DIETARY-PROTEIN SOURCE ON FEED-INTAKE, GROWTH, PANCREATIC-ENZYME ACTIVITIES AND JEJUNAL MORPHOLOGY IN NEWLY-WEANED PIGLETS

Seventy piglets with no access to creep feed were weaned at 28 d of ag e and fed on one of four diets based on either skimmed-milk powder (SM P), soya-bean-protein concentrate (SPC), soya-bean meal (SBM) or fish meal (FM). At 0, 3, 6 and 10 d after weaning, piglets were killed and the pancreas and digesta from stomach and small intestine were collect ed, freeze-dried and analysed for dry matter (DM), N, and trypsin (EC 3.4.21.4) and chymotrypsin (EC 3.4.21.1) activities. Small-intestinal tissue samples were taken to examine gut wall morphology. Results indi cated that dietary protein source affected postweaning feed intake, pa ncreatic weight, gastric pH and gastric protein breakdown, and pancrea tic and jejunal trypsin and chymotrypsin activities. Post-weaning feed intake appeared to be an important factor in digestive development of newly-weaned piglets.