Mja. Nabuurs et al., VILLUS HEIGHT AND CRYPT DEPTH IN WEANED AND UNWEANED PIGS, REARED UNDER VARIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES IN THE NETHERLANDS, Research in Veterinary Science, 55(1), 1993, pp. 78-84
The height of the villi and depth of the crypts in the small intestine
were studied after weaning in pigs reared under various circumstances
in the Netherlands. Pigs taken froin herds with a long history of pos
tweaning diarrhoea had in general significantly shorter villi and deep
er crypts than their counterparts from a specific pathogen-free herd.
Weaning was associated with villus shortening, crypt deepening and sub
sequent villus lengthening in pigs from the specific pathogen-free her
d. Giving supplementary feed during the sucking period was beneficial
in preventing shortening of the villi and this villus shortening was l
ess severe when the crypts were deep at weaning, a condition that perh
aps lessens the severity of postweaning diarrhoea.