United States researchers are working to link data on piglet colostrum consumption to regions on the pig genome responsible for nursing and colostrum production.
As any livestock producer knows, colostrum consumption is vital to a newborn animal’s survival. The National Hog Farmer article states that up to 20 per cent of piglets die before weaning. Ontario’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food puts that number at 12 to 15 per cent. Of those deaths, 85 per cent happen in the first three days of the piglets’ lives. Though most of those deaths can be attributed to trauma, the ministry suggests maximizing colostrum intake, including for weak piglets.