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Adequate consumption of colostrum at birth enhances piglet growth and survival. However, the increasing litter size of the swine herd has increased the competition for colostrum between pigs. The purpose of this experiment was to determine the effect of split-suckling and feeding coconut oil to newborn pigs evaluating baby pig growth and survivability. Litters from a total of 384 sows were randomly allotted to one of 4 different treatments as follows. Piglets were allowed to split-suckle once (Trt 1, n = 890), split-suckle twice (Trt 2, n = 948), split-suckle once with coconut oil (Trt 3, n = 899) or split-suckle twice with coconut oil (Trt 4, n = 886). A total of 10 mL of coconut oil was given by stomach tube to piglets in Trt 2 and Trt 4. Fostering was limited and was only done within treatment.
There was no difference (P > 0.05) in sow parity, number of pigs born alive, piglet birth weight, number of pigs weaned or age at weaning among treatments. There was a significant (P < 0.05) effect of treatment on weaning weight, piglet weight gain and piglet average daily gain. Piglets allowed to split suckle twice with or without coconut oil gained more weight (3.65 and 3.71 kg, respectively), gained weight more rapidly (0.171 and 0.173 kg/day, respectively) and were heavier at weaning (4.93 and 4.98 kg, respectively) compared with piglets allowed to split suckle only once with or without coconut oil. There was no difference (P > 0.05) in mortality between treatments.
These results indicate that split-suckling twice benefited the piglets and resulted in improved piglet growth performance. There was no statistical difference (P > 0.05) in piglet growth performance between treatments 2 and 4 or treatments 1 and 3; therefore administering coconut oil had no effect on the piglets’ performance or survivability.
K Gebhart, D Jensen, S Kitt, J Sonderman, C Hostetler. 2011. Effect of split-suckling and feeding coconut oil on piglet performance and survival. Journal of Animal Science, 89 (E-Suppl. 2): page 161.
