[Development of the iron supply in suckling pigs under variable iron supplementation with regard to environmental...

In this research the effect of different methods of iron supplementation, injection of Fe(III) dextran six or 70 hours post natum, oral Fe(III) dextran treatment or oral application of Fe(II)-Humat, each six hours post natum, was examined for the evaluation of hemoglobin, plasma iron and weight of suckling piglets within the first 24 days of life in different systems of stalling. The oral and parenteral iron dextran application resulted in a remarkable increase of the hemoglobin levels after the third day of life. On day eight the hemoglobin concentrations obtained by early postnatal iron administration were higher than the values after the usual iron injection on the third day of life. The iron incorporation by Fe-Humat was not sufficient for obtaining a rise in hemoglobin values. No significant differences were seen between the oral or parenteral iron dextran treated groups reared on iron containing floor. In the farrowing on plastic grates the piglets supplemented orally with iron dextran showed a decrease of hemoglobin level starting at day 14. At day 24 the values were significantly lower than after iron injection. In all treatment groups there were more anaemic piglets in the group farrowing system than in the separate farrowing system. Weight gain was remarkably worse too. The immediately postnatal treated piglets had significantly higher PI levels on day three than the animals treated at the third day of life. The plasma iron concentration decreased in all treatment groups from day eight, but the decrease was more important in the orally supplemented groups.