Body and organ growth of the developing Hormel-Hanford strain of male miniature swine

Abstract

As part of a larger study designed to characterize the early developmental stages of the Hormel-Hanford strain miniature pig, whole body, brain, kidney, liver, pancreas and spleen from male animals were examined for weight increases from one to 196 days, the approximate age of maturity. At 196 days, body weights had increased to 82.5 times the weight at day 1; increases in organ weights were greatest for spleen, less and similar for kidney, liver and pancreas, and the least for brain. Little change in relative organ weights was noted, except for the brain where an almost steady decrease occurred starting from 7 days after birth.