Evaluation of an Amino Acid-Iron Chelate Hematinic for the Baby Pig

Abstract

A series of five experiments was conducted to evaluate and investigate mode of transfer of an amino acid chelated iron fed to the sow as a hematinic for the baby pig. In the first experiment, >3,000 ppm iron (Fe) were provided to 1/2 the sows daily as the amino acid chelate (FeP) from late gestation through 3 weeks of lactation. Mean hemoglobin (Hb) among pigs of FeP-fed sows was 8.5g/dl by 2 weeks of lactation compared to 5.9 for pigs of sows not on the experimental diet. Sow milk Fe was elevated by the second week of lactation (1.4 vs 2.6 ppm). However, this elevation would not account for the maintenance of pig Hb. In experiment 2, sows were either fed in. the farrowing crates or out of the crates to eliminate pig access to sow feed. The same dietary regimens were employed. Again, pigs from FeP-fed sows maintained adequate Hb, regardless of sow feeding site. Milk Fe was elevated to the same extent as in experiment 1. Thus, it was judged that fecal contamination was the major route of transfer from sow to pig. In the remaining experiments, lower levels of Fe from FeP were used. In experiment 3, 250 and 500 ppm Fe as FeP were compared to 500 ppm Fe as FeS04 in the sow diet. Both FeP and FeS04 at 500 ppm Fe proved only marginally adequate in maintaining pig Hb. Experiments 4 and 5 investigated effects of the quantity of feed provided daily in late gestation to the sow on the efficacy of the lower levels of FeP. Increasing sow feed did not enhance the effect of 250 or 500 ppm Fe as FeP on the pig Hb. In all cases where the lower levels of FeP were fed, pig Hb was at best marginal.