An investigation into the possible importance of nutritional anaemia of piglets under certain conditions of husbandry

Abstract

The pig industry in New Zealand has undergone some degree of expansion over recent years and its present development indicates that the value of the industry as an adjunct to dairying is being more widely appreciated. This awakening interest has given rise to increased investigational work dealing with problems of pig husbandry. So far, special emphasis has been laid on two very important factors - namely, pre-weaning mortality and weaning weights. The importance of these two factors has been given prominence in all pig-raising countries. Insofar as mortality and prolificacy determine the number of piglets weaned and weight at weaning determines growth rate up to market weight, these two factors play a major part in the efficiency and therefore financial success of the industry. Of the factors possibly concerned there is one which has been to a large degree neglected in New Zealand although it has been the subject of intensive research work in other countries. This is the nutritional anaemia which may develop in young pigs at about 2-3 weeks after birth. In view therefore of the importance of tne dioease in other countries and the lack of informatiom on the problem in New Zealand it was decided to conduct this investigation into the possible importance of it under specified conditions in the hope that it might yield interesting and possibly valuable information.