What kind of stomach does a pig have

Colostrum also plays an important role in eliciting dramatic changes in intestinal growth, structure and function of newborn pigs during the first six hours of suckling. This is highly related to the amount of colostrum ingested and can result in approximately fold increase in absorptive area in the intestines.

It should be the goal of all farrowing house personnel to maximise piglet immunity and intestinal function by maximising the opportunity for piglets to have access to good amounts of high quality colostrum as soon as possible after birth. This requires not only that the mothers produce the colostrum, but that the right husbandry skills are used to enable this process as the future success of piglets, including the post-weaning period, is impacted by what happens early on in the farrowing house.

Colostrum contains large concentrations of IgG, while regular milk contains mostly IgA type anti-bodies. IgA antibodies are not absorbed by the gut but rather stay in the intestinal lumen acting against pathogens and their toxins.

The fat content of colostrum is also critical as it is a major energy source for newborn pigs. Pigs need this energy for survival and growth including keeping themselves warm thermoregulation as well as for their immune system.

The production of antibodies does require significant energy consumption. Not only is the pig making a dramatic change in food source moving from a milk diet to a grain one , the intestines also undergo significant changes. At this same time intestinal cells are undergoing changes in enzyme productions which are needed to properly digest these new feedstuffs. Immunologically the intestines are being exposed to many different new proteins. These different proteins can trigger immune reactions throughout the intestines.

A good example of this is seen when large amounts of soybean protein are introduced into a pigs diet in the first few weeks post weaning. There are some genetic variations in the age and degree of piglet sensitivity to different proteins. For the most part, foreign proteins are what trigger immune responses in animals. Intestinal recovery Weaning also causes a change in piglet intestinal villi height as well as disrupting gut integrity causing a temporary increase in gut permeability.

It will take approximately two weeks for intestinal villi to return to their previous height. Remember that villi height is associated with intestinal digestive and absorptive capabilities. Low feed intake and starvation have also been shown to significantly affect villi height.

The inclusion of zinc oxide, plasma proteins, and dried whey has been shown to minimise the severity of intestinal villi losses in the immediate post weaning period. Stress from weaning causes a decrease in gut pH which then causes an increase in gut permeability affect tight junctions. Gut permeability appears to be highest immediately after pig transport and continues for two to three hours after pigs start resting. Several researchers have suggested that this increase in gut permeability is a major factor contributing to piglet enteric problems associated with shipping.

Maturation of the gut It is really the first two months of life farrowing house and early weaning period that are nutritionally the most challenging. Finally, there is the gut-associated lymphoid tissue GALT , which forms the intestine's immune system together with the epithelial barrier. It must be mentioned that the intestine, as an immune organ, has particularities that make it unique. For example, it is the largest organ of the body with immune functions. Nevertheless, it can physiologically tolerate a large number of antigens from the diet and microbiota Burkey et al.

Phylogenetic studies have determined that the gastrointestinal tract of mammals contain one order more of bacteria than cells present in the body of the host; among which there are beneficial, commensal and pathogenic bacteria. This bacterial component has been described as an "indispensable organ" in humans Forysthe et al. In porcine, we know that these microorganisms have a very important role in the metabolism of nutrients.

In fact, it has recently been reported that having an enterotype or another in other words, a profile or another of microbiota is directly related to the feed conversion rate of the animals Ramayo-Caldas et al. Moreover, microbiota is also extremely important for gut health. For example, it is beneficial to have butyrogenic bacteria producers of butyrate , since butyrate is the principal source of energy for the enterocytes. Alternatively, bacteria that ferment to other short chain fatty acids such as acetate or propionate may also be interesting for their energetic and antimicrobial functions.

When we feed our pigs, we not only provide nutrients to our animals, but also and largely provide the necessary substrate for their microbiota. After the caecum comes the colon that, in the case of the pig is very long and is coiled around itself. The large intestine ends in the rectum, that is the area where the faeces accumulate. Pig glossary. Small intestine It is the longest part with an approximate length of 18 m of the intestine, and it is divided in 3 parts duodenum, jejunum and ileum.