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Antibody Absorption, Retention and Production by the Baby Pig^{1, 2, 3,}

Michigan State University, East Lansing

Abstract

A total of 331 pigs were used in five separate studies to determine: (1) patterns of absorption and retention of antibodies and immune globulins from colostrum, (2) the effect of age upon active antibody production from birth to 6 weeks of age and (3) the effect of early weaning or parenteral administration of adult swine serum upon growth and immunological response in the baby pig. Cessation of significant antibody and immune globulin absorption from colostrum occurred at 24 hours of age after a logarithmic decline in absorption rate from birth. Diminution of colostral absorbed serum antibody and immune globulin titers with age also occurred in a logarithmic fashion with half-lives of 4.7 and 7.5 days respectively. Active production of serum antibodies to Salmonella pullorum and serum immune globulins was apparent at 3 weeks of age with a 20-fold increase in serum antibody titer by pigs which were 6 weeks old. Weaning pigs at 4 days of age to synthetic milk or commercial sow milk replacer diets resulted in delayed growth and maturation of serum protein profile and reduced antibody response. Parenteral administration of adult swine serum to pigs at 26 days of age did not affect growth rate during the subsequent 2-week period.

¹ Published with the approval of the Director of the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station as Journal Article No. 2903.

² Departments of Animal Husbandry, Veterinary Pathology and Biochemistry.

³ This study was supported in part by a grant from the Rackham Foundation.