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Effect of Weaning Age and Feeding Method on Digestive Enzyme Development in Swine from Birth to Ten Weeks^1,2,

The Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Wooster 44691, The Ohio State University, Columbus 43210

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of weaning age and feeding method on amylase and protease activity and pig performance up to 10-weeks of age. One-half of the pigs were weaned at 2-weeks of age and fed their diet in paste form or as a dry meal. Remaining pigs were weaned at 4 weeks with one-half the litters provided with creep from 2-to 4-weeks of age, while the remainder received no creep. Amylase and protease activities were assayed in the pancreas and the small intestinal mucosa and its contents. The pancreatic contribution to total recovered activity varied with the age of the animal and enzyme activity measured. The contribution of the pancreas to amylase activity increased while protease decreased with age. The relative increases in pancreatic activity in amylase and protease were greater on a total than on a specific activity basis. The total activity of both protease and amylase activity from pancreas intestinal mucosa and contents increased concurrently with enhanced feed consumption, but the specific activity of only the latter increased following weaning to a starch-containing diet. Pigs weaned at 4-weeks of age with access to the creep diet had higher amylase, but not protease, activities at weaning than those that did not receive creep feed. Neither weaning age nor feeding method pre- or postweaning influenced long term enzyme development or pig performance.

¹ Approved for publication as Journal Article 158—79 of the Ohio Agr. Res. and Develop. Center, Wooster.

² Appreciation is expressed to F. Vance and R. Gibbs for their help in the collection of data and tissue and to Dr. J. Holman for the statistical analysis.

³ Dept. of Animal Science, Ohio Agr. Res and Develop. Center, Wooster.

⁴ Presented in partial fulfillment for the M.S. degree at The Ohio State Univ.

⁵ Present address: Cargill Research Farm, Elk River, MN 55 330.