Age Changes in Body Weight and in Several Blood Componets of Conventional versus Miniature Pigs

Summary

Two litters (11 pigs) of Pitman-Moore miniature pigs (M) and 3 litters (26 pigs) of conventional pigs (C) of Hampshire and the cross of Hampshire and Yorkshire breeding were used to compare body weight gain, blood hemoglobin, blood urea and serum alkaline phosphatase, cholesterol, and protein to 20 weeks of age. Body weight gain was similar during the first 6 weeks for M and C pigs, but the difference in mean weight gain between M and C pigs steadily increased at each subsequent time interval in favor of the latter. The mean weight at 20 weeks was 43kg and 69 kg for M and C pigs, respectively. Blood parameters were similar for M and C pigs at each time interval except that serum alkaline phosphatase dropped much more rapidly in M pigs during the first 6 weeks, serum cholesterol was lower during the suckling period in M pigs and the blood urea was lower in M pigs from weeks 10 to 20 and serum protein higher in M pigs throughout.