HOGS AND LACTATION
Lactation is one of those items
in hog production that we some
times take for granted.
Not that it isn’t important. It’s
just that under normal conditions,
the natural behavior and physiolo
gy of the sow and litter usually
ensure satisfactory milk
production.
A recent review by B. Algers
from the Swedish University of
Agricultural Sciences leads me to
believe that the fascinating phe
nomenon of nursing is something
that we can stand to know a lot
more about
Acknowledging the subtle com
munication between newborn pigs
and the nursing sow may, at first,
sound a bit silly. But the more we
learn about lactation and nursing
behavior, the more we can use that
knowledge to our advantage.
The Nursing
Process
During the last half of pregnan
cy, the sow’s mammary glands
develop in preparation for milk
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Pork Prose
by
Kenneth B. Kephart
Pann State Extension Swine Specialist
production. Each mammary gland
contains many lobes (small spheri
cal sacs) which ate subdivided into
lobules. The lobules ate divided
further into alveoli which contain
the milk.
The milk is actually produced
by special cells in the alveoli called
epithelial cells, which are con
trolled by a number of hormones,
especially prolactin. If you could
imagine the inside sldn of a basket
ball lined with these epithelial
cells, then you can also understand
that as the cells secrete milk, it will
collect in the center of the ball.
Surrounding our boll is a thin
layer of smooth muscle, which
responds to oxytocin. During nurs
ing, oxytocin is released from the
pituitary gland, causing the muscle
layer to contract, which in turn
squeezes die milk out of die ball
(alveolus). This is called milk let
down. From here, it simply makes
its way to the teat end through a
system of plumbing.
This process occurs in any
mammal following parturition.
But there arc a number of things
that make the pig unique.
Sow* Are
Not Cqm
Because she gives birth h a lit
ter, the sow’s challenge is to pro
vide milk to everyone at the same
time.
That secmi simple, but remem
ber the farrowing process lasts sev
eral hours. So die first-born have
free access to the udder without
competition. After farrowing, the
sow settles into a nursing schedule
that occurs every hour or so. but
milk let down lasts for only 30 sec
onds per musing.
The Newborn Pig
First-bom pigs sample the entire
udder shortly after birth, so they
have an advantage over those bom
later. The fewer the pigs, the longer (Turn to Pago ASS)
Research shows that die high T
levels of oxytocin present during IrWinS Oil GOOdWlll TOW
farrowing allow pigs to consume,
colostrum effortlessly during the (Condnuad from Pago A 32) work in this area to encourage the
first hour or so. Toward the end of presem haw no association to people to make changes. But at
farrowing, oxytocin release is accomplish this interchange. least we gave the people something
more sporadic/ Pigs bom later in „ The Irwins were able to take a think about. .It wts a very
the litter have fewer *y "P » vuit *c B «>“el Lapp rewarding experience”
for easy meals of high in 601,1 Lancaster County. And the people responded
immune globulins that are so pre- J ve “"f * “"ft £“7 wumly too - Thc y « avc Irwins
cious to survival. In feet, immuno- farm *? u * h . c f n ? Uan A,d MlIU ' antiques and treasures that were
globulin (IgG) levels in the blood stncs Thc M inistrics projcct is in from their hearts and homes,
are increased in first-born pigs. Place to show the
As pigs gain strength in the can be done to supply food for their and loves you," the village mayor
hours following birth, fighting for P® o ? l ®-. La PP P la P® 8 s Pf c , ,al said. “You are the first Americans
teats commences. Dr. Tom Hart- Ja > ** camc |o meet with our gople
sock, extension swine specialist at and not the government Please
the University of Maryland, was glass of milk from Lapp s bulk come back in two years, and you
among the first researchers, to •“*. . . , ~ w . UI ** **** sccds 2“
document this competition. Hie A lot of work needs to be done, planted wiU be growing, hesaid.
ffzarsssss;
for the strongest to survive, and foUow-up volunteers continue to concluded.
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they obviously create problems for
the weaker' less aggressive piglets.
Because our goal is to keep the
whole bunch alive, we tty to even
the playing field by clipping the
teeth soon after birth. But as Hart
sock so clearly showed almost 20
years ago, the biggest pigs and the
first bom pigs still end up getting
most of die groceries.
Nursing As
A Group
The classic sow initiates nursing
by granting and lyingon her side to
expose her udder. The pigs then
begin their routine of massaging
the udder which may last several
minutes.
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the massage. Compare this, again,
to the cow in which milk let-down
can be triggered by the sound of a
vacuum pump, and no manage at
all.
As oxytocin is released into the
Mood stream, the sow's grunting
intensifies, and about 20 seconds
later, milk let down occur which
stimulates a vivid behavioral
change in the baby pigs. The mas
saging stops, the fighting and
movement comes to a halt, and for
about a half a minute, the pigs
drink milk as though their life
depends on it. And it does. If they
miss only 5 seconds of the milk let
down, research shows that they’ve
missed 2S-S0 percent of their
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