Efficiency of voluntary consumption of amino acid chelated iron in preventing anaemia of suckling piglets

The aim of the study was to evaluate efficiency of voluntary access to amino acid-chelated iron in the form of mineral supplement in preventing anaemia of piglets. Piglets in group 1 (n = 60) were offered ad libitum the iron mineral supplement (Fe 110 g·kg-1) from the 2nd to the 14th day of life. Piglets in group 2 (n = 30) were given 200 mg Fe3+ as iron dextran i.m. on day 3. On day 7, haemoglobin concentration (Hb) (P < 0.05), packed cell volume (P < 0.05), red blood cell count (P < 0.01) and plasma iron concentration (P < 0.01) in group 1 were lower compared to group 2. On day 14 and 21 no significant differences were found between the two groups. At the time of weaning (day 28), the voluntary access to iron did not prevent 8 % of piglets from becoming anaemic (Hb < 80 g·l-1). Body weights were comparable in the 2 groups. Haemoglobin, packed cell volume, erytrocyte Iron deficiency anaemia is a serious problem in swine production. The piglet can receive only ca 1 mg Fe per day from sow´s milk (Csapó 1995; Kleinbeck and McGlone 1999). However the daily requirement during suckling period is ca 7-10 mg Fe (Venn et al. 1947). The iron deficit results in clinically apparent anaemia 10-14 days postpartum (Framstad and Sjaastad 1991; Zimmermann 1995). Different forms of iron supplementation hav