Selenium and Vitamin-E-Deficiency in Pigs. I: Influence on Growth and Reproduction

1. Pigs, 28 castrated males and 32 females were weaned at 3 weeks old. Males were killed at about 85 kg bodyweight. Females remained in the 4 experimental groups and were mated at the first oestrus after 7 months of age. Two from each group were mated for a total of 4 litters. Altogether 165 pigs of the 2nd generation were killed at about 85 kg bodyweight. The main component of the diets was barley grown in soil which had previously produced crops of very low selenium content. The area was divided into 2 and half was treated with Se before the barley was sown. Of the 4 experimental groups 2 got diets low in Se, 0.03 mg/kg, with vitamin E 15 IU/kg. One of those diets was supplemented with vitamin E to give 45 IU/kg. The other 2 diets had Se 0.06 mg/kg and vitamin E 15 or 45 IU/kg. Sodium selenite as fertilizer increased Se in the barley from 0.01 to 0.05/106. The higher concentration of Se or vitamin E was not significantly associated with milk yield of the sow, litter size, birthweight or Hb. There was a tendency for milk yield to increase for sows receiving higher Se and vitamin E and litter size was slightly higher from sows receiving higher vitamin E. The content of Se and vitamin E was much higher in colostrum, range 53 to 108 mu g/kg between the 4 groups, than in milk, 13 to 27 mu g/kg, and additions of Se and vitamin E to the diet was associated with their marked increases in both colostrum and milk. There was a moderately improving effect of a high Se concentration in feed on growth rate and feed utilization. Low dietary Se and vitamin E were followed by increased mortality rate in piglets; iron toxicity following Fe treatment was observed in piglets given low dietary vitamin E. Signs characteristic of Pale Soft Exudative (PSE) meat were not observed in the deprived pigs.ADDITIONAL ABSTRACT:In this study of the effect of 2 levels of dietary Se (0.03 and 0.06 mg/kg feed) with and without vitamin E supplement (30 IU/kg feed) on the growth and reproduction of pigs, their effects on Se and vitamin E in colostrum and milk were also examined. Concn. of Se in colostrum and milk from pigs fed the low Se (LS) diet was resp. 55 and 14 mu g/kg; from pigs fed the high Se (HS) diet, corresponding Se values for colostrum and milk were 105 and 26 mu g/kg. These levels were not increased by addition of vitamin E to the diet. Vitamin E contents of colostrum from pigs fed the LS and HS diets were resp. 6 and 5 mg/kg. Supplementary vitamin E increased each of these values to 22 mg/kg. Milks from sows on the LS and HS unsupplemented diets contained 1 mg vitamin E/kg; dietary supplementation with vitamin E increased the levels to 2 and 3 mg/kg resp. on the LS and HS diets. Milk yields were not significantly affected by the levels of Se used in these experiments or by the addition of vitamin E to the diet.