abstract
A total of 1,623 sows from eight commercial breeding sites across the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, Taiwan and South Africa were evaluated to assess the impact of ColfaPig supplementation on sow colostrum quality. ColfaPig was incorporated into standard gestation and lactation diets at 1 kg/tonne for a minimum of 12 weeks, with fresh colostrum samples collected within three hours of farrowing and analysed using a Brix refractometer to estimate immunoglobulin (IgG) content. Supplementation significantly increased colostrum Brix values from 23.5% to 27.3% (P<0.001), shifting colostrum quality from a borderline to an adequate classification. The proportion of sows producing optimal-quality colostrum increased from 45.6% to 76.1%, indicating a substantial improvement in the immunological support available to newborn piglets. These findings demonstrate the potential of targeted nutritional intervention to enhance colostrum quality, supporting improved piglet health, survival and lifetime performance through increased passive immunity transfer.