Organ weights and digestive enzyme contents of the pancreas, stomach and duodenum were measured in 75 nursing piglets at 21 d of age. Piglets were given creep feed from 10 d of age. Creep feed intake was less than 1.5 g·d−1·piglet−1 up to d 18; on d 19 and 20 it averaged 15 g·d−1·piglet−1. On d 10, piglets went to the feeder more frequently than on the following days. Feeding bouts were longer on d 16, 17 and 18 just prior to the increase in creep feed consumption. Means and SE for the parameters studied at 21 d of age were 7.01 ± .18 mg for pancreas weight; 61,499 ± 4,091 units of amylase (UA) and 1,510 ± 110 UA/mg DNA; 2,962 ± 189 units of chymotrypsin (UC) and 68.94 ± 3.92 UC/mg DNA; 8.76 ± .35 g for fundic mucosa weight; 558,875 ± 49,287 units of pepsin (UP) and 12,338 ± 1,175 UP/mg DNA; 1.75 ± .06 g for duodenum weight; 1.39 ± .07 units of maltase (UM) and .14 ± .006 UM/mg DNA. Day-0 weight was not correlated with 21-d gain. Feeding behaviors were correlated positively with 21-d gains. Feeding behaviors and 21-d gain were correlated positively to pancreas total and specific enzyme contents as well as to stomach and duodenum weights, RNA/DNA ratios of the pancreas and the stomach and protein/DNA of the pancreas but were correlated negatively with specific and total pepsin and maltase activities. Variation was large in enzyme activities (cv = 35 to 82%). Total weight gain explained a significant and large proportion of the variation in amylase (34%) and chymotrypsin (35%) activities, but none for pepsin and only 5% of maltase specific activity. Feeding behaviors explained a significant part of the variation of pepsin (21%) and maltase (20%) activities. Results suggest that heavier piglets at 21 d of age have a more developed gastrointestinal tract than do smaller piglets.
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Passillé et al. (1989) studied this question.