Effect of High Copper Diets on Growth Performance and Serum Antioxidative Enzyme Activities of Early Weanling Stress Piglets

The purpose of this experiment was to study the effect of high copper diets on the growth performance and serum antioxidative enzyme activities of early weanling stress piglets. Sixty Landrace×Yorkshire×Ding crossbred weanling piglets (28±2 days of age) were randomly divided into 3 groups of 20 piglets each by weight and sex. The piglets in group Ⅰwere fed with a basal diet for 28 d postweanling; the piglets in group II were fed with the diets plus 250 mg·kg~(-1) copper (from CuSO_4·5H_2O) for 14 d postweanling, then fed with a basal diet for additional 14 d;The piglets in group III were fed with the diet plus 250 mg·kg~(-1) copper (from CuSO_4·5H_2O) for 28 d postweanling. Body weights and feed intakes were determined on 0,7,14,28 d postweanling, and diarrhea rates were evaluated. Blood samples in thirty(10 per group) of sixty piglets were taken from the anterior vena cava on 0,7,14,28 d postweanling for measuring serum antioxidative enzyme activities by the trial being conducted for 28 d. The results showed that high-Cu diets increased absolute weight (AW) significantly,average dainly gain(ADG)and average day feed intake(ADFI) of weanling stress piglets; decreased the ratio of feed to gain(F/G) and diarrhea rates postweanling; enhanced serum CuZn-Superoxide dismutase and caeruloplasmin activities.