[Concentration of Fe, Fe-binding capacity, Cu and Zn in the plasma of piglets before and after oral administration of iron sulfate solution].

In piglets, the influence of the ingestion of Fe-enriched faeces, of the oral application of Fe-dextran (containing 150, 200 or 250 mg Fe) up to the 8th hour as well as the intramuscular injection of Fe-dextran (150 mg Fe) on the 2nd and 3rd day after birth on Fe-resorption was analysed. On the 5th to the 7th and on the 12th to the 14th day after birth the highest increase in the Fe-concentration and the highest values of the Fe-binding capacity of the plasma after the oral application of a solution of Fe-sulphate (containing 20 mg Fe/kg body weight) were confirmed in the piglets with the ingestion of Fe-enriched faeces and in the control piglets without Fe-supplementation. The increase of the iron concentration in the plasma induced a decrease in the concentration of Cu in some cases and of Zn in the plasma in most cases. The biggest increase in body weight was established in the piglets that ingested Fe-enriched faeces.