Functional state of mammary gland of sows dried off by different techniques

Sows were dried off by a traditional method (control - C, restricted feeding before, during and after weaning) or by a modified one (experimental - E, intensive feeding before, during and after weaning). On day 5-6 after weaning of the 3 rd or 6 th litter, in the sows lactating for the period of 6 weeks (experiment I) or 4 weeks (experiment II), histomorphological and caryometric evaluation of mammary alveoli was carried out. The cellular infiltrations (plasmocytes, eosinophils, histiocytes and neutrophils) in the mammary gland showed no significant differences between groups dried off by different techniques. The alveolar epithelial cell DNA index (DI) and nucleus volume ( V N ) were higher in sows lactating for 4 weeks than in those lactating for 6 weeks and in sows after 3 rd lactation than in those after 6 th lactation. In experiment I, after weaning of the 3 rd or 6 th litter, weaning time in sows with longer lactation compared to those with the shorter one, with the performance period prolonged till the 6 th reproduction cycle.