Faecal lactic acid bacteria counts also decreased with
increasing weaning age. Lactic acid bacteria,used as an
indicator of beneficial intestinal bacteria, might be expected
to be higher in pigs that were weaned later, since lactic acid
bacteria have been found to increase as a result of increased
intake of lactose (Molinoetal.,2011; Pierceetal.,2006).
However, young suckling pigs have a poorly developed
ability to regulate gastric pH through these cretion of HCl
from the parietal cells(Cranwell,1995; Cranwelletal.,1976).
In stead,they rely on bacterial fermentation of lactose to
lactate to generate gastric acidity (Cranwelletal.,1976). Pigs
weaned at an older age have a much more developed digestive tract at weaning(Manners,1976) and are less
reliant on fermentation of lactose to ensure gastric acidity.
This likely explains the reduced faecal lactic acid bacteria
counts found in the later weaned pigs