Table 2.

Effect of creep feed offered during the last 10 d of lactation and the effect of starter 1 diet allowance offered after weaning on piglets’ gut structure obtained from the duodenum, ileum, and jejunum sections measured at 5 and 7 wk of age (1 and 3 wk after weaning)

	Creep1		No creep2			P-values
	LL3	HL4	LL	HL	SEM	Creep/no creep	LL/HL	Interaction
Duodenum 5 wk of age
Villi height, µm	421	448	447	467	25.4	0.390	0.355	0.889
Crypt depth, µm	197	190	195	202	8.4	0.586	0.995	0.391
Villi:crypt ratio	2.14	2.36	2.30	2.36	0.093	0.417	0.132	0.376
Duodenum 7 wk of age
Villi height, µm	446	514	476	558	22.9	0.115	0.003	0.755
Crypt depth, µm	198	208	202	225	7.9	0.175	0.048	0.422
Villi:crypt ratio	2.30	2.50	2.36	2.50	0.100	0.808	0.104	0.758
Ileum 5 wk of age
Villi height, µm	311	323	310	324	11.3	0.990	0.254	0.976
Crypt depth, µm	161	155	153	167	5.4	0.750	0.463	0.070
Villi:crypt ratio	1.93b	2.10a	2.03ab	1.95b	0.050	0.615	0.428	0.018
Ileum 7 wk of age
Villi height, µm	360	363	340	351	13.3	0.225	0.619	0.765
Crypt depth, µm	172	169	162	182	6.5	0.875	0.200	0.100
Villi:crypt ratio	2.10	2.16	2.11	1.96	0.070	0.183	0.561	0.151
Jejunum 5 wk of age
Villi height, µm	325	334	346	382	14.5	0.026	0.125	0.375
Crypt depth, µm	176	198	190	193	8.6	0.634	0.157	0.280
Villi:crypt ratio	1.84ab	1.70b	1.83ab	1.99a	0.058	0.022	0.847	0.014
Jejunum 7 wk of age
Villi height, µm	388	431	409	410	12.7	0.994	0.098	0.113
Crypt depth, µm	198	211	217	204	10.79	0.614	0.975	0.255
Villi:crypt ratio	1.99	2.07	1.91	2.02	0.083	0.459	0.253	0.899

¹Creep = creep feed offered during lactation.

²No creep = no creep feed offered during lactation.

³LL = pigs received 2 kg/pig of a starter 1 diet.

⁴HL = pigs received 6 kg/pig of a starter 1 diet.