A Preliminary Study on the Intestinal Flora of Cecum and Colon of Eight, Ten and 12 Week Old Swine

Using a replica-plating method and differential culture media, members of the Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonaceae were determined quantitatively in the colon and cecum content of pigs from different litters, born on the same farm and kept under the same environmental conditions, from the age of six weeks. The bacterial flora in pigs of eight, ten and 12 weeks of age showed little significant quantitative variation. Pigs of 12 weeks of age differed significantly from younger ones with respect to Aeromonas, Edwardsiella, staphylococci and molds. The existence of a variable flora is underlined as well as the fact that Vibrio coli represents an important member of the intestinal flora at that age. No significant variation in the pH of the chyme of the colon and cecum was recorded.