Fecal Score Research Articles

232 Evaluation of Clay-Based Binders and in-Feed Antimicrobial on Growth Performance and Biological Measurements in Nursery Pigs

Abstract AbstractBarrows (n = 360; 200×400, DNA; initial BW = 6.5 ± 0.04 kg) were used in a 42-day study to evaluate clay-based binders or an in-feed antimicrobial on growth performance and biological measurements including fecal and blood analysis in nursery pigs. Pigs were weaned at approximately 21-day of age and randomly allotted to 1 of 4 dietary treatments in a completely randomized design. There were 5 pigs per pen and 18 replications per treatment. Dietary treatments were corn-soybean meal-based and fed in two phases from d 0 to 9 (Phase 1) and 9 to 21 (Phase 2) after weaning. Either clay-binders (Proteck, 0.40% of the diet; Nutriquest, Mason City, IA; Protect-8 Plus, 0.10% of the diet; Essential Ag Solutions, Sioux Falls, SD), or an antimicrobial (0.04% of the diet; Avilamycin (Kavault); Elanco, Greenfield, IN) were added to the control diet to create the experimental treatments. A common phase 3 diet was fed to all pigs from d 21 to 42. Overall (d 0 to 42), pigs fed Avilamycin had increased (P < 0.05) final BW, ADG and ADFI compared with all other treatments. There was evidence that frequency of fecal scores with softer feces increased over time (P < 0.001), with d 21 having the greatest frequency of diarrhea and soft feces (Table). Fecal E. coli colony count was less (P < 0.001) on d 21 compared with d 9 (2.04 vs. 4.03 Log10, respectively). For fecal myeloperoxidase (MPO), concentrations were less (P < 0.05) on d 21 compared with d 6 and 9 (0.014, 0.059, and 0.045 nmole∙min-1∙mL-1, respectively). For fecal DM, pigs fed Avilamycin had decreased (P < 0.05) DM percentage compared with all other treatments. Fecal DM percentage was greater (P < 0.05) on d 6 and 9 compared with d 21 (26.64, 27.63, and 24.88%, respectively). Correlation coefficients were used to further characterize the relationships between biological measurements in the nursery period. There was a strong negative correlation between fecal DM and score (P < 0.001) on d 6, 9, and 21 indicating that as fecal DM increased, the score became closer to 0, representing a firmer fecal sample. Fecal DM on d 6 and fecal DM on d 9 were negatively correlated with ADG from d 0 to 9 meaning that as growth rate increased, fecal DM decreased. In summary, pigs fed Avilamycin had increased BW, ADG, and ADFI compared with those fed the 2 clay-based additives or the control diet. There were no treatment effects on fecal score, fecal MPO, or blood measurements. However, fecal consistency was softer and fecal E. coli colony count and MPO had lower concentrations on d 21 compared with samples collected earlier in the nursery phase.

35 High Fiber Top Dress Effects on Sows During Farrowing and Lactation

Abstract There have been several studies on high fiber diets during late gestation and lactation which have shown an increase in body condition score as well as showing an increase in piglet born alive with multiple cycles. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of two high fiber top dress protocols on the performance of lactating sows and piglets in the farrowing phase. The top dress contained sugar beet pulp, wheat bran, vitamins, enzymes, and an attractant. A total of 459 sows were balanced by parity and genetics among 3 treatments. Treatment 1, Control, contained no additional fiber. Treatment 2, 5D, was fed 0.45 kg. top dress/day for 5 days upon entry into farrowing. Treatment 3, 23D, was fed 0.45 kg top dress for 5 days upon entry into farrowing and then 0.23 kg top dress/day until pigs were weaned. After each room had finished farrowing, piglets were cross fostered within the room, balanced on litter size and number of teats on the sow, and then individually weighed. Piglets were weighed again the day prior to weaning. Calipers were used to record body condition score prior to farrow and weaning. A fecal softness score using a numeric system of 3 = normal 2 = soft 1 = cow patty 0 = liquid was utilized. Fecal scores were recorded daily. Data were analyzed using mixed linear model in SAS. Ending body condition scores were increased with the addition of fiber (Control = 2.59, 5D = 2.59, 23D = 2.69, P = 0.002). Sow mortality was numerically reduced with the addition of 23D fiber (control = 3.97%, 5D = 3.87%, 23D = 1.31%, P = 0.31). Piglet average daily gain (kg/d) was not statistically impacted by fiber (Control = 0.25, 5D = 0.25, 23D = 0.26, P = 0.27). Wean pigs per litter showed no change between treatments (Control = 12.57, 5D = 12.70, 23D = 12.47, P = 0.38) Wean to estrus days were not statistically impacted from treatments (Control 4.28, 5D = 4.20, 23D = 4.1, P = 0.53.) Fecal softness scores continued to decline in the 23D after the initial five days on treatment (P < 0.01.) In conclusion, sows on 23D fiber maintained more body weight through lactation and had consistently looser stools than sows on 5D or Control treatments.

PSI-A-11 The Effect of Soybean Meal and Its Functional Compounds on Growth Performance, Fecal Scores, and Fecal Characteristics of Nursery Pigs

Abstract High levels of soybean meal (SBM) are deterred in nursery diets due to antinutritional factors and impacts on fecal consistency. However, SBM may improve performance in the presence of inflammatory stressors due to its functional compounds. The experimental objective was to evaluate the non-nutritive value of SBM and its functional compounds on growth performance and fecal characteristics of nursery pigs. A total of 408 newly weaned pigs with an initial BW of 5.43 ±0.77 kg were used for a 35-d study across three replications. Pigs were randomly assigned to 1 of 6 dietary treatments fed across 3 phases: d 0-7 (phase 1), d 7-21 (phase 2), and d 21-35 (phase 3). Dietary treatments consisted of a high SBM control (SBMC), a control void of SBM (SP), but included soy protein isolate and concentrate to provide amino acids similar to SBM in SBMC; SP formulated to equivalent contribution of isoflavones as SBMC (SP+ISO); SP diet fortified with soybean functional lipids to the level of SBMC (SP+LIP); SP formulated with a similar ratio of insoluble to soluble fiber as SBMC (SP+FIB); or SP diet fortified with lunasin (SP+LUN). There were 9 split-sex pens per treatment (7 or 8 pigs/pen). On d 7, 14, 21, and 35, pigs and feeders were weighed, pen fecal samples were collected, and fecal score was evaluated using a 4-point scale (1 = solid; 4 = liquid). Continuous data were analyzed as a linear mixed model (PROC MIXED) with treatment and period as fixed effects, replicate as a random effect, and initial BW as a covariate where appropriate. Fecal scores were analyzed using a multinomial model in PROC FREQ. Compared with SP, on d 7 and 14 pigs fed SBMC and SP+FIB had reduced fecal dry matter (DM%), but on d 21 and 35, fecal DM% did not differ among treatments (time×treatment P = 0.016). There was a treatment×time interaction for fecal score, whereas on d 7, pigs fed SBMC had increased proportion of semi-liquid feces and on d 14 pigs fed SP+FIB had increased abundance of semi-liquid feces, but fecal score distribution did not differ on d 21 or 35 (time×treatment P = 0.035). Fecal water binding capacity (WBC) did not differ across time (P=0.288) but relative to SP, SBMC had 30% less fecal WBC (P = 0.002). There was a treatment×time interaction for ADG and ADFI. Pigs fed SP+ISO had greater ADG in phase 2, but pigs fed SBMC gained more in phase 3 (time×treatment P = 0.044). Among treatments, ADFI did not differ in phase 1 and 2, but was increased in SBMC in phase 3 (time×treatment; P = 0.037). Pigs fed SBMC tended to have the greatest final BW (P = 0.071). Feeding SBM altered fecal characteristics in the early nursery period, but improved growth performance from d 21-35 post-weaning.

PSIII-4 Effect of Two Torula Yeast Sources on Growth Performance, Intestinal Health, and Immune Function of Weanling Pigs

Abstract An experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis that dietary inclusion of either a conventional or a novel source of torula yeast in diets for weanling pigs improves growth performance and intestinal health. The novel torula yeast was produced using forestry byproducts (i.e., wood hydrolysate) as the carbon source, whereas the conventional torula yeast was produced using wheat dextrose as the carbon source. A total of 120 weanling pigs (6.53 ± 0.78 kg) were allotted to three treatments with four pigs per pen and ten replicate pens per diet. Pigs were fed one of three diets from d 1 to 14 post-weaning (phase 1), whereas all pigs were fed a common diet in phase 2 (d 15 to 28). The three dietary treatments included a control diet that contained 5% fishmeal, 3.5% plasma protein, and no torula yeast. The second diet contained 1.5% fishmeal, 14% of the novel torula yeast, and no plasma protein, whereas the third diet contained 1.5% fishmeal, 14% of the conventional torula yeast, and no plasma protein. Pig weights were recorded on d 1, d 14, and d 28. Feed allotments were recorded daily, and feed left in the feeders was recorded on d 14 and 28 to calculate average daily gain, average daily feed intake, and average gain to feed ratio. Fecal scores were visually assessed every other day. On d 7, one pig per pen was euthanized to collect ileal tissue for assessment of morphology. At the end of phases 1 and 2, blood samples were collected, and cytokines, plasma urea nitrogen, peptide YY, immunoglobulin G, total protein, and albumin were analyzed. Data were analyzed using an ANOVA in the Mixed Procedure of SAS with pen as the experimental unit. Diet was the fixed effect, whereas weaning weight was the random effect. Results indicated that both sources of torula yeast could replace fish meal and plasma protein without negatively affecting overall growth performance, intestinal morphology, or blood characteristics of pigs (Table 1). Pigs fed one of the diets containing torula yeast had reduced (P < 0.05) fecal scores during phase 1 compared with pigs fed the control diet. On d 14, pigs fed the conventional torula yeast diet had greater (P < 0.05) concentration of interleukin-2 in plasma compared with pigs fed the control diet. Greater (P < 0.05) concentrations of interleukin-4 and interleukin-10 were observed in plasma from pigs fed one of the diets containing torula yeast compared with pigs fed the control diet on d 14. In conclusion, inclusion of either a conventional or a novel source of torula yeast at the expense of animal proteins in diets for weanling pigs may improve intestinal health without influencing growth performance of weanling pigs.

145 Dose-Response and Functional Roles of Zinc Glycinate on Growth and Intestinal Health of Nursery Pigs Challenged with F18+Escherichia Coli

Abstract This study was to evaluate dose-response and supplemental effects of zinc glycinate (ZnGly) on growth and intestinal health of nursery pigs challenged with F18+Escherichia coli. Nursery pigs (n = 40; BW = 6.5 ± 0.5 kg) were allotted to 5 treatments in a randomized complete block design with BW and sex as blocks: 1) NC: no-challenge/no-supplement; (2) PC: F18+E. coli challenge/no-supplement; (3 to 5) F18+E. coli challenge/supplementations of ZnGly at 400, 800, and 1,200 mg/kg. On d 7, challenged groups were orally inoculated with F18+E. coli at 6 × 109 CFU/mL, whereas NC received saline solution. Pigs were fed for 28 d based on 2 phases (Phase 1: 14 d and phase 2: 14 d), and experimental diets were formulated to meet or exceed nutrient requirements suggested by NRC (2012). Pigs were euthanized on d 28 to collect tissues to evaluate TNF-α, IL-8, malondialdehyde, protein carbonyl, gene expression of Zn transporters, and mucosa-associated microbiota in the jejunum. Data were analyzed using contrasts in the MIXED procedure of SAS. The E. coli challenge tended to reduce (P = 0.065) ADG (308 to 244 g/d) and increase (P < 0.05) fecal score (3.2 to 4.1) of the pigs during the first week of post-challenge. Supplementation of ZnGly from 0 to 1,200 mg/kg linearly (P = 0.092) increased G:F (0.69 to 0.81) during phase 1 and decreased (P <0.05) fecal score (4.1 to 3.5) of the pigs during the first week of post-challenge. Supplementation of ZnGly from 0 to 1,200 mg/kg had quadratic effects on TNF-α (P = 0.065; minimum 1.51 pg/mg at 405 mg/kg of ZnGly), IL-8 (P = 0.093; minimum 0.53 ng/mg at 494 mg/kg), and protein carbonyl (P = 0.054; minimum 2.30 pg/mg at 675 mg/kg) and linearly increased mRNA expressions of (P = 0.057) ZIP4 (0.69 to 1.03) and (P = 0.075) ZnT5 (0.92 to 1.22) in the jejunum of the pigs. Supplementation of ZnGly from 0 to 1,200 mg/kg tended to linearly decrease (P = 0.065) Chao1 index (150.6 to 144.6) and linearly increased (P < 0.05) relative abundance of Actinobacteria (13.10 to 16.26%) and had quadratic effects (P < 0.05) on the relative abundance of Cyanobacteria (minimum 0.67 % at 625 mg/kg) and Proteobacteria (minimum 45.6% at 735 mg/kg) at the phylum level with Enterobacteriaceae (minimum 4.79% at 660 mg/kg) at family level in jejunal mucosa-associated microbiota of the pigs. In conclusion, supplementation of ZnGly at a range of 400 to 675 mg/kg could reduce the negative impacts of F18+E. coli on growth performance and diarrhea of nursery pigs. These positive changes are related to reducing jejunal inflammation and oxidative stress by enhancing jejunal Zn absorption with positive changes in jejunal mucosa-associated microbiota in the pigs.

PSV-19 Evaluation of Dietary Fiber Inclusion on Body Weight, Body Condition, Fecal Score, and Metabolic Indicators in Mature AI Boars

Abstract This experiment was conducted at the Purdue University swine research and education center. The objective of this study was to determine if the inclusion of fiber (8.48% vs 14.85% NDF) in the diet influenced boar body weight, backfat depth, loin depth, Knauer sow caliper measurement, flank to flank distance, and visual body condition score (BCS). Twenty-seven boars from two age groups (7 months and 18 months) and two genetic lines (maternal and terminal) were utilized over a 12-week period with 1 week before the study data serving as baseline for statistical analysis. Fecal samples were also taken and scored using the Bristol stool scoring system. Timepoints for sample collection were on weeks -1,3,7, and 11. Boars were blocked by age and breed and randomly allotted to receive 2.72 kg/d of corn-soybean meal diet (CON, n = 13) formulated to meet NRC (2012) requirements or an isocaloric (estimated ME = 3,285 Kcal/kg) corn-soybean meal diet with 14.3% soyhulls and supplemental choice white grease (4.65%) inclusions (FIBER, n = 14). Data were analyzed using PROC GLM in SAS 9.4 (Cary, North Carolina) with boar serving as the experimental unit. Weeks were analyzed individually and changes in body weight, backfat depth, loin depth, caliper measurements, flank to flank distance, and BCS were evaluated from week -1 to week 12. Significance was determined at P < 0.05 and a trend was observed at 0.05 < P ≤ 0.10. FIBER boars gained 8.4 kg more than CON boars during the 12-week study (P = 0.0221). On weeks 3 and 11, FIBER boars tended to have increased backfat depth compared with CON boars (P < 0.0950), resulting in FIBER boars gaining 2.9 mm more backfat compared with CON (P = 0.0053) over the 12-week study. No difference in loin muscle depth was observed between treatments. On weeks 7 (3.7 vs 3.4, P = 0.0923) and 11(3.9 vs 3.5, P = 0.0615) FIBER boars tended to have greater BCS score compared with Con boars. FIBER boars on week 11 tended to have larger tape measurements (105.9 cm vs 103.9 cm, P = 0.0945) and larger caliper score (19.4 vs 17.6, P = 0.0029) than CON boars, but no difference in overall 12 week change for both measurements. FIBER boars tended to have softer stools during week 3 of the trial compared with CON boars (P = 0.0535), but the fecal scores were not different at any other week. Overall, boars fed a high fiber diet had increased body weight, backfat depth and BCS indicating an underestimation of the net energy value of soyhulls in limit fed boars. Future research is needed with varying levels and types of fiber inclusion in the diet to understand how to correctly implement fiber into the boar diet and to refine the net energy values of fibrous feedstuffs like soyhulls for boars.

146 Efficacy of Zinc Glycinate Reducing Zinc Oxide on Growth and Intestinal Health of Nursery Pigs Challenged with F18+Escherichia Coli

Abstract The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of ZnGly supplementation reducing ZnO in feeds on growth performance and intestinal health of nursery pigs challenged with F18+Escherichia coli (E. coli). A total of 56 nursery pigs (initial BW = 6.5 ± 0.5 kg) were allotted to 7 treatments based on a randomized complete block design using BW and sex as blocks. Treatment groups were: 1) NC: no-challenged with E. coli; 2) PC: challenged with F18+E. coli; 3) challenged with F18+ E. coli and fed ZnO at 2,500 mg/kg in the diet; (4 to 7) challenged with F18+E. coli and fed ZnGly at 400 mg/kg and ZnO at 0, 700, 1,400, and 2,357 mg/kg in the diets. Pigs were fed for 28 days based on 2 phases (Phase 1: 14 d and phase 2: 14 d) and 48 pigs were orally inoculated with F18+ E. coli (6 × 109 CFU/mL) on d 7. Pigs were euthanized on d 28 to collect tissues to evaluate TNF-α, IL-8, malondialdehyde, protein carbonyl, gene expression of Zn transporters, and mucosa-associated microbiota in the jejunum. Data were analyzed by Mixed procedure of SAS. The E. coli challenge tended to decrease (P = 0.076) ADG (200 to 155 g/d) and (P = 0.055) G:F (0.82 to 0.69) during phase 1, and increased (P < 0.05) fecal score (3.2 to 4.1) of nursery pigs during d 7 to 14. There was no difference on the growth performance during the overall period, although pigs fed with the pharmaceutical level of ZnO had greater (P < 0.05) ADG (343 vs. 256 g/d) than pigs fed with ZnGly at 400 mg/kg during the first week of post-challenge. Supplementation of ZnGly with reducing the levels of ZnO from 2,357 to 0 mg/kg tended to have a quadratic response on the fecal score (maximum 4.2 at 667 mg/kg of ZnO) during post-challenge period. Supplementation of ZnGly with reducing levels of ZnO from 2,357 to 0 mg/kg linearly decreased (P < 0.05) IL-8 (0.94 to 0.58 ng/mg) and malondialdehyde (0.49 to 0.34 μM/mg) in jejunum of the pigs. Supplementation of ZnGly reducing the levels of ZnO from 2,357 to 0 mg/kg linearly increased (P < 0.05) Chao1 (142.2 to 148.7) and decreased (P < 0.05) Shannon (4.08 to 3.99) with quadratic effects (P < 0.05) on relative abundance of Pseudomonadaceae (minimum 6.15% at 1,000 mg/kg) and Streptomycetaceae (minimum 5.91% at 800 mg/kg) at family level in jejunum of the pigs. In conclusion, ZnGly supplementation at 400 mg/kg could effectively reduce the use of ZnO in nursery feeds by having similar effects to the pharmaceutical use of ZnO without negatively affecting growth performance and intestinal health of pigs challenged with F18+E. coli.

231 Efficacy of Mycotoxin Mitigation Product Containing Yeast Extract on Intestinal Health and Growth of Newly Weaned Pigs Under Chronic Dietary Challenges of Fumonisin and Aflatoxin

Abstract This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of mycotoxin mitigation product containing yeast extract on intestinal health and growth of newly weaned pigs under chronic dietary challenges of fumonisin and aflatoxin. Newly weaned pigs (n = 48; 21 days old; 6.4 ± 0.3 kg BW) were allotted to 4 treatments based on randomized complete block design with initial BW and sex as blocks and fed for 32 d in 3 phases (P1/2/3 for 11/11/10 days, respectively). Dietary treatments were CON: control diet containing conventional corn; MT: CON with naturally contaminated corn (fumonisin at 8 mg/kg and aflatoxin at 0.19 mg/kg); CD1: MT with 0.2% of mycotoxin mitigation product (BG-MAX, Church & Dwight, Trenton, NJ); and CD2: MT with 0.4% of mycotoxin mitigation product. All diets were formulated to meet the nutrient requirements suggested by NRC (2012). At the end of study, all pigs were euthanized to collect jejunal tissues to measure TNF-α, IL-8, Immunoglobulins (IgG and IgA), malondialdehyde, protein carbonyl, and gene expression of tight junction proteins. Data were analyzed using MIXED procedure in SAS. Pigs in MT had less (P < 0.05) ADFI (406 to 503 g/d) and tended to have less (P = 0.051) BW (15.2 to 17.1 kg) and (P = 0.050) ADG (281 to 340 g/d) compared with CON during overall period. Pigs in MT had a lower (P < 0.05) G:F (0.22 to 0.74) and tended to have a greater (P = 0.071) fecal score (4.34 to 3.93) during phase 1. Increasing supplementation of mycotoxin mitigation product tended to linearly increase (P = 0.056) BW (15.2 to 17.0 kg), (P = 0.060) ADG (281 to 337 g/d), and (P = 0.066) ADFI (406 to 478 g/d) of the pigs during overall period. Increasing supplementation of mycotoxin mitigation product tended to linearly increase (P = 0.064) G:F (0.22 to 0.73) during phase 1. Increasing supplementation of mycotoxin mitigation product linearly decreased (P < 0.05) fecal score (4.34 to 3.87, 3.30 to 2.86) during phase 1 and 2. Increasing supplementation of mycotoxin mitigation product tended to linearly increase (P = 0.050) the concentration of TNF-α (5.49 to 7.11 pg/mg of protein) and decrease (P = 0.060) the concentration of IgA (6.29 to 3.23 mg/mg) in jejunum of the pigs. Increasing supplementation of mycotoxin mitigation product tended to linearly increase (P = 0.082) CL-1 expression (1.01 to 1.78) in jejunum of the pigs. In conclusion, supplementation of mycotoxin mitigation product containing yeast extract could mitigate the detrimental effects of mycotoxins on growth performance of newly weaned pigs, which might be contributed by improved the integrity and positively modulated immune response in the jejunum.

140 Effects of Dietary Inclusion of a Medium Chain Fatty Acid Blend and a Phytogenic Feed Additive on Growth Performance, Gut Health, and Mortality of Escherichia Coli-Challenged Pigs

Abstract An experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis that supplementing diets with a blend of medium chain fatty acids (MCFA) and a phytogenic feed additive (Fresta Protect, Delacon, Linz, Austria), together or separately, would improve growth performance and stool quality of nursery pigs challenged with Escherichia coli (ETEC). A total of 200 pigs [5.52 ± 0.17 kg body weight (BW)] were weaned at 17 to 19 days of age, allotted to 40 pens (5 pigs/pen), and allowed to acclimate for 2 days before initiation of dietary treatments. Pens were blocked by BW and randomly assigned to 1 of 5 treatments: negative control (NC), NC + 55 mg/kg carbadox (Positive control; PC), NC + 1.0% MCFA, NC + 0.1% phytogenic, or NC + 1.0% MCFA and 0.1% phytogenic. All pigs were administered an oral gavage of 5 mL ETEC (blend of K88+ and F18+) with a final titer of 1010 CFU/pig on day 5 and 6. Body weights were recorded on days 0, 4, 11, and 18, whereas feed intake was recorded for the overall trial (day 0 - 18). Fecal scores were assessed daily on an ordered likert scale to determine the joint probability of more normal stool quality. Data were analyzed using the lme4 package of R 4.1.2, and the statistical models included the fixed effect of treatment and random effect of BW block. Growth performance data were assumed to be normally distributed, whereas mortality and stool quality were analyzed using generalized linear mixed models specifying binomial and multinomial distributions, respectively. Contrasts were used to test for effects of dietary additive (carbadox, MCFA, phytogenic, or MCFA and phytogenic) compared with NC (Table 1). Results indicated post-challenge BW, post-challenge and overall average daily gain (ADG), and overall gain:feed (G:F) were greater (P < 0.05) for PC than for NC. In the pre-challenge phase, dietary inclusion of MCFA reduced (P < 0.05) final BW and ADG compared with NC, but overall G:F was greater (P < 0.05) than NC when the MCFA blend was fed. Inclusion of the phytogenic increased (P < 0.05) ADG in the post-challenge period and G:F in the overall trial compared with NC. The combination of MCFA blend and phytogenic resulted in increased (P < 0.05) post-challenge final BW, post-challenge ADG, and overall ADG compared with NC. All treatments, except MCFA blend, tended (P < 0.10) to reduce mortality compared with NC. The PC, MCFA blend, and combination treatments resulted in a greater (P < 0.05) probability of normal stool quality than NC. In conclusion, supplementation of the phytogenic and the combination of MCFA with phytogenic improved growth performance and tended to reduce mortality of nursery pigs under ETEC challenge. Furthermore, the combination improved stool quality.

29 Evaluation of Diet Composition on Early Post-Weaned Feed Intake and Intestinal Health

Abstract Weaning is an inevitable early life stressor in commercial production that can cause an immediate reduction in voluntary feed intake and growth during a critical period of gastrointestinal development. Further, the reduction in voluntary feed intake is strongly correlated with the risk of disease during that period. Therefore, our objective was to test the effect of different dietary interventions on early nursery pig feed intake, performance, fecal consistency, and histological parameters. Over 2 repetitions, a total of 90 newly weaned gilts (19-21 d of age, BW 5.62 ± 1.1 kg) were selected, individually penned and randomly assigned to 1 of 5 dietary treatments (n = 18 pigs/treatment) that included: 1) Control diet (CON), 2) CON + 5% sugar beet pulp (BP), 3) CON + 10% high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), 4) CON + 5% soyhulls (SH), or 5) CON + 3,000 ppm Zn and 200 ppm Cu (d 0-7), and 2,000 ppm Zn and 200 ppm Cu (d 8-14; ZC). Each repetition was conducted over a 14-d period consisting of 2 phases (Phase 1: d 0-7, phase 2: d 8-14). Pigs were all sourced from a natural endemic enteric pathogen positive nursery flow and confirmed positive for rotavirus, coccidia and F18 E. coli. Fecal consistency was scored and feed disappearance was recorded daily. On d 0, 7 and 14, pig BW were collected. Weekly feed disappearance and BW were used to calculate ADG, ADFI and feed efficiency (G:F) within phase and overall. On d 14, all pigs were euthanized, and fixed sections of ileum and colon were collected to assess histopathology including incidence of villus atrophy and colitis. Pig was the experimental unit, and performance and histology data were analyzed by dietary treatment. Daily measures of feed intake were analyzed by repeated measures with the fixed effects of diet, day, and their interaction. Starting BW did not differ across dietary treatments (P = 0.845). Over the 14-d test period, HFCS and ZC treatments tended to increase ADG (0.20 and 0.15 kg/d, respectively) compared with CON, BP and SH (0.09, 0.12, and 0.13 kg/d, respectively; P = 0.076). Further, the addition of a sweetener (HFCS) did not improve daily feed intake, while SH reduced daily feed intakes by 32% compared with all other treatments (P < 0.001). Although all pigs had some degree of diarrhea, fecal consistency did not differ between dietary treatments (P = 0.618). Histopathology scoring for intestinal atrophy (ileum) and colitis (colon) were not different (P = 0.645 and 0.440, respectively). In conclusion, the addition of BP, HFCS, SH and ZC had an effect on growth and feed intake but there was no benefit in atrophy, colitis, and fecal scores when encountering a natural enteric pathogen burden.

PSII-15 Effect of Low Protein Diets Fed to Weanling Pigs on Growth Performance, Fecal Score, and Carcass Characteristics

Abstract Two experiments were conducted to test the hypothesis that feeding low protein diets to weanling pigs reduces diarrhea with no effects on growth performance from wean to finish or on carcass characteristics. In Exp. 1, 160 pigs (BW: 6.88 ± 0.36 kg) were allotted to 5 diets with 4 pigs/pen and 8 pens/diet. Five phase 1 diets were fed from d 1 to 14 and included the positive control (PC; CP = 23%) with an antibiotic growth promoter (AGP), the negative control (NC; CP = 23%) without the AGP, the NC containing 25% rolled oats (RO), and 2 diets containing 17% CP and 0 or 25% RO. Phase 2 diets were fed from d 14 to 35 and included the PC (CP =21 %) with an AGP, the NC (CP = 21%) without the AGP, the NC containing 20% RO, and 2 diets containing 19% CP and 0 or 25% RO. The statistical model included diet as fixed effect and replicate as random effect. Results from Exp. 1 indicated that pigs fed the 17% CP diet without RO had decreased (P < 0.05) diarrhea scores compared with the NC diet containing RO. Pigs fed the 17% CP diet containing RO had reduced (P < 0.05) G:F compared with the NC diet, but there was no difference among pigs fed the other 4 diets. In Exp. 2, 160 pigs (BW: 6.29 ± 1.00 kg) were allotted to 4 diets with 5 pigs/pen and 8 pens/diet in a wean to finish experiment with 6 phases. Phase 1 and 2 diets were fed for 14 d each, phase 3 was fed for 18 d, and phase 4, 5, and 6 diets were each fed for 35 d. In Phase 1, four diets included the PC diet (CP = 23%) with an AGP, the NC diet (CP = 23%) without the AGP, and 2 diets containing 19% CP or 17% CP and no AGP. In Phase 2, four diets included the PC diet (CP = 22%) with an AGP, the NC diet (CP = 22%) without the AGP, and 2 diets containing 20% CP or 19% CP and no AGP. All pigs were fed common conventional diets from Phase 3 to market. Data were analyzed as in Exp 1. Overall results from Exp. 2 indicated that there were no differences among treatments in the growth performance and carcass characteristics of pigs from wean to finish. In conclusion, feeding low protein diets to weanling pigs reduced post-weaning diarrhea and may replace antibiotic growth promoters without affecting growth performance or carcass characteristics at the time of marketing of pigs although slight reductions in growth performance in the nursery phase may be observed.

142 Evaluation of Dietary Fiber in Health Challenged Nursery Pigs

Abstract Enteric pathogens often antagonize nursery pig health, growth performance, and scouring. Increased dietary fiber may alleviate bacterial pathogen burdens via improving intestinal health, fecal consistency, binding of pathogens, and improving early post-weaned growth performance. Therefore, our objective was to evaluate the effect of three dietary fiber sources on growth performance, digestibility, and fecal consistency in nursery pigs undergoing an F18 enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) challenge. The study was conducted with 541 newly weaned pigs (starting BW of 5.9 ± 1.25 kg) in a complete randomized design with four dietary treatments (n = 12 pens/treatment, 11to 12 pigs/pen), fed over three phases. Phase 1 (day 0 - 14) and 2 (day 15 - 28) treatments included: 1) corn-soybean meal-based diet with no addition of fiber source (CON); 2) corn-soybean meal-based diet + 15 and 7.50% oat groats (Phase 1 and 2, respectively; Oats); 3) corn-soybean meal-based diet + 5% soyhulls (Soyhulls); and 4) corn-soybean meal-based diet + 5% wheat bran (Wheat Bran). All pens were fed a common Phase 3 (day 29 - 48) corn-soybean meal-based diet. At placement, 12 pigs were sacrificed for baseline evaluation and pigs were confirmed positive for K88 E. coli and Rotavirus A. On day 14 (dpi = 0), all pigs were orally drenched with ~5 mL F18 ETEC inoculum suspended in Luria broth. On day 21 of the study (dpi 7), 1 pig/pen was euthanized to examine the effects of diet on intestinal health including histopathology assessment of attachment of E. coli, coccidia, villus atrophy, and colitis. Pig BW and pen feed disappearance were recorded weekly from day 0 – 28, and day 48 to calculate ADG, ADFI, and feed efficiency (G:F). Data were analyzed using PROC MIXED of SAS with pen as the experimental unit and the fixed effect of treatment. There were no differences in ADG, ADFI, or G:F in phase 1 or phase 2 when pigs were fed Oats, Soyhulls, or Wheat Bran compared with CON (P > 0.05). Overall nursery ADG (0.43 vs. 0.41, 0.42, 0.40 kg/d, respectively), ADFI (0.67 vs. 0.67, 0.68, 0.64 kg/d, respectively), and G:F (0.55 vs. 0.55, 0.55, 0.55, respectively) were not different from CON when pigs were fed either Oat, Soyhulls, or Wheat Bran (P > 0.05). Pigs fed Oats had a decreased fecal nitrogen content compared with CON, Soyhulls, and Wheat Bran (P < 0.05) and no differences in dry matter, organic matter, or gross energy (P > 0.05). Although scouring was observed, fecal consistency scores did not differ between dietary treatments. Growth performance and fecal score data from this study indicate no additional benefit of a diet containing oat groats, soyhulls, or wheat bran to nursery pigs undergoing naturally endemic and controlled enteric health challenges.

212 Effect of Low Crude Protein Diets in Young Pigs When Using Crystalline Isoleucine and Leucine

Abstract An experiment was conducted to evaluate the response to low crude protein (CP) while maintaining equal standardized ileal digestible (SID) LYS and equal SID amino acid-to-LYS ratios (including MET+CYS, THR, TRP, VAL, ILE, and LEU) to test whether the addition of LEU and ILE allowed CP to decline below 19.5% without impacting performance when SID LYS was 1.35%. For the experiment, pigs (n = 288; ~22 days of age, 6.29 ± 0.71 kg BW, 8 reps/treatmentt, 6 pigs/pen) were stratified by BW and randomly allotted to one of 6 treatments in a randomized complete block design. Treatments had a fixed SID LYS of 1.35% and CP ranging from 21 to 17.25% in 0.75% increments. Experimental diets were fed for 21 days, and BW and feed disappearance were recorded. Visual fecal scores (1 = normal to 4 = watery) and visual pig appearance scores (1 = pale and hairy to 4 = normal color and well-rounded muscle) were assessed on ordered likert scales to determine the probabilities of observing a more normal stool quality and a worse visual appearance, respectively. Performance data were analyzed as a general linear model. Stool quality and visual appearance were analyzed as a generalized linear mixed model. Contrasts were used to test linear and quadratic effects of dietary CP. Results of the experiment are presented in Table 1. With constant SID Lys of 1.35%, reducing CP from 21.00 to 17.25% resulted in an increase then a decrease (linear, P < 0.005; quadratic, P < 0.005) in BW, ADG, ADFI, and gain:feed. Average daily gain and ADFI began decreasing when CP decreased below 20.25%, whereas body weight and gain:feed began decreasing once CP was below 19.50%. There was a difference detected amongst treatments in stool quality, but this was not due to changes in crude protein levels of the diets. This suggests that protein fermentation was not directly impacting stool quality in these pigs. Decreasing dietary CP also linearly (P < 0.05) and quadratically (P < 0.05) affected the visual appearance of the pigs in a similar manner to performance. At the least levels of crude protein, pigs had a greater probability of having more coarse hair and paler skin suggesting that a nutritional stress response may be occurring. These results indicate that the addition of ILE and LEU to the formula do not allow CP to decrease below 19.5% without affecting performance when SID LYS is 1.35 in young pigs.

110 Effects of Supplementation of Refined Functional Carbohydrates in Sow and Piglet Diets on Performance During pre-Weaning and in Nursery in Pigs Fed Diets without any Antimicrobials

Abstract The objective of the study was to test effects of supplementation of Refined Functional Carbohydrates in sow and piglet diets on performance during pre-weaning and in nursery in pigs fed diet without antibiotics and pharmacological level of Zinc Oxide. Hybrid-hyper prolific sows (n = 269) and their litters [(Landrace x Large-white) x Pietrain] were used for the trial. All sows participated in the gestation phase, but only 94 of them were monitored throughout the lactation phase and their piglets during nursery phase. During the first 90 days of gestation all sows were fed a common standard diet. On approximately d 90 of gestation, sows were randomly assigned to one of the following treatments: 1) control group (CONTROL, n = 134), and 2) RFC group (0.02% CELMANAX SCP, n = 135), until transfer to farrowing unit (d 110 of gestation). A subset of sows received the corresponding lactation feed (CONTROL n = 54 and 0.02% CELMANAX SCP, n =4 6) after entering the farrowing room and throughout lactation. The day after farrowing, piglets were weighed individually and the number of piglets born alive, stillborn, and mummified were recorded. The piglets were supplemented with creep feed from day 7 of lactation with identical treatments as their sows. Sow body condition and feed intake during lactation and rectal temperature post farrowing were recorded. Piglet BW at weaning, pre-weaning mortality and medical treatments were recorded. Fecal score of sows and litter during pre-weaning were also recorded. At weaning, piglets were assigned to the 2 treatments (CONTROL and CELMANAX SCP, 0.02%), according to lactation treatment with 30 piglets/pen and 22 pens/treatment. Treatments were fed in the first two phases of nursery, 0-7 days and 7-21 days post weaning. Nursery pig performance was recorded. Data were analyzed with statistic software Minitab version 17.0 Windows using sow as the experimental unit for variables of gestation and lactation stages, and pen for the variables during nursery period. Sows that received diets supplemented with RFC showed a reduced mortality rate of piglets at 24 h of life (P=0.05). At weaning, an increase in piglet BW (P< 0.05) and a trend for greater ADG (P = 0.07) was noted in piglets from RFC supplemented multiparous sows. Nursery pigs fed diets supplemented with RFC had greater BW (P=0.03) and ADG (P=0.03) and a trend for greater ADFI during the first 21 days of nursery (P=0.08). In conclusion, sows supplemented with RFC in late gestation diet (d 90 to d 110) had reduced piglet mortality 24 h postpartum. Continued supplementation of RFC in lactation diet of sows and in piglet creep increased piglet weaning weight. Piglets supplemented with RFC in the early nursery stage (0 to 21d) also saw an improvement in the main productive indicators.

208 Effect of SID LYS Level with Constant Non-Essential Amino Acids

Abstract Many investigations on the effect of low protein diets reduce crude protein (CP) and have a constant standardized ileal digestible (SID) LYS resulting in reductions in ADG, ADFI, and gain:feed is some cases. This experiment was conducted to determine the impact of maintaining constant non-essential amino acids and changing SID LYS and other essential amino acids. For the experiment, 288 pigs (~22 d of age, 6.61 ± 0.95 kg, 8 replicates/treatment, 6 pigs/pen) were stratified by body (BW) and randomly allotted to one of 6 treatments in a randomized complete block design. Non-essential amino acids were fixed in all diets and synthetic amino acids were added to increase SID LYS from 1.15% to 1.4% while maintaining constant ratios of MET+CYS, THR, TRP, VAL, and ILE to LYS. Diets were corn, wheat, barley, and soy based with 1.1% corn starch in the least SID LYS diet. Synthetic amino acids were added to the diet at the expense of corn starch to maintain non-essential amino acid levels. The CP ranged from 17.8% when SID LYS was 1.15% and 18.6% when SID LYS was 1.4%. Experimental diets were fed for 21 d. Body weight, feed disappearance, visual fecal scores, and visual piglet scores were measured. Visual fecal scores (1 = normal to 4 = watery) and visual pig appearance scores (1 = pale and hairy to 4 = normal color and well-rounded muscle) were assessed on ordered likert scales to determine the probabilities of observing a more normal stool quality and a worse visual appearance, respectively. Performance data were analyzed as a general linear model. Stool quality and visual appearance were analyzed as a generalized linear mixed model. Contrasts were used to test linear and quadratic effects of dietary SID LYS. Results of the experiment are presented in Table 1. Increasing SID LYS with constant non-essential amino acids did not affect ADG or BW. The ADFI was linearly decreased (P < 0.1) and gain:feed was linearly increased (P < 0.0001) with increasing SID LYS (Table 1). Stool quality was not affected. Visual appearance of the pigs was quadratically affected (P < 0.05) by changing SID LYS. Pigs that had consumed diets with the lowest or highest SID LYS had the best visual appearance (lowest probability). The results of the current experiment differ suggest SID LYS may regulate feed intake and nutrient efficiency, but BW gain is not affected when non-essential amino acids are held constant. This differs from cases where CP is reduced, which results are decreased growth in many cases.

215 Compensatory Growth Following One or Two Weeks of Lysine Restriction at Weaning

Abstract At weaning it is increasingly common to feed low crude protein (CP) and low standardized ileal digestible (SID) lysine (LYS) diets for improved health outcomes. This nutrient restriction often leads to decreased growth. Compensatory growth in this discussion is a period of enhanced growth that occurs after a period of nutrient restriction. This experiment was conducted to determine if compensatory growth occurs after one or two-weeks restriction of SID LYS at weaning. For the experiment, pigs (n = 252; ~23.5 days of age, 7.24 ± 1.02 kg BW, 8 reps/treatmentt, 5 or 6 pigs/pen) were randomly allotted to one of six treatments in a randomized complete block design with a 2 x 3 factorial arrangement of treatments. Treatment main effects were SID LYS/CP (0.07 or 0.065) or duration of SID LYS restriction (1.2% SID LYS for 0, 1, or 2 weeks). When not restricted, pigs were fed a diet with 1.5% SID LYS. After the first 14 days, all pigs consumed a common diet for 24 days with 1.35% SID LYS. Body weight, feed disappearance, visual fecal scores, and visual piglet scores were measured. Visual fecal scores (1 = normal to 4 = watery) and visual pig appearance scores (1 = pale and hairy to 4 = normal color and well-rounded muscle) were assessed on ordered likert scales to determine the probabilities of observing a more normal stool quality and a worse visual appearance, respectively. Performance data were analyzed as a general linear model. Stool quality and visual appearance were analyzed as a generalized linear mixed model. Pairwise comparisons with Tukey adjustment were used for treatment LSmean separation. No effect of SID LYS/CP or interaction of SID LYS/CP and SID LYS program was detected. Results for the main effect of SID LYS program is presented in Table 1. Restricting SID LYS for the first week resulted in decreased ADG and gain:feed (P < 0.05; Table 1). This same effect was observed in week 2. However, those pigs that moved from 1.2% SID LYS in week 1 to 1.5% SID LYS in week 2 had the similar ADG and gain:feed during week 2 as the pigs that consumed 1.5% SID LYS for both weeks. Pigs that had two weeks of SID LYS restriction had lower body weight at d 38 (P< 0.05), whereas pigs with one week of SID LYS restriction had similar body weight at d 38 to unrestricted LYS fed pigs. In addition to performance, unrestricted LYS decreased stool quality (P<0.05) but improved the visual appearance of pigs (P < 0.10) at d 14 and d 38. In conclusion, pigs can have compensatory growth when SID LYS is restricted from 1.5% to 1.2% for one week, but not two weeks.

Are Growth Performance and Fecal Score in Weaning Pigs Affected by the Inclusion Level of Potato Protein Concentrate and the Enclosed Glycoalkaloids in Iso-Nitrogenous Diets?

Glycoalkaloids (GA) are anti-nutritional factors in standard potato protein concentrate (PPC) fed to piglets. Increasing levels of standard PPC was expected to affect growth performance and fecal score negatively. Seven-hundred-and-twenty pigs (7-30 kg) were fed one of the following four diets within three feeding phases (days 0-13, 13-24, and 24-45): control (CTRL), PPC standard inclusion (PPC-S; 4%, 2%, and 0%), high PPC inclusion (PPC-H; 8%, 3.5%, and 2%), and extremely high PPC inclusion (PPC-EH; 12%, 5%, and 3.5%). During days 0-13, CTRL displayed no difference in growth performance compared with the three experimental groups (PPC-S, PPC-H, and PPC-EH). During days 13-24, PPC-H achieved greater (p < 0.001) average daily feed intake (ADFI) compared to CTRL. During days 24-45, no differences between groups were observed. For the overall experimental period (0-45 days), PPC-H displayed greater average daily gain (ADG) (p = 0.010) and ADFI (p = 0.024) compared to CTRL. The feed conversion ratio (FCR) remained unaffected between the groups for all experimental periods. Increasing levels of PPC and hence GA did not affect the probability of diarrhea. In conclusion, increased standard PPC and hence increased levels of GA in isonitrogenous diets did not negatively affect growth performance nor fecal score in piglets (7-30 kg).

Intragastric infusion of a liquid diet with low-methoxyl pectin alleviates fecal inconsistency and local proinflammatory cytokine expression in lipopolysaccharide-septic rats

ObjectiveDiarrhea interrupts enteral nutrition management in hospitalized patients with severe illnesses, such as sepsis. Pectin, a water-soluble dietary fiber, has the potential to maintain intestinal function and may reduce inflammatory reactions. The aim of this study was to demonstrate that the addition of low-methoxyl (LM) pectin to a liquid diet suppresses softening of stool texture and reduces tissue inflammatory responses in enteral nutrition management during sepsis. MethodsA fat-enriched liquid diet with LM pectin (P-EN) or a liquid diet without dietary fiber (FF-EN) was given continuously to rats through a gastric catheter. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 10 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally 24 h (study 1) and 7 h (study 2) before sacrifice. ResultsLPS injection significantly worsened fecal property scores in rats infused with FF-EN compared with the rats given P-EN in study 1. Whereas many myeloperoxidase-positive cells infiltrated the liver, and the hepatic expressions of chemokine genes were markedly elevated 24 h after LPS administration, these findings were clearly alleviated in the LM pectin-containing liquid diet group. In study 2, protein expressions of proinflammatory cytokines, such as small intestinal tumor necrosis factor-α and hepatic interleukin-1β, and interleukin-6, were significantly downregulated in the P-EN LPS group compared with the FF-EN LPS group. ConclusionsA liquid diet containing LM pectin allows enteral nutrition management with a low risk for diarrhea and reduces local inflammation under septic conditions.

A Novel Prebiotic Fibre Blend Supports the Gastrointestinal Health of Senior Dogs.

Senior pets can suffer from a wide range of age-related diseases that can impact the quality of life for the pet and the relationship between a pet and their owner. Dietary fibre plays a key role in shaping the gastrointestinal health in mammalian species. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of a novel prebiotic fibre blend containing sugar beet pulp, galacto-oligosaccharides, and cellulose on the health of senior dogs when fed on top of a background commercial dry diet. Thirty-two dogs aged >8 years received the prebiotic fibre blend as a dietary topper for 21 days on top of a nutritionally complete diet using a cross-over study design. The prebiotic fibre blend improved the gastrointestinal health of senior dogs as measured through improved faecal quality scores, a reduction in faecal pH, changes to the taxonomic composition of the gut, and a reduction in faecal branched-chain fatty acids, which are markers for proteolytic degradation. Broader systemic measures, such as changes to serum cytokines, were not impacted by the prebiotic fibre blend. In conclusion, a novel prebiotic fibre blend containing sugar beet pulp, galacto-oligosaccharides, and cellulose improved the gastrointestinal health of senior dogs and could have a range of potential future dietary applications.

Worms and welfare: Behavioural and physiological changes associated with gastrointestinal nematode parasitism in lambs

Parasitism with gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) is a worldwide issue impacting negatively on animal production, health, and welfare. Therefore, early diagnostic signs of parasitism are required to allow for timely interventions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the behavioural and physiological changes in lambs associated with GIN infection. We used 30, 8-month-old Romney-cross wethers, that were administered anthelmintics until faecal egg counts (FEC) were zero and housed in an indoor facility. The study lasted 9 weeks, which comprised a 3-week pre-treatment, and a 6-week treatment phase. Lambs were randomly assigned to one of two treatments (n = 15/treatment) trickle-dosed with: 1) 1500 infective third stage larvae (L3) three days/week for 6 weeks (27,000 total L3; challenged), or 2) water 3 days/week for 6 weeks (control). Within each pen there were 5 pairs of lambs (balanced for liveweight), with each pair comprising a challenged and control lamb. Blood, faecal, and saliva samples were collected 1 week pre-treatment and weekly for 6 weeks of treatment. Behaviour was observed (e.g., feeding, lying, standing) from video-camera recordings using scan sampling every 5 min for 8 h, 1 day pre-treatment and on the day immediately prior to physiological sampling across the 6-week treatment phase (7 days in total). Accelerometers were attached to each lamb to continuously monitor behaviour from 3 weeks pre-treatment and for the remainder of the study. Liveweight, body condition, faecal soiling and faecal consistency scoring were performed weekly as was lipidomic analysis of plasma samples. From week 2 of treatment, challenged lambs spent less time feeding and more time lying than control lambs until week 5 of treatment (P ≤ 0.01). At week 3 of treatment, elevated lipids (mainly triglycerides and phospholipids), loose faeces and faecal soiling around the anus were observed in challenged lambs compared with controls (P ≤ 0.05). From week 4 of treatment, FEC were elevated in the challenged compared to control lambs (P ≤ 0.05). There was also lower liveweight gain at 4 and 5 weeks of treatment in the challenged lambs compared with control lambs (P ≤ 0.05). These results show a clear timeline of changes in behaviour (e.g., feeding and lying), lipids such as triglycerides, and digestive function (e.g., faecal soiling) suggestive of GIN subclinical disease, which show promise for use in future studies on early identification of subclinical GIN parasitism in lambs.