Growth Performance Of Young Pigs Research Articles

Dietary Sialyllactose Does Not Influence Measures of Recognition Memory or Diurnal Activity in the Young Pig.

Sialic acid (SA) is an integral component of gangliosides and signaling molecules in the brain and its dietary intake may support cognitive development. We previously reported that feeding sialyllactose, a milk oligosaccharide that contains SA, alters SA content and diffusivity in the pig brain. The present research sought to expand upon such results and describe the effects of feeding sialyllactose on recognition memory and sleep/wake activity using a translational pig model. Pigs were provided ad libitum access to a customized milk replacer containing 0 g/L or 380 g/L of sialyllactose from postnatal day (PND) 2–22. Beginning on PND 15, pigs were fitted with accelerometers to track home-cage activity and testing on the novel object recognition task began at PND 17. There were no significant effects of diet on average daily body weight gain, average daily milk intake, or the gain-to-feed ratio during the study (all p ≥ 0.11). Pigs on both diets were able to display recognition memory on the novel object recognition task (p < 0.01), but performance and exploratory behavior did not differ between groups (all p ≥ 0.11). Total activity and percent time spent sleeping were equivalent between groups during both day and night cycles (all p ≥ 0.56). Dietary sialyllactose did not alter growth performance of young pigs, and there was no evidence that providing SA via sialyllactose benefits the development of recognition memory or gross sleep-related behaviors.

Diet nutrient digestibility and growth performance of weaned pigs fed wheat dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS)

Biofuel co-products such as wheat distillers dried grains and solubles (DDGS) are used increasingly in swine feed to reduce feed cost. Wheat DDGS is rich in protein and phosphorus, thus may replace soybean meal (SBM) in swine diets. To explore, the effects of increasing inclusion of wheat DDGS by substituting SBM on diet nutrient digestibility and growth performance of young pigs were evaluated. In total, 160 pigs (initial BW: 12.5±1.8kg) were involved in a 3-week trial. Five pelleted wheat-based diets including 0, 50, 100, 150 or 200g wheat DDGS/kg in substitution for up to 200g SBM/kg were fed. Diets were formulated to provide 9.8MJ net energy (NE)/kg and 1.16g standardised ileal digestible (SID) lysine/MJ NE. Diets were balanced for NE by increasing canola oil inclusion and for amino acids (AA) by increasing crystalline AA. Each 50g/kg increase in dietary inclusion of wheat DDGS linearly reduced (P<0.001) the apparent total tract digestibility coefficient (CATTD) of dry matter (DM) by 0.008, of gross energy (GE) by 0.009 and of crude protein (CP) by 0.010. Increasing wheat DDGS quadratically decreased (P=0.01) diet digestible energy (DE) value and quadratically decreased then increased (P=0.01) diet calculated NE value. Increasing wheat DDGS did not affect average daily feed intake (ADFI) overall or for any week, but linearly decreased (P<0.01) feed efficiency (G:F) for day 1–7. For the entire trial (day 1–21), each 50g/kg increase of dietary inclusion of wheat DDGS up to 200g/kg linearly reduced (P<0.05) ADG by 8.5g/d and G:F by 0.007. In conclusion, weaned pigs fed diets with increasing inclusion of up to 200g wheat DDGS/kg and supplemental AA to replace SBM had reduced G:F due to reduced ADG, but maintained feed intake.

Estimation of the leucine and histidine requirements for piglets fed a low-protein diet

Reduction of the CP content in the diets of piglets requires supplementation with crystalline essential amino acids (AA). Data on the leucine (Leu) and histidine (His) requirements of young pigs fed low-CP diets are limited and have primarily been obtained from nonlinear models. However, these models do not consider the possible decline in appetite and growth that can occur when pigs are fed excessive amounts of AA such as Leu. Therefore, two dose-response studies were conducted to estimate the standardised ileal digestible (SID) Leu: lysine (Lys) and His: Lys required to optimise the growth performance of young pigs. In both studies, the average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI) and gain-to-feed ratio (G: F) were determined during a 6-week period. To ensure that the diets had sub-limiting Lys levels, a preliminary Lys dose-response study was conducted. In the Leu study, 60 35-day-old piglets of both sexes were randomly assigned to one of five treatments and fed a low-CP diet (15%) with SID Leu: Lys levels of 83%, 94%, 104%, 115% or 125%. The His study used 120 31-day-old piglets of both sexes, which were allotted to one of five treatments and fed a low-CP diet (14%) with SID His: Lys levels of 22%, 26%, 30%, 34% or 38%. Linear broken-line, curvilinear-plateau and quadratic-function models were used for estimations of SID Leu: Lys and SID His: Lys. The minimum SID Leu: Lys level needed to maximise ADG, ADFI and G: F was, on average, 101% based on the linear broken-line and curvilinear-plateau models. Using the quadratic-function model, the minimum SID Leu: Lys level needed to maximise ADG, ADFI and G: F was 108%. Data obtained from the quadratic-function analysis further showed that a ±10% deviation from the identified Leu requirement was accompanied by a small decline in the ADG (−3%). The minimum SID His: Lys level needed to maximise ADG, ADFI and G: F was 27% and 28% using the linear broken-line and curvilinear-plateau models, respectively, and 33% using the quadratic-function model. The preferred model to estimate the His requirement was the curvilinear-plateau model. However, a 10% reduction in the SID His: Lys level was associated with an 11% reduction in the ADG. In conclusion, the SID Leu: Lys level needed to maximise growth was 108% when using the quadratic-function model as the best-fitting model. The minimum SID His: Lys level required to optimise growth was 28% when using the curvilinear-plateau model as the best-fitting model.

Diet nutrient digestibility and growth performance of weaned pigs fed sugar beet pulp

Dietary inclusion of fibrous alternative feedstuffs in swine diets to replace cereal grains can be economically important for pork producers; however, limits for young pigs to ingest high-fibre diets are not well established. The effects of increasing inclusion of sugar beet pulp (SBP) by substituting wheat grain on diet nutrient digestibility and growth performance of young pigs were evaluated. In total, 220 pigs (initial body weight 7.5kg) were fed Phase 1 diets for 2 weeks (day 1–14) starting 1 week after weaning at 19 days of age and sequentially Phase 2 diets for 3 weeks (day 15–35). Five pelleted wheat-based diets including 0, 60, 120, 180 and 240g SBP/kg were fed. The SBP contained (as-fed) 90g crude protein (CP) and 249g acid detergent fibre (ADF)/kg. Phase 1 and 2 diets were formulated to provide 9.6 and 9.4MJ NE/kg and 1.3 and 1.2g standardised ileal digestible (SID) Lys/MJ NE, respectively. Diets were balanced for NE by increasing canola oil from 5 to 50g/kg for Phase 1 and 2 diets and for AA by increasing crystalline AA. Increasing dietary inclusion of SBP up to 240g/kg increased ADF content of diets to 101g/kg, linearly reduced (P<0.001) apparent total tract digestibility coefficient (CATTD) of gross energy (GE) by 0.04 and of CP by 0.08 feeding Phase 1 diets, quadratically reduced (P<0.001) CATTD of GE by 0.01 and linearly reduced (P<0.001) CATTD of CP by 0.06 feeding Phase 2 diets. Increasing inclusion of SBP up to 240g/kg linearly reduced (P<0.001) calculated diet NE value by 0.35MJ/kg in Phase 1 and quadratically increased (P<0.001) calculated diet NE value by 0.29MJ/kg in Phase 2. Increasing inclusion of SBP quadratically reduced ADFI (P<0.05) for day 29–35 and linearly reduced average daily gain (ADG; P<0.05) for day 15–35. The G:F was linearly increased (P<0.05) for day 1–7, linearly reduced (P=0.01) for day 15–21 and quadratically reduced (P<0.05) for day 15–28. Overall (day 1–35), increasing dietary inclusion of SBP up to 240g/kg linearly reduced (P<0.05) ADFI and ADG by 46g/d, quadratically reduced (P<0.01) G:F and linearly reduced (P<0.05) final BW at day 35 by 1.1kg. However, growth performance did not differ (P>0.05) between pigs fed diets containing 0 or 60g SBP/kg. In conclusion, weaned pigs maintained growth performance with diets containing 65g ADF/kg, but not for diets containing up to 101g ADF/kg.

Effect of feeding wheat millrun on diet nutrient digestibility and growth performance in starter pigs

Abstract Wheat by-products could be an alternative feedstuff for sustainable pork production. The effects of substitution of soybean meal (SBM) and wheat with increasing inclusion of wheat millrun on diet nutrient digestibility and growth performance of young pigs were evaluated. In total, 160 weaned pigs were fed five pelleted wheat-based diets containing 0, 50, 100, 150 or 200 g wheat millrun/kg in substitution for up to 150 g SBM/kg and 50 g wheat/kg for 3 weeks (day 1–21) starting 2 weeks after weaning at 21 days of age. Diets were balanced for net energy (NE) using canola oil and for amino acids using crystalline amino acids to provide 10.1 MJ NE/kg and 1.05 g standardised ileal digestible (SID) lysine (Lys)/MJ NE. Increasing inclusion of wheat millrun to 200 g/kg linearly reduced (P

Diet nutrient digestibility and growth performance of weaned pigs fed field pea

Striving for maximum replacement of soybean meal (SBM) with field pea in swine diets is economically important for pork producers. To explore, effects of increasing inclusion of field pea by substituting SBM on diet nutrient digestibility and growth performance of young pigs were evaluated. In total, 260 pigs (8.5kg) starting 1 week after weaning at 19 days of age were fed Phase 1 diets for 2 weeks (day 1–14) and sequentially Phase 2 diets for 3 weeks (day 15–35). Five pelleted wheat-based diets including 0, 100, 200, 300 and 400g yellow field pea (Pisum sativum L., subsp. hortense)/kg in substitution for up to 300g SBM/kg and 100g wheat/kg were fed. Phase 1 and 2 diets were formulated to provide 10.2 and 9.8MJ net energy (NE)/kg, and 1.2 and 1.0g standardised ileal digestible (SID) Lys/MJ NE, respectively. Diets were balanced for NE by reducing dietary canola oil from 48 to 34g/kg and from 27 to 12g/kg for Phase 1 and 2 diets, respectively, and for amino acids by increasing crystalline amino acids. Increasing inclusion of field pea to 400g/kg linearly reduced (P<0.001) the apparent total tract digestibility coefficient (CATTD) of crude protein (CP) by 7% and of gross energy by 2% in Phase 1 diets, but only linearly reduced (P<0.05) CATTD of CP by 1% in Phase 2 diets. Increasing inclusion of field pea to 400g/kg quadratically reduced (P<0.001) calculated diet NE values by 0.4MJ/kg as fed in Phase 1 and linearly reduced (P<0.001) calculated diet NE values by 0.2MJ/kg as fed in Phase 2 diets. The NE value for field pea used for diet formulation was overestimated for pigs immediately after weaning. For day 1–7, increasing inclusion of field pea did not affect average daily feed intake (ADFI) but linearly reduced (P<0.01) average daily gain (ADG) and feed efficiency (G:F). Growth performance was not affected for day 8–14 and 15–21. Increasing inclusion of field pea quadratically increased (P<0.05) ADFI and ADG but did not affect G:F for day 22–28. For day 29–35, increasing inclusion of field pea tended to linearly increase (P<0.10) ADFI, linearly increased (P<0.05) ADG, but did not affect G:F. Overall (day 1–35), increasing dietary inclusion of field pea did not affect ADFI, ADG or G:F. In conclusion, up to 400g/kg field pea can entirely replace SBM in nursery diets formulated to equal NE value and SID amino acid content without detrimental effects on growth performance after a 7-day adaptation.

The effect of feeding increasing inclusion of extruded Brassica juncea canola expeller on growth performance and nutrient digestibility in weaned pigs

Expellers contain more dietary energy than meals to support growth performance of young pigs. The feeding value of extruded Brassica (B.) juncea canola expeller was evaluated feeding 240 weaned pigs (initial body weight 7.6kg), starting 1 week after weaning at 19 days of age. The extruded B. juncea expeller contained (as is) 344g crude protein, 15.7g chemically available lysine (Lys), 169g ether extract, 127g acid detergent fibre, 195g neutral detergent fibre/kg and 11μmol/g total glucosinolates. Pigs were fed five pelleted wheat-based diets for two growth phases: Phase 1, days 0–14; and Phase 2, days 15–35. Diets including 0, 60, 120, 180 and 240g extruded B. juncea expeller/kg were formulated to provide 10.0 and 9.7MJ net energy (NE)/kg and 1.17 and 1.06 standardised ileal digestible (SID) Lys/MJ NE for Phase 1 and 2 diets, respectively. The extruded B. juncea expeller substituted soybean meal. Diets were balanced for NE by decreasing canola oil inclusion from 55 to 29 and 26 to 0g/kg for Phase 1 and 2, respectively; and for amino acids by increasing crystalline amino acids. Increasing dietary inclusion of extruded B. juncea expeller linearly reduced (P<0.001) apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter, gross energy and crude protein and decreased diet digestible energy values in both phases. For days 0–35, increasing inclusion of extruded B. juncea expeller did not affect feed efficiency, but quadratically increased average daily feed intake (ADFI; P<0.001) and average daily gain (ADG, P<0.01), which corresponded with a quadratic increase (P<0.01) in intake of NE and SID Lys. On day 35, pigs fed 60, 120, 180 and 240g extruded B. juncea expeller/kg were 1.1, 1.5, 1.5 and 1.1kg heavier (P<0.05), respectively, than control pigs. Feed energy values may explain the achieved performance. For diet formulation, we used 22.46MJ NE/kg for canola oil (NRC, 1998) instead of the more recent 31.63MJ NE/kg (NRC, 2012). Using the revised NE value, calculated diet NE values (as fed) decreased from 10.55 to 10.30 in Phase 1 and from 9.92 to 9.71MJ NE/kg in Phase 2 diets for pigs fed 0 to 240g extruded B. juncea expeller/kg. In conclusion, reduced diet NE value coincided with increased NE and SID Lys intake that consequently increased ADG. The linear increase of ADFI and ADG may have been curved at 240g extruded B. juncea expeller/kg by increased dietary glucosinolates intake that prevented further increases in ADFI.

The effect of feeding raw and germinated &lt;i&gt;Lupinus luteus&lt;/i&gt; and &lt;i&gt;Lupinus angustifolius&lt;/i&gt; seeds on the growth performance of young pigs

The effect of feeding raw and germinated &lt;i&gt;Lupinus luteus&lt;/i&gt; and &lt;i&gt;Lupinus angustifolius&lt;/i&gt; seeds on the growth performance of young pigs

Diet nutrient digestibility and growth performance of weaned pigs fed solvent-extracted Brassica juncea canola meal

The effects of substituting soybean meal (SBM) with increasing levels of solvent-extracted canola meal (CM) derived from modern Brassica juncea were evaluated on diet nutrient digestibility and growth performance of young pigs. In total, 240 weaned pigs with an initial body weight of 7.7kg, starting 1 week after weaning at 19 days of age were involved. Pigs were fed Phase 1 test diets for 2 weeks (days 0–14) and sequentially Phase 2 test diets for 3 weeks (days 15–35). Five pelleted wheat-based diets containing 0, 60, 120, 180 or 240g juncea CM/kg were formulated to contain 10.0 and 9.7MJ net energy (NE)/kg and 1.2 and 1.1g standardised ileal digestible (SID) lysine/MJ NE, for the Phase 1 and 2 diets, respectively. Juncea CM was added at the expense of SBM and the diets were balanced for NE by increasing canola oil from 56 to 80 and 26 to 50g/kg for Phase 1 and 2 diets, respectively, and for amino acids by increasing crystalline amino acids. Increasing inclusion of juncea CM linearly reduced (P<0.001) the apparent total tract digestibility of gross energy, dry matter, and crude protein for both feeding phases. Increasing inclusion of juncea CM also decreased diet digestible energy values in Phase 1 (P<0.001) and Phase 2 (P<0.05). For the entire trial (days 0–35), increasing inclusion of juncea CM linearly reduced (P<0.01) body weight gain, feed intake and feed efficiency (gain:feed). At the end of the experiment, pigs fed 60, 120, 180 and 240g juncea CM/kg were 0.9, 1.1, 1.3 and 1.9kg lighter than pigs not fed juncea CM. In conclusion, substitution of SBM with increasing inclusion of juncea CM in nursery diets formulated to equal NE and SID amino acid content linearly reduced diet nutrient digestibility and growth performance of weaned pigs in a dose–response manner. These reductions were likely due to a sensitivity of young pigs to the glucosinolate gluconapin that is the most abundant in juncea CM or high dietary crude fat content due to oil addition.

Effects of Bee Venom Treatment on Growth Performance of Young Pigs

This study examined the effect of whole bee venom (BV) as a potential stimulant of the piglet immune system, on growth performance, blood parameters, plasma protein and immune globulin content of serum. Piglets (n = 97) received combinations of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 mg/kg of parenterally administered BV on 4 occasions between birth and Day 30. In the apipuncture group (n = 31), piglets were acupunctured with the worker honeybee. Two acupoints, GV-1 (Jiao-chao) and GV-20 (Bai-hui), were selected for apipuncture. All piglets (n = 128) in the treatment groups were treated 4 times throughout the study period of 60 days. The control piglets received no treatments. Blood was taken via jugular venipuncture on Day 30 after birth. Body weight and survivability were measured, and changes in hematological values were analyzed. Both the BV injection group and apipuncture group increased body weight and survivability by 26.6% and 21.8%, and 7.9% and 6.7% respectively compared to the controls. The numbers of leukocytes, erythrocytes, lymphocytes and monocytes were not influenced by treatments. However, a potential clinical benefit of high dose therapy was seen in increased populations of leukocytes, lymphocytes and monocytes compared with either the apipuncture or control groups. Other blood parameters such as total protein and albumin were not affected by treatment. However, IgG levels were generally higher in treated groups than in the controls. These findings indicate that BV might be useful to stimulate immuno-competence in pig production, possibly via the primary bioactive components of melittin, phospholipase A(2) and apamin. The administration of BV, either via injection or acupuncture, did not make any differences in growth performance of young pigs. These results would be useful for further purification and characterization of immune boosting agents from BV.

Dietary l-arginine supplementation alleviates immunosuppression induced by cyclophosphamide in weaned pigs

A study was conducted to investigate the effects of L-arginine (Arg) on performance and immune function in cyclophosphamide (CY) immunosuppressed weaned pigs. The weaned pigs were allotted randomly into one of three treatments, including: (1) non-challenged control; (2) CY-challenged group; and (3) CY + 0.5% Arg. On days 14 and 21 of the trial, pigs were injected with CY or sterile saline. Blood samples were obtained on days 21 and 28 of the trial for further analysis. On day 28, delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction was evaluated. Arg alleviated the decrease of average daily gain (P < 0.05) induced by CY challenge from days 21 to 28. Arg mitigated the CY-induced decrease of total white blood cell numbers (P < 0.05) on day 28 and improved the lymphocyte percentage on day 21 (P < 0.05). Arg increased the delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction (P < 0.05), and attenuated the decrease of bovine serum albumin antibody level caused by CY treatment (P < 0.05) on day 28. In addition, Arg elevated the levels of serum interleukin-2 and interferon-gamma (P < 0.05) on day 28, and mitigated the decrease of serum interferon-gamma level on day 21 (P < 0.05). These results indicate that Arg supplementation has beneficial effects in attenuating the immunosuppressive effects of CY challenge, therefore improving growth performance of young pigs.

Effect of different levels of faba bean in diets on growth performance of young pigs

Effect of different levels of faba bean in diets on growth performance of young pigs

Effect of dietary energy concentration and apparent ileal digestible lysine:metabolizable energy ratio on nitrogen balance and growth performance of young pigs.

Two experiments were conducted to determine the optimal apparent ileal digestible lysine:ME (Lys:ME) ratio and the effects of lysine and ME levels on N balance (Exp. 1) and growth performance (Exp. 2) in growing pigs. Diets were designed to contain Lys:ME ratios of 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, and 0.9 g/MJ at 13.5 and 14.5 MJ of ME/kg of diet in a 4 x 2 factorial arrangement. In Exp. 1, conventional N balances were determined on 48 crossbred barrows (synthetic line 990, initial BW = 13.1 +/- 0.7 kg) at approximately 15, 20, and 25 kg of BW with six pigs per diet. At 15 kg of BW, an energy density x Lys:ME ratio interaction on daily N retention was observed (P < 0.05). At each BW, N retention improved with an increase in N intake associated with increasing ME concentration. In 15-kg BW pigs, increasing the Lys:ME ratio increased daily N retention at the 13.5 (linear, P < 0.001) and 14.5 MJ of ME level (linear, P < 0.01; quadratic, P < 0.05). In 20-kg BW pigs, N retention (g/d) increased (linear, P < 0.001; quadratic, P < 0.01) and N retention (percentage) increased (linear, P < 0.001) as the Lys:ME ratio increased. At 25 kg of BW, N retention (g/d) increased quadratically (P < 0.05) with an increase in Lys:ME ratio. The Lys:ME ratios that maximized daily N retention at 15 kg of BW were 0.88 and 0.85 g/MJ at the 13.5 and 14.5 MJ of ME levels, respectively and 0.81 and 0.77 g/MJ (for both ME levels) at 20 and 25 kg of BW, respectively. Over the 28-d trial, an energy density x Lys:ME ratio interaction on ADG was observed (P < 0.05). Increasing energy density increased growth performance, whereas increasing the Lys:ME ratio in high-energy diets increased ADG (linear, P < 0.05; quadratic, P < 0.01) and gain:feed ratio (G/F) quadratically (P < 0.01). Average daily gain and G/F ratio were greatest in pigs fed the 14.5 MJ of ME diet and the Lys:ME ratio of 0.82 g/MJ. In Exp. 2, 128 individually housed crossbred barrows and gilts (initial BW = 12.8 +/- 1.6 kg) were used to determine the effect of diets used in Exp. 1 on growth performance in a 4 x 2 x 2 factorial arrangement. The ME level increased ADG and G/F from d 0 to 14 and from d 0 to 28. Increasing the Lys:ME ratio increased ADG from d 0 to 14, whereas growth performance was maximized in pigs fed Lys:ME ratio of 0.82 g/MJ. These results suggest that pigs from 13 to 20 and from 20 to 30 kg of BW fed diets containing 14.5 MJ of ME/kg had maximum N retention and ADG at 0.85 and 0.77 g of apparent ileal digestible lysine/MJ of ME, respectively.

Housing pigs in large social groups: a review of implications for performance and other economic traits

Housing pigs in large groups is common, but the economic and animal welfare disadvantages have not been adequately addressed. The implications of group size (range 3–120 pigs) for growth performance are quantified using regression analyses of data from 20 earlier studies and almost 22,000 animals. The relationships between group size and immunocompetence, clinical health status, within-group variation in growth rate, carcass characteristics, the occurrences of vices and reproductive performance are reviewed. A significant, negative, approximately linear relationship in average daily gain (ADG) with increases in group size was recorded during the weaner (weaning to 30 kg) and grower (31–68 kg) stages. Weaner stage pigs showed a reduction in food intake that was not present during the grower stage. Consequently the efficiency of growth was compromised during the grower stage. No influence of group size on performance during the finisher stage (≥69 kg) was detected. None of the other traits measured were consistently and significantly influenced by changes in group size. A large group size may compromise the growth performance of young pigs, but the long-term consequences for other economically important traits is likely to be slight.

A comparison in growth performance of young pigs fed six different cultivars of wheat

Wheat is a major source of energy and may account for over 50% of the pig's diet. Although there are differences in the energy and protein content of different cultivars of wheat, these factors have not been correlated with differences in the growth of pigs (Bell and Anderson 1984). The objectives of this trial were to compare the growth performance of young pigs offered diets differing only in the cultivar of wheat used and to establish whether variation in growth could be explained by other chemical or physical properties of the wheat.72 crossbred (Large White x Landrace x Large White) pigs were selected at weaning at a mean age of 24 days and mean weight of 7.86 kg. They were allocated by weight in pairs in a randomized block design to one of six dietary treatments in 6 replicates and over three time periods.

The Effect on the Growth Performance of Young Pigs of Adding Cobalt, Vitamin B12 and Antibiotics to Semipurified Rations

The Effect on the Growth Performance of Young Pigs of Adding Cobalt, Vitamin B12 and Antibiotics to Semipurified Rations