Piglet Production Research Articles

Effects of microencapsulated plant essential oils on growth performance, immunity, and intestinal health of weaned Tibetan piglets.

Plant essential oils (PEOs) have received significant attention in animal production due to their diverse beneficial properties and hold potential to alleviate weaning stress. However, PEOs effectiveness is often compromised by volatility and degradation. Microencapsulation can enhance the stability and control release rate of essential oils. Whether different microencapsulation techniques affect the effectiveness remain unknown. This study aimed to investigate the effects of PEOs coated by different microencapsulation techniques on growth performance, immunity, and intestinal health of weaned Tibetan piglets. A total of 120 Tibetan piglets, aged 30 days, were randomly divided into five groups with four replicates, each containing six piglets. The experimental period lasted for 32 days. The groups were fed different diets: a basal diet without antibiotics (NC), a basal diet supplemented with 10 mg/kg tylosin and 50 mg/kg colistin sulfate (PC), 300 mg/kg solidified PEO particles (SPEO), 300 mg/kg cold spray-coated PEO (CSPEO), or 300 mg/kg hot spray-coated PEO (HSPEO). The results showed that supplementation with SPEO, CSPEO, or HSPEO led to a notable decrease in diarrhea incidence and feed to gain ratio, as well as duodenum lipopolysaccharide content, while simultaneously increase in average daily gain, interleukin-10 (IL-10) levels and the abundance of ileum Bifidobacterium compared with the NC group (p < 0.05). Supplementation with SPEO, CSPEO, or HSPEO significantly elevated serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels and concurrently reduced serum lipopolysaccharide and interferon γ levels compared with the NC and PC groups (p < 0.05). Serum insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels in the SPEO and HSPEO groups significantly increased compared with the NC group (p < 0.05). Additionally, CSPEO and HSPEO significantly reduced jejunum pH value (p < 0.05) compared with the NC and PC groups (p<0.05). Additionally, Supplementation with HSPEO significantly elevated levels of serum immunoglobulin M (IgM) and interleukin-4 (IL-4), abundance of ileum Lactobacillus, along with decreased serum interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) levels compared with both the NC and PC groups. Our findings suggest that different microencapsulation techniques affect the effectiveness. Dietary supplemented with PEOs, especially HSPEO, increased growth performance, improved immune function, and optimized gut microbiota composition of weaned piglets, making it a promising feed additive in piglet production.

Supplementing Monosodium Glutamate in Sow Diets Enhances Reproductive Performance in Lactating Sows and Improves the Growth of Suckling Piglets.

In most current farm operations, lactating sows need to overcome reproductive and environmental stresses that have resulted in poor sow production performance and piglet growth. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of in-feed supplementation of monosodium glutamate (MSG) in sows during late gestation lactation in regard to litter performance. The study subjects were 12 multi-parity sows (Landrace × Large White), farrowing sows with an average parity of four (three with three parities, seven with four parities, and two with five parities). They were randomly divided into the following two diet groups: the basal diet as a control (CON) group based on corn and soybean meal; and the basal diet + 2% MSG group. The experimental time ranged from 109 days before delivery to 21 days after delivery. There were six sows in each group, and each sow served as the experimental unit. There were no significant differences (p > 0.05) in body weight (BW), back fat (BF) thickness and estrus interval between sows supplemented with 2% MSG in their diets before and after farrowing and during weaning (p > 0.05). However, MSG-treated sows tended to increase BW loss at farrowing more than the CON group (p = 0.093) but lost less weight during lactation than the CON group (p = 0.019). There were no significant differences in the body condition scores (BCSs) and BF loss of the two groups of sows before and after farrowing and at weaning (p > 0.05). There was no significant difference in the weight of newborn piglets between the two groups of sows (p > 0.05). The weaning weight (p = 0.020) and average daily gain (ADG) (p = 0.045) of suckling piglets were higher in the MSG treated group compared to the CON group. The daily milk production of sows in the MSG treatment group was higher compared to the CON group (p = 0.045). The protein concentration of milk at week 3 (p = 0.060) and fat concentration of milk at week 5 (p = 0.095) of the MSG-supplemented sows tended to increase more than the CON group. In summary, the dietary inclusion of MSG supplementation had a beneficial effect on the late gestating sows and their piglet's growth and milk production. Our research has shown that the addition of 2% MSG in late gestation and lactation diet would be beneficial for both sow and piglet production.

Recyclable Rubber Flooring in Farrowing Crates and Its Influence on the Development and Welfare of Piglets in the Maternity Phase

To boost productivity in pig production, it is essential to improve the litter size per sow. However, achieving this goal requires reducing newborn mortality rates and increasing their weight gain. In this regard, prioritizing animal welfare and adopting practices that promote sustainability in the activity is crucial. The study aimed to evaluate the sustainable flooring coverage of farrowing crates, considering piglet adaptation, thermal comfort, animal development, and increased productivity. Three types of flooring treatments were defined: T1—wood shavings; T2—solid rubber mat; T3—perforated rubber mat, for 12 litters (±50 animals/treatment). Behavior, physiology, piglet production indices, and facility microclimate were assessed. The facility’s microclimate indicated the possibility of cold stress. There was a greater preference for the mat treatments among the animals, as they remained on them for longer periods and showed increased activity in the farrowing crates. The presence of mats resulted in lower mortality due to crushing, positively contributing to production. These findings suggest the potential of using recyclable rubber mats in pig production and encourage the exploration of new designs and installation locations.

Scenario-Based Comparison of Sustainable Heating and Cooling Systems for Piglet Production Systems

Scenario-Based Comparison of Sustainable Heating and Cooling Systems for Piglet Production Systems

Assessing reproductive performance and predictive models for litter size in Landrace sows under tropical conditions.

Litter size and piglet loss at birth significantly impact piglet production and are closely associated with sow parity. Understanding how these traits vary across different parities is crucial for effective herd management. This study investigates the patterns of the number of born alive piglets (NBA), number of piglet losses (NPL), and the proportion of piglet losses (PPL) at birth in Landrace sows under tropical conditions. Additionally, it aims to identify the most suitable model for describing these patterns. A dataset comprising 2,322 consecutive reproductive records from 258 Landrace sows, spanning parities from 1 to 9, was analyzed. Modeling approaches including 2nd and 3rd degree polynomial models, the Wood gamma function, and a longitudinal model were applied at the individual level to predict NBA, NPL, and PPL. The choice of the best-fitting model was determined based on the lowest mean and standard deviation of the difference between predicted and actual values, Akaike information criterion (AIC), and Bayesian information criterion (BIC). Sow parity significantly influenced NBA, NPL, and PPL (p<0.0001). NBA increased until the 4th parity and then declined. In contrast, NPL and PPL decreased until the 2nd parity and then steadily increased until the 8th parity. The 2nd and 3rd degree polynomials, and longitudinal models showed no significant differences in predicting NBA, NPL, and PPL (p>0.05). The 3rd degree polynomial model had the lowest prediction standard deviation and yielded the smallest AIC and BIC. The 3rd degree polynomial model offers the most suitable description of NBA, NPL, and PPL patterns. It holds promise for applications in genetic evaluations to enhance litter size and reduce piglet loss at birth in sows. These findings highlight the importance of accounting for sow parity effects in swine breeding programs, particularly in tropical conditions, to optimize piglet production and sow performance.

Probiotic Roles of Clostridium butyricum in Piglets: Considering Aspects of Intestinal Barrier Function.

China, as the global leader in pork production and consumption, is faced with challenges in ensuring sustainable and wholesome growth of the pig industry while also guaranteeing meat food safety amidst the ban on antibiotics usage in animal feed. The focus of the pig industry lies in guaranteeing piglet health and enhancing overall production performance through nutrition regulation. Clostridium butyricum (C. butyricum), a new type of probiotic, possesses characteristics such as heat resistance, acid resistance, and bile-salt tolerance, meaning it has potential as a feed additive. Previous studies have demonstrated that C. butyricum has a probiotic effect on piglets and can serve as a substitute for antibiotics. The objective of this study was to review the probiotic role of C. butyricum in the production of piglets, specifically focusing on intestinal barrier function. Through this review, we explored the probiotic effects of C. butyricum on piglets from the perspective of intestinal health. That is, C. butyricum promotes intestinal health by regulating the functions of the mechanical barrier, chemical barrier, immune barrier, and microbial barrier of piglets, thereby improving the growth of piglets. This review can provide a reference for the rational utilization and application of C. butyricum in swine production.

Impacts of Farrowing Pen Design, Season, and Sow Parity on Litter Performance and Piglet Mortality.

Piglet mortality during lactation is a significant concern in swine production, influenced by complex interactions involving sow, piglet, environmental, and management factors. While crushing by the sow may be the ultimate cause of piglet mortality, there are many factors influencing the outcome, including parity, thermal stress, and animal housing systems. New farrowing systems are continuously being developed; however, it is difficult for producers to make decisions without any scientific basis. This study aimed to assess the impact of different farrowing pen layouts on piglet performance, considering parity and season. A total of 546 sows and 9123 piglets were monitored across 36 lactation cycles. Sows were randomly assigned to three farrowing pen layouts (standard, diagonal, and offset) in three rooms (20 sows by room). All farrowing pens had the same space allocations (2.7 m by 1.8 m and 2.1 m by 0.6 m for the sow area). The three types of farrowing pens were blocked by position within the room. Piglet performance traits (percent of stillborns, percent of mortality, percent of overlays, and average daily weight gain: ADG) and sows traits (health and parity) were monitored following US Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC) procedures. Results indicated that treatment, parity, and season influenced some piglet performance traits. The offset farrowing pen had a lower percent of stillborns compared to the standard. No significant differences were observed between the diagonal crate and the other treatments. When evaluating high mortality sow (>two piglets), the offset and standard treatments had a lower percent of overlays. Piglets from first-parity sows had lower ADG than those from higher-parity sows. A higher percent of overlays were observed in Autumn and Summer compared to Spring and Winter, and Summer had lower average daily weight gain than other seasons. The results suggest that modifying the layout (offset), with sows placed further away from the heating source, can reduce the percent of overlays in sows with high mortality (>2 piglets). In addition, the influence of season on the piglet production traits demonstrated the importance of proper management of the environment, even in systems with a certain level of climatic control.

Effect of vitamin C and iron supplementation in pregnant hyper-prolific sows

Sow nutrition plays a crucial role impact on fetal and neonates’ development, lactation and lifetime production of piglets. In this field study, our aim was to evaluate the impact of two feed supplements, namely vitamin C (VC group) and a combination of vitamin C and ferrous sulfate (VC+Fe group), administered during the last trimester of pregnancy, on sow's blood hemoglobin (Hb) concentration and individual birth weight of piglets. The sows came from hyper-prolific genetic lines (Topigs Norsvin Ninety pregnant sows were randomly divided into three groups: 31, 29 and 30 individuals for the C (control), VC and VC+Fe groups, respectively. We measured individual Hb concentration I (Hb I) on day 76 of pregnancy for all groups, prior to the start of supplementation in the VC and VC+Fe groups. A second measurement (Hb II; antepartum hemoglobin) occurred 2–4 days before the estimated farrowing date for each sow. We recorded the individual birth weight (kg) of 376 piglets in the C group, 403 piglets in the VC group, and 392 piglets in the VC+Fe group. Both the VC and VC+Fe groups showed improvement in Hb II (P = 0.005), improving their hematological status; however, there was no significant advantage of VC+Fe over VC in terms of Hb II. The effect of group on individual birth weight of piglets varied depending on the parity of the mother (P = 0.001). The supplementation with both VC and VC+Fe demonstrated positive effects on the birth weight of piglets, but only in sows with parity 1 and 2 (P < 0.001). These results suggest that additional iron supplementation did not confer significant benefits beyond what was already provided in the pregnancy feed. Therefore, the inclusion of vitamin C supplementation alone appears to be sufficient.

Bacillus spp. as potential probiotics: promoting piglet growth by improving intestinal health.

The application of Bacillus spp. as probiotics in the swine industry, particularly for piglet production, has garnered significant attention in recent years. This review aimed to summarized the role and mechanisms of Bacillus spp. in promoting growth and maintaining gut health in piglets. Bacillus spp. can enhance intestinal barrier function by promoting the proliferation and repair of intestinal epithelial cells and increasing mucosal barrier integrity, thereby reducing the risk of pathogenic microbial invasion. Additionally, Bacillus spp. can activate the intestinal immune system of piglets, thereby enhancing the body's resistance to diseases. Moreover, Bacillus spp. can optimize the gut microbial community structure, enhance the activity of beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus, and inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria such as Escherichia coli, ultimately promoting piglet growth performance and improving feed efficiency. Bacillus spp. has advantages as well as challenges as an animal probiotic, and safety evaluation should be conducted when using the newly isolated Bacillus spp. This review provides a scientific basis for the application of Bacillus spp. in modern piglet production, highlighting their potential in improving the efficiency of livestock production and animal welfare.

Environmental sustainability of Finnish pork production: life cycle assessment of climate change and water scarcity impacts

PurposeThe degrading impacts of livestock production on the environment are well acknowledged. Although ruminants are much studied due to their large contribution to climate change impact, monogastrics are also known to carry a significant load, and mitigation options need investigation. Here, the climate change impact and water scarcity impact of Finnish pork production was investigated using the life cycle assessment approach.MethodsAs the importance of communicating reliable environmental information has been acknowledged in the EU, methods and guidance for this purpose have been developed. Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules have also been published for several food product categories, although not yet for meat. Here, the life cycle assessment methods were used based on PEFCR guidance and the draft version of red meat PEFCR guidance to achieve a reliable, transparent and comparable assessment.ResultsFinnish pork production resulted in a climate change impact of 3.6 kg CO2 eq. kgCW−1 and a water scarcity impact of 0.69 m3 eq. kgCW−1. The largest contribution to the climate change impact came from feed crop production, with an impact of 43%. Land-use changes were included, and their contribution to the Finnish pork climate change impact was 3%. Similarly, in the water scarcity impact, feed crop production was a major contributor, with 41% from fattening pig feed production. Significant contributions to both categories also came from piglet production, including feed crop production, and to the climate change impact from manure storage.ConclusionsFinnish production was seen to already largely utilise sidestreams and domestic feed ingredients, although, e.g. soybean is still used. Based on the results, in mitigating the environmental impacts of Finnish pork production, attention should especially be paid to the resource-efficient production of domestic feed crops and reduced use of organic soils. As current assessment models are unable to grasp the impacts of regenerative farming techniques, the development of LCA methods is also required. Water scarcity impact was seen to be largely affected by the utilisation of feed crops originating from water-scarce countries. As a mitigation measure, the procurement of these feed crops and ingredients should therefore be directed to water-abundant areas and from production which does not depend on irrigation water or the extensive use of synthetic inputs.

Effects of Vitamin A on Growth Performance, Antioxidants, Gut Inflammation, and Microbes in Weaned Piglets.

Piglet weaning is an important stage in production where changes in the environment and diet can cause problems such as intestinal inflammation and diarrhea. Vitamin A is an essential nutrient for human and animal growth and has immunomodulatory and inflammatory effects. A large body of literature has previously reported on the use of vitamin A in piglet production, so our experiment added different concentrations of vitamin A (0, 1100, 2200, 4400, 8800, and 17,600 IU/kg) to weaned piglet diets to study the effects of different doses on growth performance, intestinal barrier, inflammation, and flora in weaned piglets. We selected 4400 IU/kg as the optimum concentration of vitamin A in relation to average daily weight gain, feed intake, feed-to-weight ratio, and diarrhea rate, and subsequently tested the inflammatory factors, immunoglobulin content, antioxidant levels, and intestinal flora of weaned piglets. Results: We observed that the diarrhea rate of weaned piglets was significantly lower after the addition of 4400 IU/kg of vitamin A to the diet (p < 0.05). A control group and a 4400 IU/kg VA group were selected for subsequent experiments. We found that after the addition of vitamin A, the serum CAT level of weaned piglets increased significantly, the expression of Claudin-1 in the jejunum and ileum increased significantly, the expression of Occludin gene in the jejunum increased significantly, the expression of IL-5 and IL-10 in the ileum increased significantly (p < 0.05), and the expression of IL-4, IL-5, and IL-10 in the ileum increased significantly (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, in the colonic flora of vitamin A-added weaned piglets, the relative abundance of Actinobacteria and Erysipelotrichales decreased significantly, while the relative abundance of Bacteroidales increased significantly (p < 0.05). The results of this study indicated that vitamin A at 4400 IU/kg reduces diarrhea in weaned piglets by increasing antioxidant levels, increasing intestinal tight junction protein gene expression, and regulating colonic gut microbiota.

Multi-Criteria Evaluation Model of Management for Weaned Piglets and Its Relations with Farm Performance and Veterinary Medicine Consumption.

Weaned piglets, being immature, demand careful handling to mitigate post-weaning stress in order to avoid immunosuppression and the use of antimicrobials to palliate the effects of disease outbreaks due to poor management. The objective of this work is to design a quick scan calculator or multi-criteria evaluation model of management for weaned piglets, founded on 10 critical indices covering post-weaning management aspects based on hygienic measures and management of facilities and animals. These include pre-weaning handling, batch management, biosecurity, water management, feed management, health program, stockmen training, temperature, ventilation, and floor conditions and density to relate handling and hygiene practices with farm performance and the consumption of veterinary medication. Each index carries a maximum score of ten, with evaluations derived from different management factors that make up each index (from three to eight factors were evaluated per index). Their cumulative score reflects the degree of adequacy of on-farm management. Therefore, a perfectly managed farm would achieve 100 points. The calculator underwent testing on 23 intensive farms with a total population of close to 16,000 sows and more than 400,000 weaned piglets, revealing the highest mean scores in floor conditions and density (8.03 out of 10) and pre-weaning handling and health programs (6.87 and 6.28, respectively). Conversely, the lowest scores corresponded to temperature, ventilation, water management, and stockmen training (4.08, 4.32, 4.81, and 4.93, respectively). The assessed farms averaged a global score of 56.12 out of 100 (from 37.65 to 76.76). The calculator's global score correlated with key post-weaning productivity and piglet health indicators, such as the feed conversion ratio, mortality rate, and piglet production cost, with r values of -0.442, -0.437, and -0.435, respectively (p < 0.05). Additionally, it negatively correlated with medication costs per piglet (r = -0.414; p < 0.05) and positively with annual farm productivity (r = 0.592; p < 0.01). To enhance management, hygiene, and prevention, farms should prioritize addressing indices with the lowest scores, thereby reducing medication consumption and enhancing productivity and health outcomes. Additionally, this quick scan calculator can be used for benchmarking purposes.

Optimum Fermentation Conditions for Bovine Lactoferricin-Lactoferrampin-Encoding LimosiLactobacillus reuteri and Regulation of Intestinal Inflammation.

The multifunctional antibacterial peptide lactoferricin-lactoferrampin (LFCA) is derived from bovine lactoferrin. Optimization of the fermentation process should be studied since different microorganisms have their own favorable conditions and processes for growth and the production of metabolites. In this study, the culture conditions of a recombinant strain, pPG-LFCA-E/LR-CO21 (LR-LFCA), expressing LFCA was optimized, utilizing the high-density fermentation process to augment the biomass of LimosiLactobacillus reuteri and the expression of LFCA. Furthermore, an assessment of the protective effect of LR-LFCA on intestinal inflammation induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was conducted to evaluate the impact of LR-LFCA on the disease resistance of piglets. The findings of this study indicate that LR-LFCA fermentation conditions optimally include 2% inoculation volume, 36.5 °C fermentation temperature, 9% dissolved oxygen concentration, 200 revolutions/minute stirring speed, pH 6, 10 mL/h glucose flow, and 50% glucose concentration. The inclusion of fermented LR-LFCA in the diet resulted in an elevation of immunoglobulin levels, significant upregulation of tight junction proteins ZO-1 and occludin, reinforcement of the intestinal barrier function, and significant amelioration of the aberrant alterations in blood physiological parameters induced by LPS. These results offer a theoretical framework for the implementation of this micro-ecological preparation in the field of piglet production to enhance intestinal well-being.

Lactobacillus sp. participated inthe adaptation ofRongchang piglets tocold stress.

Rongchang piglets were easily induced tocold stress and diarrhoea inthe winter when raised inan open hog house. However, they also gradually recovered under mid-cold stress. Other studies have suggested gut microbiome might beinvolved inthe host energy metabolism torelieve stress. Tostudy how toadapt Rongchang piglets tocold stress bygut microbiome, thirty Rongchang piglets were randomly divided into amild cold stress group and acontrol group for 30consecutive days. The findings revealed that the piglets had low growth performance and ahigh diarrhoea rate and mortality rate during the first half ofthe cold treatment, but subsequently stabilised. The level ofcortisol (COR) also displayed asimilar trend. Inthe mild cold stress group, the relative abundance ofMuribaculaceae significantly increased onday15, and the predominant bacterial onday30 was Lactobacillus sp. Our results indicated that the Rongchang piglet's production performance and health were impaired atthe start ofthe mild cold stress. However, astime passed, the body could progressively adapt tothe low temperature, and Lactobacillus sp. participated inthis process. This study provides new insight into how toalleviate health damage caused bycold stress.

Antimicrobial resistance- and pathogen patterns in the fecal microbiota of sows and their offspring in German commercial pig farms.

Reducing antibiotic use is one of the biggest challenges in pig farming, as antibiotics have been used for years to control typical problems such as newborn or post-weaning diarrhea. The pressure a one health approach has created on animal production regarding antimicrobial resistance is an opportunity to find other strategies against enterobacterial pathogens in suckling and weaned piglets. A farm-specific approach could have a good success due to the individual farm structures in Germany and other countries. In this study, non-metric multidimensional scaling, hierarchical clustering, and latent class analysis were used to determine the impact of antibiotic use on antibiotic resistance patterns and pathogen prevalence in 20 German pig farms. This may help to develop individualized health strategies. 802 fresh fecal samples were collected from sows and piglets from 20 piglet production and rearing farms at different production times (sows antepartum and postpartum, suckling piglets, weaned piglets). In addition, the use of antibiotics was recorded. DNA extracts were subjected to quantitative real-time qPCR with primers specific for antibiotic resistance genes (int1, sul1-3, dfrA1, mcr-1, blaCTX-M), and virulence factors of relevant bacteria (C. difficile, C. perfringens, Salmonella, Escherichia/Shigella/Hafnia, E. coli). Linear and logistic regression models were used to analyze the relationship between different antibiotics and the major genes contributing to the clustering of observations for the different animal groups. Clustering revealed different farm clusters for sows, suckling piglets, and weaned piglets, with the most remarkable diversity in antibiotic use among weaned piglets. Amoxicillin, lincomycin, and enrofloxacin were identified as the most probable cause of increased odds of the presence of relevant antibiotic resistance genes (mcr1, dfrA1, blaCTX-M). Still, direct effects of a specific antibiotic on its associated resistance gene were rare. Enrofloxacin and florfenicol favored the occurrence of C. difficile in sows. The E. coli fimbriae genes were less affected by antibiotic use in sows and piglets, but the F4 fimbriae gene could be associated with the integrase 1 gene in piglets. The results confirm that multidrug-resistant enterobacteria are widespread in German pig farms and give awareness of the impact of current antibiotic use while searching for alternative health strategies.

Effects of zinc oxide and condensed tannins on the growth performance and intestinal health of weaned piglets in ETEC-challenged environment.

This experiment was conducted to evaluate effects of zine oxide (ZnO) and condensed tannins (CT), independently or in combination, on the growth performance and intestinal health of weaned piglets in enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC-K88)-challenged environment. Randomly divided 72 weaned piglets into 4 groups. Dietary treatments included the following: basic diet group (CON), 1,500 mg/kg zinc oxide group (ZnO), 1,000 mg/kg condensed tannins group (CT), and 1,500 mg/kg zinc oxide +1,000 mg/kg condensed tannins group (ZnO + CT). Dietary ZnO supplementation decreased diarrhea rate from 0 to 14 days, 15 to 28 days, and 0 to 28 days (p < 0.05) and no significant on growth performance. The effect of CT on reducing diarrhea rate and diarrhea index was similar to the results of ZnO. Compared with the CON group, ZnO increased the ileum villus height and improved intestinal barrier function by increasing the content of mucin 2 (MUC-2) in jejunum and ileum mucosa and the mRNA expression of zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) in jejunum (p < 0.05) and the expression of Occludin in duodenum and ileum (p < 0.05). The effects of CT on intestinal barrier function genes were similar to that of ZnO. Moreover, the mRNA expression of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) in jejunum and ileum was reduced in ZnO group (p < 0.05). And CT was also capable of alleviating diarrhea by decreasing CFTR expression and promote water reabsorption by increasing AQP3 expression (p < 0.05). In addition, pigs receiving ZnO diet had higher abundance of phylum Bacteroidetes, and genera Prevotella, and lower phylum Firmicutes and genera Lactobacillus in colonic contents. These results indicated that ZnO and CT can alleviate diarrhea and improve intestinal barrier function of weaned pigs in ETEC-challenged environment. In addition, the application of ZnO combined with CT did not show synergistic effects on piglet intestinal health and overall performance. This study provides a theoretical basis for the application of ZnO in weaning piglet production practices, we also explored effects of CT on the growth performance and intestinal health of weaned piglets in ETEC-challenged environment.

Effect of fattening and slaughter value of Puawska gilts on their lifetime piglet production

The aim of this study was to determine the influence of performance test traits of young gilts on the number of piglets born and reared during their reproductive life. The material for the study consisted of the entire population of Puawska sows, kept in breeding herds and included in the genetic resources conservation programme in the years 20012019. Dataset was created for 2,722 Puawska gilts with complete information from fattening and slaughter evaluation and reproductive performance results. In order to determine the influence of selected factors on sow production performance, 4 groups of factors were created (for parity, body weight, daily gain and meatiness). It was found that young gilts evaluated at a body weight of up to 55.9 kg and with daily gains of up to 519 g/day were statistically significantly characterised by the worst production parameters in both the first and subsequent parities. In the case of meatiness, its excessive content in the carcass of females (60%, class S) contributed to the reduction in the number of piglets born and reared mainly in the first parities. In the second and third parities, a high value of meatiness contributed to a reduction in the number of piglets reared.

Assessment of flax and hemp fibres in terms of their impact on the growth performance and health status of weaned piglets

Weaning is a critical phase in intensive piglet production marked by the frequent occurrence of digestive disorders posing health and economic burden. To stave off such weaning-related problems, antibiotics and supplements containing high levels of ZnO are often used. In this study, we investigated whether natural fibres obtained from two plants known for their dietary fibre profile and antioxidant properties: flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) and hemp (Cannabis sativa L.), can serve as a health-promoting diet supplement. The study was conducted on a total of 191 Polish Large White piglets from 18 L, from their birth to 56 days of age. Piglets were divided by litters into six groups: W1.5, F1.5, H1.5, W2.0, F2.0, and H2.0. Groups W1.5, F1.5, and H1.5 received feed supplemented with 1.5% fibre from wood cellulose (W), flax (F), and hemp (H), respectively, while groups W2.0, F2.0, and H2.0 received feed with a higher 2.0% content of the same fibres. Flax and hemp fibres were characterised by a complex composition, antioxidant properties due to the presence of phenolic acids, and low risk of mycotoxin contamination. Flax fibre resulted in best weight gains and feed conversion ratio (P ≤ 0.05) of piglets, while hemp fibre had higher positive effect on antioxidant status (P ≤ 0.05) compared to the other two fibre additives. Neither flax nor hemp fibres had any adverse effect on the haematological and biochemical blood parameters. Piglets receiving a diet with 1.5% added fibre showed better growth performance, while diet supplementation with 2% fibre had a beneficial effect on the content of butyric acid in the small intestinal chyme (P ≤ 0.05). The results suggested that both flax and hemp fibres can be innovative feed additives for weaned piglets. However, further studies should be conducted in commercial farms, as the effects of dietary fibre could vary in more challenging environmental conditions.

Comparative study of the effects of high- versus low-dose zinc oxide in the diet with or without probiotic supplementation on weaning pigs' growth performance, nutrient utilization, fecal microbes, noxious gas discharges, and fecal score

This study was conducted to determine the effects of high- versus low-dose (3000 vs. 300) zinc oxide (ZnO) in combination with or without a probiotic complex (0.1%) on weaned piglet production efficiency, nutrient absorption, fecal bacterial counts, noxious gas emissions, and fecal score. A 42-day experiment included 180 crossbred weaned piglets [Duroc × (Yorkshire × Landrace); 28 days old; 6.61 ± 1.29 kg] and four dietary treatments. An HZ (high ZnO) diet increased body weight at week 6, average daily gain at week 3, week 6, and overall period, and gain-to-feed ratio (G:F) at week 3 compared with an LZ (low ZnO) diet. G:F tended to increase with the LZP (LZ with probiotic) diet compared with the HZP (HZ with probiotic) diet at week 1. Escherichia coli count decreased by HZ diet compared with the LZ diet. In addition, E. coli count decreased and Lactobacillus count increased with the HZP diet compared with the LZP diet. There was no effect of treatment on nutrient digestibility, noxious gas emission, and fecal score. No interactive effect was seen between ZnO and probiotic. Therefore, high-dose ZnO inclusion improved growth performance and probiotic addition improved fecal microbiota, but no synergistic effect was found from ZnO and probiotic complex interaction.

Cytoplasmic Microinjection of &lt;i&gt;piggyBac&lt;/i&gt; Transposase mRNA and Transposon Vectors for Efficient &lt;i&gt;In Vitro&lt;/i&gt; Production of Transgenic Porcine Parthenotes

The efficient production of transgenic (Tg) piglets has remained a challenge in the field of domestic animal studies. Unlike mice, the pronuclei of pig zygotes cannot be easily studied because of the abundance of lipid droplets. Therefore, the zygotes must be briefly centrifuged before pronuclear injection (PNI) to move the lipid droplets to the periphery of the zygote for PNI-mediated production of Tg piglets. However, this procedure is temporal because lipid droplets return to the original space during PNI, hampering the consecutive PNI. Cytoplasmic injection (CPI) of nucleic acids is comparatively simple than PNI because CPI does not require such pre-centrifugation. Unfortunately, CPI using purified DNA fragments is inadequate for creating Tg piglets because it is challenging to integrate nucleic acids into the host genome. &lt;em&gt;PiggyBac&lt;/em&gt; (PB), one of the transposons, is a valuable tool enabling efficient chromosomal integration of a transgene. The PB-mediated gene transfer requires two components, namely, transposase and transposons harboring the gene of interest (GOI) flanked by PB acceptor sites. We speculate that the CPI of transposase mRNA and transposons could accelerate the chromosomal integration of the GOI in pig zygotes. To prove this hypothesis, we performed CPI using transposase mRNA (super PB transposase mRNA) + transposon DNA carrying the enhanced green fluorescent protein (&lt;em&gt;EGFP&lt;/em&gt;) cDNA (referred to as “pT-EGFP”), transposase expression plasmid DNA (referred to as “pTrans”) + pT-EGFP, pT-EGFP alone, or non-transposon EGFP expression plasmid DNA using porcine parthenotes. Consequently, 50% (2/4 tested) of green-fluorescent embryos exhibited chromosomal integration of GOI. In contrast, green-fluorescent embryos derived from CPI with pTrans + pT-EGFP or pT-EGFP alone did not show chromosomal integration. We used mRNA for super PB transposase, which is an engineered hyperactive version of the wild-type PB transposase. To conclude, the PB system, based on the CPI of super PB transposase mRNA + transposon DNA, could be useful for producing Tg porcine parthenotes.