Weaner Pigs Research Articles

PSVI-2 Dietary supplementation of Bacillus licheniformis derived-protease increased the digestibility of dry matter and crude protein in post-weaned and growing pigs

Abstract This study aimed to evaluate the effects of supplemental Bacillus licheniformis derived-protease in diets on growth performance, apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD), and fecal microbial shedding in post-weaned growing pigs. In total, 90 crossbred (Landrace × Yorkshire × Duroc) weaner pigs with an initial average BW of 6.61 ± 1.73 kg were randomly allotted into 2 treatments with 9 replicate pens of 5 pigs for a 4-phase feeding trial (0 to 1, 1 to 3, 3 to 6, and 6 to 11 weeks). The treatments were: CON, corn-soybean meal based basal diet; PROT, basal diet + 0.05% protease. The basal diet contained 16.32, 15.91, 15.49, and 14.91 MJ/kg digestibility energy respectively and 1.50, 1.40, 1.30, and 1.00% lysine respectively for phase 1, 2, 3, and 4. All data were statistically analyzed by Student’s t-test of SAS 9.4 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA). Variability in the data was expressed as mean ± standard deviation, differences with P < 0.05 were considered to be statistically significant. During phase 3, average daily gain, and gain: feed ratio was increased (P < 0.05) in pigs fed PROT diet compared with those fed CON diet. Pigs fed PROT diet had higher (P < 0.05) ATTD of dry matter and crude protein than pigs fed CON diet. No differences were observed in fecal microflora counts between CON and PROT groups. Dietary supplementation of Bacillus licheniformis derived-protease increased growth performance at phase 3 and increased the digestibility) of dry matter and crude protein (insert mean values for both Con vs Treat) in growing pigs.

PSIII-2 Considering a large creep pellet as a means to improve suckling and early weaned pig performance

Abstract This study evaluated the benefit of creep feeding with large pellets (10mm diameter, Masterfeeds, London, ON, Canada) on pre- and post-weaning pig performance. Litters from two farrowing groups were assigned to one of 2 treatments: Control (no creep n= 25 litters) and Creep (large creep pellets n = 24) during the suckling phase. Pellets were provided beginning 7 d after the first sow farrowed within a group until weaning at 21 d. Pellets were placed in shallow plastic feeders three times/day (100-150 g at a time as needed) to ensure access to fresh feed. Creep pellets contained 2500 ppm zinc and ferric oxide-dyed biscuit crumbles were added at 5% inclusion in Phase 1 nursery diet. Therefore, fecal zinc concentration at 2 to 3d prior to weaning and red fecal coloration 2 to 4d after weaning were used to identify “eaters” from “non-eaters”. Pigs were weaned at 21 ± 2 d into pens based on suckling treatment. Data were analyzed as a randomized complete block with the sows as a random effect (PROC MIXED, SAS Inst., Inc., Cary, NC). Post-weaning fecal swabs data were analyzed by frequency test using the PROC FREQ procedure in SAS. There was no difference in pig weight prior to creep pellets. At weaning, Control pigs were heavier due to greater daily gain (P < 0.01; Table 1) than Creep pigs. However, there was no difference in d34 BW due to greater (P < 0.05) daily gain of Creep pigs in the post-weaning period. A greater proportion of Creep pigs were identified as “eaters” on d2 post-weaning (43 vs 33%, □ 2 = 0.004; Figure 1). Lighter weight at weaning in Creep pigs may be due to temporary distraction from suckling; however, exposure to large creep feed pellets pre-weaning improved pig feed intake and growth post-weaning.

273 Impact of either high energy or high SID Lys:ME on Parity 1 performance in lactation

Abstract Primiparous sows may have difficulty consuming sufficient feed during lactation to account for energy lost in milk production, development, and body maintenance. Addition of higher energy and/or higher standardized ileal digestible (SID) Lys may improve gilt and litter performance. One hundred seventy-two primiparous DNA F1 females were randomly allotted within breeding/farrowing group, previous treatment, and entry weight at farrowing to one of four dietary treatments. Treatments were arranged in a 2 x 2 factorial with energy (3186 and 3332 kcal/kg ME) and SID lysine (1.15 and 1.30%). Sows were weighed upon entry and exit of the farrowing room. Feed disappearance was calculated as the total amount of feed provided to the sow during lactation. A post-farrow weight model was utilized to assess true weight loss in lactation. Litters were standardized within 24 h of birth, and individual pig birth and weaning weights were recorded. The wean to estrus interval was also measured. Data were analyzed as a randomized complete block design with the fixed effect of treatment and the random effect of replicate. Addition of high energy and/or high lysine did not impact (P > 0.10) piglet wean weight or sow average daily feed intake. High energy diets reduced (P < 0.05) sow weight loss post-farrow by 15.5% from 8.75 to 7.39 kg. High SID lysine diets reduced (P < 0.05) number of sows not expressing estrus by day 9 post-wean from 13.0 to 7.7% of sows eligible for insemination. The high SID lysine diets targeted 70 g/d and led to an increase (P < 0.05) of 10.3% of sows displaying estrus on day 4 and 5. These data show that higher levels of SID lysine to target 70 g/d in lactation can improve wean to estrus interval, and potentially decrease non-productive sow days.

РОЗРОБКА ВИРОБНИЧОЇ ПРОГРАМИ ТА ОБ’ЄМНО-ПЛАНУВАЛЬНИХ РІШЕНЬ ПРИМІЩЕНЬ ДЛЯ ДВОФАЗНОЇ ТЕХНОЛОГІЇ ВИРОЩУВАННЯ МОЛОДНЯКУ СВИНЕЙ

У статті показані основні переваги сучасної промислової двофазної технології та умови для оптимального утримання й годівлі свиноматок і поросят. Для її успішного впровадження розроблена виробнича програма та об’ємно-планувальні рішення приміщень для вирощування молодняку на промисловій свинофермі малого типу потужністю виробництва 4000 голів молодняку в рік. Наведено показники виробничої програми виробництва свинини для ферми малого типу. Розраховані основні технологічні параметри потокового виробництва: кількість технологічних груп, тривалість перебування тварин у групі, число днів санітарного розриву. Показано розрахунок головомісць для холостих, умовно-поросних, явно-поросних, підсисних свиноматок, поросят-сисунів, поросят на дорощуванні в маточних станках, ремонтного молодняку на промисловій фермі, за умов реалізації поросят в 65 днів. Наведено об’ємно-планувальні рішення, приміщення № 1 - для утримання кнурів, холостих, умовно-поросних, поросних свиноматок і приміщення, № 2 - для утримання підсисних свиноматок і поросят-сисунів та їх дорощування до 65-денного віку. Крім того, наведено креслення загального вигляду станків для опоросу і вирощування молодняку свиней за сухого ( СП-4ФС) і комбінованого ( СП-4ФК) типу годівлі. В роботі приводиться коротка характеристика обладнання для утримання, годівлі, вентиляції, гноєвидалення та очищення забрудненого повітря. Наведена порівняльна характеристика ефективності проектно-технологічних рішень приміщення для утримання підсисних свиноматок і молодняку свиней. Зокрема, в ній показано кількість станкомісць, оборот станкомісць, кількість дорощеного молодняку, отриманого з одного станкомісця за рік, валовий вихід продукції на одне станкомісце за рік, вихід продукції на 1 м2 виробничої площі за базового та нового варіантів. Розроблені проектно-технологічні і об’ємно-планувальні рішення приміщення для опоросу свиноматок і утримання відлучених поросят до 65-денного віку з новим станковим обладнанням для промислової свиноферми потужністю 4000 голів дають можливість отримати валовий вихід продукції на одне станкомісце 12,95 ц за рік та вихід продукції на 1 м2 виробничої площі 3,07 ц (проти 10,44 ц за рік і 1,39 ц у базовому варіанті, відповідно).

The cell protection of weated pigs for probiotics

The immune system is central to ensuring the consistency of the body's homeostasis. The state of the body's natural resistance is determined by a set of non-specific protective mechanisms. Lymphocytes and phagocytes are actively involved in maintaining immunity. Lymphocytes recognize the antigens of pathogenic microorganisms, and phagocytes absorb and destroy the pathogens themselves. During the weaning of piglets from sows there is a decrease in the protective forces of their body. During this period, the natural resistance of the piglets is reduced due to the stressful situation caused by changing conditions of confinement, the transition to full feed and lack of sows. The immune system of weaning pigs is relatively weak, so when exposed to environmental and technological stressors, they become susceptible to various diseases. The use of probiotic drugs stimulates the activity of the immune system, prevents stress and immunodeficiency. One of these probiotics is the probiotic of domestic production Protecto-active. It w observed the the influence of the probiotic Protecto-active on the indices of nonspecific resistance of the young pigs organism to the growth. An increase in bactericidal activity of blood serum by 12.10% (P <0.05) and lysozyme activity of blood in the piglets of the experimental group was increased by 3.71% compared to control, which indicates the activation of the body's defenses and the increase in adaptive capacity. An important step in the study of the influence of the probiotic Protekto-active on the state of the immune system is to determine the phagocytic activity of neutrophils, phagocytic index and phagocytic number. In the experimental group of piglets that were fed the probiotic Protecto-active, we found an increase in leukocyte phagocytic activity by 9.0% (P <0.001), a phagocytic index by 51.7% (P<0.001) and a phagocytic number by 24.8% ( P <0.01) compared with the control group. Thus, using a probiotic Protecto-active, all indicators of phagocytosis increase: the number of phagocytes increases, their ability to capture microorganisms and increases their digestive capacity, it increases the bacterial and lysozyme activity of blood serum, which is positively reflected in the immunobiosity. Key words: probiotic, phagocytosis, phagocytic index, phagocytic number, phagocytic activity of leukocytes, cellular immunity, piglets

Effect of different cleaning procedures on water use and bacterial levels in weaner pig pens.

Pork is one of the most globally eaten meats and the pig production chain contributes significantly to the water footprint of livestock production. However, very little knowledge is available about the on-farm factors that influence freshwater use in the pig production chain. An experiment was conducted to quantify the effect of three different washing treatments on freshwater use, bacterial levels [(total bacterial counts; TBC), Enterobacteriaceae and Staphylococcus] and cleaning time in washing of pens for weaning pigs. Three weaner rooms were selected with each room having 10 pens and a capacity to hold up to 14 pigs each. Pigs were weaned and kept in the pens for 7 weeks. Finally, the pens were cleaned before the next batch of pigs moved in. The washing treatments used were power washing and disinfection (WASH); presoaking followed by power washing and disinfection (SOAK), and presoaking followed by detergent, power washing and disinfection (SOAK + DETER). A water meter was used to collect water use data and swab samples were taken to determine the bacterial levels. The results showed that there was no overall effect of washing treatments on water use. However, there was an effect of treatment on the washing time (p<0.01) with SOAK and SOAK+DETER reducing the washing time per pen by 2.3 minutes (14%) and 4.2 minutes (27%) compared to WASH. Nonetheless, there was an effect of sampling time (before or after washing) (p<0.001) on the levels of TBC and Staphylococcus, but no effect was seen on Enterobacteriaceae levels. Thus, the washing treatments used in this study had no effect on the water use of the pork production chain. Although there was no difference in both water use and bacterial load, from a producer perspective, presoaking and detergent use can save time and labour costs, so this would be the preferred option.

Stimbiotic supplementation improved performance and reduced inflammatory response via stimulating fiber fermenting microbiome in weaner pigs housed in a poor sanitary environment and fed an antibiotic-free low zinc oxide diet.

This study investigated whether the inclusion of a stimbiotic (STB) can improve performance, influence intestinal microbiota and fermentation activity, and reduce pro-inflammatory cytokines in piglets fed a low zinc oxide diet without antimicrobial growth promotors compared to fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS) and mannan-oligosaccharide (MOS) when housed either in good sanitary (GS) or poor sanitary (PS) environments. One hundred forty-four male pigs (28-day-old) were sorted by initial body weight (BW) and allocated to one of six experimental treatments: 1) GS environment without any additive (GS-CTR); 2) GS environment with 0.01% stimbiotic (GS-STB); 3) PS environment (without cleaning and disinfection of a previously populated room) without any additive (PS-CTR); 4) PS environment with 0.01% STB (PS-STB); 5) PS environment with 0.1% MOS (PS-MOS); and 6) PS environment with 0.2% FOS (PS-FOS). Each treatment had six replicates, with four animals each. Three feeding phases, based on corn, wheat, and soybean meal were available ad libitum for the 42-days of the study. Housing piglets under PS conditions negatively influenced performance, increased plasma tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), affected the fecal microbial populations and increased concentrations of branched-chain fatty acids (BCFA) compared to GS. Stimbiotic improved 42-d-BW under PS conditions (P < 0.05) whereas MOS or FOS had no effect. On d35, plasma TNF-α was reduced with STB in PS (P < 0.05). The ratio between VFA:BCFA increased (P < 0.05) with STB, MOS or FOS in PS, and under GS condition, STB also increased the ratio. Stimbiotic increased the proportion of Clostridiales Family XIII Incertae Sedis and Clostridiaceae, while MOS and FOS increased Selenomonadaceae, Catabacteriaceae and Fibrobacteraceae. These results indicate that STB shifted the intestinal microbiome to favor fiber fermentation which likely contributed to reduced inflammatory response and improved performance, particularly in piglets reared in PS conditions.

Mealworm (Tenebrio molitor Larvae) as an Alternative Protein Source for Monogastric Animal: A Review.

Simple SummaryTenebrio molitor (T. molitor) larvae, known as mealworm, have been considered a good protein source for monogastric animals. They have a high quantity and quality of protein content and amino acid profile. The inclusion of T. molitor larvae in broiler diets improved the growth performance without having negative effects on carcass traits and blood profiles in broiler chickens, or had no influence on the growth performance and carcass yield of broiler chickens. The supplementation of T. molitor larvae improved the growth performance and protein utilization of weaning pigs. Furthermore, the replacement of fishmeal with T. molitor larvae resulted in no difference in the growth performance and nutrient digestibility of weaning pigs. However, there are some challenges regarding biosafety, consumer’s acceptance, and price for the use of T. moiltor larvae in animal feed. Consequently, T. molitor larvae could be used as an alternative or sustainable protein source in monogastric animal feed.Edible insects have been used as an alternative protein source for food and animal feed, and the market size for edible insects has increased. Tenebrio molitor larvae, also known as mealworm and yellow mealworm, are considered a good protein source with nutritional value, digestibility, flavor, and a functional ability. Additionally, they are easy to breed and feed for having a stable protein content, regardless of their diets. Therefore, T. molitor larvae have been produced industrially as feed for pets, zoo animals, and even for production animals. To maintain the nutrient composition and safety of T. molitor larvae, slaughtering (heating or freezing) and post-slaughtering (drying and grinding) procedures should be improved for animal feed. T. molitor larvae are also processed with defatting or hydrolysis before grinding. They have a high quality and quantity of protein and amino acid profile, so are considered a highly sustainable protein source for replacing soybean meal or fishmeal. T. molitor has a chitin in its cuticle, which is an indigestible fiber with positive effects on the immune system. In studies of poultry, the supplementation of T. molitor larvae improved the growth performance of broiler chickens, without having negative effects on carcass traits, whereas some studies have reported that there were no significant differences in the growth performance and carcass yield of broiler chickens. In studies of swine, the supplementation of T. molitor larvae improved the growth performance and protein utilization of weaning pigs. Furthermore, 10% of T. molitor larvae showed greater amino acid digestibility than conventional animal proteins in growing pigs. However, there are some challenges regarding the biosafety, consumer’s acceptance, and price for the use of T. moiltor larvae in animal feed. Consequently, T. molitor larvae could be used as an alternative or sustainable protein source in monogastric animal feed with a consideration of the nutritional values, biosafety, consumer’s acceptance, and market price of T. molitor larvae products.

Effects of Dietary Lysine Levels on Production Performance and Milk Composition of High-Producing Sows during Lactation.

Simple SummaryModern sows need increased nutrient levels to meet their lactation needs with a high litter size. Compared with multiparous sows, primiparous sows need to meet their lactation, growth, and developmental needs. Therefore, ensuring lactation nutrient intake for primiparous sows is important, and it increases the productivity of the entire breeding population. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of dietary lysine (Lys) levels for lactating primiparous sows on multiple reproductive cycles including piglet performance and milk composition. Results showed that increasing dietary Lys levels in lactation was beneficial for the survival rate of piglets, litter weight, piglet weight, and average daily gain (ADG) at weaning. The dry matter and protein concentrations in milk were increased by the increase in dietary Lys level. Therefore, when implementing strategies for improving reproductive efficiency, increasing the dietary Lys levels during lactation must be considered, especially for primiparous sows.Modern genotype sows require enhanced nutrition because of their larger body size and higher reproductive performance than 20 years ago. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of dietary Lys on the lactating of primiparous sows and the second lactating period to minimize sow body weight (BW) loss and maximize the survival rate of piglets and litter gain. A total of 160 primiparous Yorkshire sows were randomly allotted to one of four experimental lactation diets. Formulated to contain 0.84%, 0.94%, 1.04%, and 1.14% standardized ileal digestibility (SID) Lys and balanced in Met, Thr, Trp, and Val. No dietary effects were found on sow body weight (BW) and backfat thickness (BF) change and feed intake during lactation. However, the Lys intake (p = 0.04) of lactation increased linearly with increasing dietary Lys levels. In addition, 1.14% Lys for primiparous sow and 0.94% Lys for second parity sow during lactation increased the survival rate (p = 0.04), weight (p = 0.04), and ADG of piglets at d 21 (p = 0.03). The dietary Lys level did not affect colostrum compositions. However, the dry matter (p = 0.04) and protein (p = 0.03) in milk increased linearly with the increase in dietary Lys levels, whereas moisture decreased linearly (p = 0.05). The level of plasma urea nitrogen (PUN) also increased at d 21 of weaning (p = 0.04). These results indicate that high-yielding lactating sows required 1.14% SID Lys during parity 1, and 0.94% SID Lys during parity 2 to maximize the survival rate of piglets and litter gain, respectively. Moreover, the effects of dietary amino acid (AA) on the production performance of weaning pigs could be mediated through milk composition change.

Effects of Hot-Melt Extruded Nano-Copper as an Alternative for the Pharmacological Dose of Copper Sulfate in Weanling Pigs.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of hot-melt extrusion (HME)-processed copper (Cu) sulfate supplementation on the growth performance, gut microbiota, metabolic function of Cu, and bioavailability of Cu in weanling pigs fed a corn-soybean meal basal diets. A total of 180 piglets (Yorkshire × Landrace × Duroc) of mixed-sex randomly were allotted to six treatments on the basis of initial average body weight (6.36 ± 0.39kg) to six dietary treatments. There were six replicates in each treatment with 5 pigs per replicates. The dietary treatments included levels of CuSO4 (IN6, 6mg Cu/kg diets; IN125, 125mg Cu/kg diets), nano-CuSO4 (HME6, 6mg Cu/kg diets; HME65, 65mg Cu/kg diets; and HME125, 125mg Cu/kg diets), and Cu-methionine (ORG125, 125mg Cu/kg diets). The weanling pigs fed diets supplemented with the HME65 and HME125 showed a greater body weight and feed intake compared with IN6 and IN125 (P < 0.05). The weaning pigs fed diets supplemented with the HME125 showed the highest digestibility of gross energy in phase 1 and phase 2 (P < 0.05). The supplementation of HME125 significantly reduced theEscherichia coli (E.coli) in cecum and colon (P < 0.05). The supplementation of HME65 showed statistically equivalent effect on reduction of E. coli in the cecum and colon compared with IN125 and ORG125 treatments. The villus height in duodenum and jejunum of piglets in HME65 and HME125 treatments were higher than ORG125, HME6, IN6, and IN125 (P < 0.05). The gene expression of Atox1 was upregulated in IN125, HME125, and ORG125 treatments (P < 0.05). The expression of Sod1 was increased in IN125 treatment compared with IN6 treatment (P < 0.05). The HME125 treatment had the highest gene expression of ghrelin (P < 0.05). The Cu concentration of serum and liver was higher in the HME125 treatment than the HME6, IN6, and IN125 treatments (P < 0.05). The HME125 and ORG125 treatments showed a lower fecal Cu compared with IN125 treatment (P < 0.05). Taken together, these results suggest that the HME65 can be an alternative to IN125 in weanling pigs due to the greater overall average daily gain, improved villus height, and higher bioavailability.

Quantification, description and international comparison of antimicrobial use on Irish pig farms

BackgroundThere is concern that the use of antimicrobials in livestock production has a role in the emergence and dissemination of antimicrobial resistance in animals and humans. Consequently, there are increasing efforts to reduce antimicrobial use (AMU) in agriculture. As the largest consumer of veterinary antimicrobials in several countries, the pig sector is a particular focus of these efforts. Data on AMU in pig production in Ireland are lacking. This study aimed to quantify AMU on Irish pig farms, to identify the major patterns of use employed and to compare the results obtained to those from other published reports and studies.ResultsAntimicrobial use data for 2016 was collected from 67 Irish pig farms which represented c. 35% of national production. The combined sample population consumed 14.5 t of antimicrobial by weight of active ingredient suggesting that the pig sector accounted for approximately 40% of veterinary AMU in Ireland in 2016. At farm level, median AMU measured in milligram per population correction unit (mg/PCU) was 93.9 (range: 1.0–1196.0). When measured in terms of treatment incidence (TI200), median AMU was 15.4 (range: 0.2–169.2). Oral treatments accounted for 97.5% of all AMU by weight of active ingredient and were primarily administered via medicated feed to pigs in the post weaning stages of production. AMU in Irish pig production in 2016 was higher than results obtained from the national reports of Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands and France but lower than the United Kingdom.ConclusionsPig production in Ireland is an important consumer of veterinary antimicrobials. The quantities and patterns of AMU on Irish pig farms are comparable to pig production in other European countries but higher than some countries with more advanced AMU reduction strategies. This AMU is characterised by a high proportion of prophylactic use and is primarily administered to pigs post weaning via medicated feed. Further studies to better understand the reasons for AMU on Irish pig farms and strategies to improve health among weaner pigs will be of benefit in the effort to reduce AMU.

Prevalence of Cryptosporidium in pigs in China: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Cryptosporidium is an important zoonotic parasite that can infect a variety of hosts, including pigs and humans, through water and food. Many studies on Cryptosporidium infection in pigs have been reported worldwide. However, the meta-analysis of Cryptosporidium infection in pigs in China has not been published. This study retrieved articles related to Cryptosporidium in pigs in China by using four databases: Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), PubMed, VIP Chinese journal database and Wanfang Data. We retrieved 40 studies related to Cryptosporidium infection in China, and those articles were harvested from the inception to 1 January 2020. We estimated that the overall prevalence of pigs with Cryptosporidium in the selected period was 12.2% (4,349/30,404). In the sampling year subgroup, the prevalence rate after 2010 was the lowest at 8.7% (2,087/18,100). In Northern China, the Cryptosporidium prevalence was 47.9% (34/71). By contrast, the prevalence of Cryptosporidium in Southwestern China was only 6.9% (778/6,445). The infection rate of Cryptosporidium in diarrhoea pigs of 15.6% (74/384) was higher than that in non-diarrhoea pigs at 10.8% (378/2,840). Among the four age groups, the prevalence of weaning pigs of 16.2% (530/3,243) was the highest, and the difference was significant (p<.05). The prevalence of Cryptosporidium in extensive farming was 25.7% (660/3,121), which was significantly higher than in intensive farming 8.7% (566/6,336), and the prevalence of infection was related to the farming modes (p<.05). We also analysed the impact of different geographic factor subgroups (longitude, latitude, precipitation, temperature, humidity, climate and altitude) on the prevalence of pigs. The results showed that cryptosporidiosis was widespread in pigs in China. We suggest that appropriate control schemes should be developed according to the differences in breeding patterns and geographic conditions in different regions, and effective management measures should be developed to reduce the spread between pigs.

СРАВНИТЕЛЬНАЯ ХАРАКТЕРИСТИКА РАЗНЫХ СЕМЕЙСТВ СВИНОМАТОК ПО ВОСПРОИЗВОДИТЕЛЬНЫМ КАЧЕСТВАМ

Scientific-economical experiment was carried out on evaluation of sow reproductive qualities of different families obtained and grown in LLC «Kigbayevsky bacon» of Sarapul district of Udmurt Republic and sows, bought in LLC «Otrada gen» of Lipetsk region. Analyzing reproduction of breeding stock of home selection, according to the first farrow it can be said that the most multiple lambing is observed in sows of Otrada family (new selection) – 15,72 heads. Out of home selection sows families Osobaya (13,33 heads), Reklama (12,3 heads) can be noticed. The worst multiple lambing was noticed at sow of Luchesa and Lily families. The largest nests were observed in sows of Beatrice family (96,5 kg), Luchesa – 88,75 kg. Productive analysis of the second farrow sows established that high multiple lambing was in sows of families Beatrice – 14,49 heads, Luchesa – 13,08 heads, Ovatsii – 13,58 heads. Sows’ multiple lambing of new selection was 17,48 heads. Comparative analysis of reproductive qualities of large white sows of home selection in LLC «Otrada gen» showed that sows of LLC «Otrada Gen» selection are characterized by higher multiple lambing and number of young pig weaning, 17,48 and 13,16 heads, respectively, but they cave on sows of LLC «Kigbayevsky bacon» in livability of young pigs weaning on 15,5 %, weight of one young pig to weaning for 2,48 kg.

Tannic acid prevents post-weaning diarrhea by improving intestinal barrier integrity and function in weaned piglets

BackgroundTannic acid (TA) is potential to reduce diarrhea in weaning pigs, but knowledge about the influence of TA on intestinal barrier integrity and function is still scarce. This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary TA supplementation on growth performance, diarrhea rate, intestinal barrier integrity and function of weaned pigs.MethodsA total of 108 crossbred (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire) piglets, with an initial average body weight of 6.60 ± 0.27 kg, were allotted to 3 groups (6 pigs/pen and 6 replicates/group) in a randomized complete block design according to their gender and body weight. Piglets were fed the basal diet with 0 (control, CON), 0.2% and 1.0% TA, respectively. The trial lasted for 28 d.ResultsCompared with the CON group, dietary 0.2% and 1.0% TA supplementation didn’t affect ADFI, ADG and F:G (P > 0.05), but reduced diarrhea rate, diarrhea index and diarrhea score of piglets (P < 0.05), reduced diamine oxidase (DAO) activity and D-lactic acid concentration in serum (P < 0.01). The higher occludin expression and localization were observed in the duodenum, jejunum and ileum after supplementation with 0.2% or 1.0% TA (P < 0.05). Adding 0.2% TA to diet significantly decreased crypt depth, increased villus height/crypt depth ratio in the duodenum (P < 0.05), and dietary 1.0% TA tended to decrease crypt depth (P < 0.10) and significantly decreased villus height (P < 0.05) of the ileum. Moreover, lower malondialdehyde content in the ileum was detected in the pigs fed 1.0% TA (P < 0.05). In the duodenum, both 0.2% and 1.0% TA groups had higher occludin (OCLN) mRNA and 0.2% TA group had higher zonula occludens-2 (ZO-2) level (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, dietary 1.0% TA supplementation tended to up-regulate OCLN mRNA levels in the jejunum (P < 0.10) and 0.2% TA supplementation tended to up-regulate zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) mRNA levels in the ileum (P < 0.10).ConclusionIn conclusion, dietary supplementation of 0.2% or 1.0% TA could effectively alleviate post-weaning diarrhea without altering growth performance in weaned piglets, which might be achieved by improving intestinal barrier integrity and function.

Intrahepatic icterus in pigs: rare clinical sign in porcine circovirus type 2 systemic disease

Icterus is a yellow discolouration of tissue and blood plasma due to a disorder of the bilirubin metabolism. This case report describes two porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) outbreaks in...

Replacing dietary antibiotics with 0.20% l-glutamine and synbiotics following weaning and transport in pigs.

Dietary antibiotic use has been limited in swine production due to concerns regarding antibiotic resistance. However, this may negatively impact the health, productivity, and welfare of pigs. Therefore, the study objective was to determine if combining dietary synbiotics and 0.20% l-glutamine would improve pig growth performance and intestinal health following weaning and transport when compared with traditionally used dietary antibiotics. Because previous research indicates that l-glutamine improves swine growth performance and synbiotics reduce enterogenic bacteria, it was hypothesized that supplementing diets with 0.20% l-glutamine (GLN) and synbiotics (SYN; 3 strains of Lactobacillus [1.2 × 10^9 cfu/g of strain/pig/d] + β-glucan [0.01 g/pig/d] + fructooligosaccharide [0.01 g/pig/d]) would have an additive effect and improve pig performance and intestinal health over that of dietary antibiotics. Mixed-sex pigs (N = 226; 5.86 ± 0.11 kg body weight [BW]) were weaned (19.4 ± 0.2 d of age) and transported for 12 h in central Indiana. Pigs were blocked by BW and allotted to one of two dietary treatments (5 to 6 pigs per pen): antibiotics (positive control [PC]; chlortetracycline [441 ppm] + tiamulin [38.5 ppm]), no antibiotics (negative control [NC]), GLN, SYN, or the NC diet with both the GLN and SYN additives (GLN + SYN) fed for 14 d. From day 14 post-weaning to the end of the grow-finish period, all pigs were provided common antibiotic-free diets. Data were analyzed using PROC GLIMMIX and PROC MIXED in SAS 9.4. Overall, haptoglobin was greater (P = 0.03; 216%) in NC pigs compared with PC pigs. On day 13, GLN and PC pigs tended to have reduced (P = 0.07; 75.2% and 67.3%, respectively) haptoglobin compared with NC pigs. On day 34, the jejunal goblet cell count per villi and per millimeter tended to be greater (P < 0.08; 71.4% and 62.9%, respectively) in SYN pigs compared with all other dietary treatments. Overall, jejunal mucosa tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) gene expression tended to be greater (P = 0.09; 40.0%) in NC pigs compared with PC pigs on day 34. On day 34, jejunal mucosa TNFα gene expression tended to be greater (P = 0.09; 33.3%, 41.2%, and 60.0%, respectively) in GLN pigs compared with SYN, GLN + SYN, and PC pigs. Although it was determined that some metrics of pig health were improved by the addition of GLN and SYN (i.e., haptoglobin and goblet cell count), overall, there were very few differences detected between dietary treatments and this may be related to the stress load incurred by the pigs.

Thymol modulates the endocannabinoid system and gut chemosensing of weaning pigs

BackgroundThe recent identification of the endocannabinoid system in the gastrointestinal tract suggests a role in controlling intestinal inflammation. In addition, the gut chemosensing system has therapeutic applications in the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases and inflammation due to the presence of a large variety of receptors. The purposes of this study were to investigate the presence of markers of the endocannabinoid system and the chemosensing system in the pig gut and, second, to determine if thymol modulates these markers. One hundred sixty 28-day-old piglets were allocated into one of 5 treatment groups (n = 32 per treatment): T1 (control), T2 (25.5 mg thymol/kg feed), T3 (51 mg thymol/kg feed), T4 (153 mg thymol/kg feed), and T5 (510 mg thymol/kg feed). After 14 days of treatment, piglets were sacrificed (n = 8), and then duodenal and ileal mucosal scrapings were collected. Gene expression of cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2), transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1), the olfactory receptor OR1G1, diacylglycerol lipases (DGL-α and DGL-β), fatty acid amine hydrolase (FAAH), and cytokines was measured, and ELISAs of pro-inflammatory cytokines levels were performed.ResultsmRNAs encoding all markers tested were detected. In the duodenum and ileum, the CB1, CB2, TRPV1, and OR1G1 mRNAs were expressed at higher levels in the T4 and T5 groups compared to the control group. The level of the FAAH mRNA was increased in the ileum of the T4 group compared to the control. Regarding the immune response, the level of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) mRNA was significantly increased in the duodenum of the T5 group, but this increase was not consistent with the protein level.ConclusionsThese results indicate the presence of endocannabinoid system and gut chemosensing markers in the piglet gut mucosa. Moreover, thymol modulated the expression of the CB1, CB2, TRPV1, and OR1G1 mRNAs in the duodenum and ileum. It also modulated the mRNA levels of enzymes involved in the biosynthesis and degradation of endocannabinoid molecules. Based on these findings, the effects of thymol on promoting gut health are potentially mediated by the activation of these receptors.

Effects of probiotics containing (Lactobacillus planetarium) and chlortetracycline on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, fecal microflora, diarrhea score and fecal gas emission in weanling pigs

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of probiotics (Lactobacillus planetarium) relative to chlortetracycline (CTC) supplementation on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, fecal microbiota, fecal score and noxious gas emission in weaning pigs. A total of 135 weanling pigs with an average body weight of 6.61 kg and 28 ± 1 d of age were used in a 6-week feeding trial. The three treatments were (i) CON; control group, feeding with basal diet; (ii) CL; Control + 0.06% probiotic (1.2 × 109 cfu kg−1 of viable L. planetarium) (iii) AT; Control + 0.01% Antibiotic. The dietary supplementation with probiotic or CTC increased (P< 0.05) the body weight (BW), average daily gain (ADG) and gain: feed (G: F) compared with basal diet during 3-6 weeks. Additionally, the CTC group showed significantly higher (P< 0.05) BW, ADG and G: F than probiotic group. During the overall experimental period, pigs fed probiotic or CTC supplemented diet showed higher ADG (P< 0.05) than pigs fed basal diet, the G: F ratio in CTC group was higher (P< 0.05) than basal diet and probiotic group. In the 6th week, the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of nitrogen increased (P< 0.05) for the probiotic or CTC group, the CTC group showed significantly higher (P< 0.05) ATTD of N than probiotic group. The dietary supplementation with CTC or probiotic decreased (P< 0.05) the E. coli counts on d 42. The CTC group showed lower (P< 0.05) E. coli counts than probiotic group. There was no significant difference in gas emission and diarrhea score in all treatments. Probiotic (L. planetarium) at 600mg kg−1 concentration can be suggested as an alternative to growth-promoting probiotics.

Effect of gaseous hydrogen sulphide on growth performance and cecal microbial diversity of weaning pigs.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of gaseous hydrogen sulphide on growth performance and cecal microbial diversity in weaning pigs. A total of 24 weaning pigs (Landrace × Yorkshire × Duroc; average body weight = 8.55 ± 0.68 kg；weaning at 28 days) were selected and randomly divided into four groups (six replicates in each group). The piglets were exposed to hydrogen sulphide (0, 5, 10 and 15 mg/m3) during the experiment period, which lasted 28 days in four controlled environmental chambers. The results showed that exposure to hydrogen sulphide reduced the average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), and increased the diarrhoea rate of piglets. Hydrogen sulphide could increase the abundance and diversity of intestinal microbiota. The abundance of Firmicutes and Proteobacteria increased and Bacteroides decreased in the treatment groups. Five biomarkers, such as Eubacterium_1coprostanoligenes, Clostridiales, Phascolarctobacterium, Acidaminococcaceae and Ruminococcaceae_UCG_002 were selected by Lefse analysis. Our results reveal that hydrogen sulphide damaged the growth performance and destroyed the microbial bacteria balance of weaning pigs. The concentrations of hydrogen sulphide should fall below 5 mg/m3.

Effect of exposure to gaseous hydrogen sulphide on cecal microbial diversity of weaning pigs

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of different concentrations of gaseous hydrogen sulphide on cecal microbial diversity in weaning pigs. A total of 24 weaning pigs (Landrace×Yorkshire × Duroc; average body weight=8.55±0.68kg；weaning at 28days) were selected and randomly divided into four groups (six replicates in each group). The piglets were exposed to hydrogen sulphide exposure 0, 5, 10 and 15mg/m3 ) during the experiment period, which lasted 28days in four controlled environmental chambers. The cecal chyme was taken and the microbial community structure was analysed by high-throughput sequencing. The results showed that exposure to hydrogen sulphide reduced the average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI) and increased the diarrhoea rate of piglets. Hydrogen sulphide could increase the number of operational taxon units (OTUs) and the abundance and diversity of intestinal microbiota. The abundance of Firmicutes and Proteobacteria increased and the abundance of Bacteroides decreased in the treatment groups. Five biomarkers, such as Eubacterium_1 coprostanoligenes, Clostridiales, Phascolarctobacterium, Acidaminococcaceae and Ruminococcaceae_UCG_002 were selected by Lefse analysis. The most positively correlated bacteria were Terrisporobacter and Oscillospiraceae (r=0.70) and the highly negative correlation was found between Ruminococcaceae_NK4A214_group and [Ruminococcus]_gauvreauii_group (r=0.64). Thus, hydrogen sulphide destroyed the microbial balance and increased the abundance of harmful bacteria. Our results reveal that hydrogen sulphide can damage the growth performance of weaning pigs and intestine microbial balance. The concentrations of hydrogen sulphide should be controlled below 5mg/m3 .