The objective of this study was to determine the effects of some environmental and breed group factors on lifetime and per year productivity of sows. A retrospective study was carried out from 1998 ...to 2007 using information of a production system with 2,400 sows, in La Piedad, Michoacan, Mexico. Data from 6,063 sows belonging to the breed groups PIC Camborough 22, Yorkshire (Y), F1 Landrace (L) x Y (F1 LY) and 3/4Y1/4Lwere used. The response variables were the number of pigs born alive per sow per year (PBY) or per productive lifetime (PBL), number of pigs weaned per year (PWY) or per productive lifetime (PWL), kg of pigs weaned per sow per year (KWY), kg of pigs weaned per sow per lifetime (KWL) and productive lifetime (PLT) of sows. The statistical model included the fixed effect of year of first farrowing (1998-2007), season of first farrowing (spring, summer, fall, winter), breed group of the sow, number of pigs born alive at first farrowing (<7, 7-8, 9-10, >10 pigs) and year by season interaction. Means and standard deviations estimated for PBY, PWY, KPY, PBL, PWL, KWL and PLT were 21.4±3.71 pigs, 18.2±4.04 pigs, 107.5+25.8 kg, 48.3±22.7 pigs, 41.4±3.71 kg, 243.7±122.9 kg and 805.6±338.8 days, respectively. All factors studied had effect on all traits (P < 0.05), except, breed group on PBY, and season on PWY and KWL. The interaction of year by season was not significant only for PBY. Sows farrowing from 2005 to 2007 and in the fall season had the poorest performance. The best performance per year or productive lifetime corresponded to the 1/4L3/4Y breed group, except for PBY where no differences were found. Also, the 1/4L3/4Y sows stayed longer in the herd. The sows with the smallest litter size at first parity (≤ 6 piglets) had the worst performance.
The effects of using pea and various fractions of pea on the consequences of an oral challenge with an enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) were evaluated in post weaning piglets. The experiment ...comprised six treatment groups each consisting of 12 individually housed weaned piglets. Each group received one of the following diets: 1) and 2) basal diet, 3) diet with 250 g/kg pea; 4) diet with 150 g/kg native pea starch; 5) diet with 100 g/kg pea fibre, and 6) diet with 100 g/kg pea hulls. The experimental diets were fed ad libitum (day 0–22). At day 7 the piglets of group 1 were inoculated with phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and groups 2 to 6 were inoculated orally with an ETEC suspension. The piglets were sacrificed on day 22 for obtaining intestinal digesta. Feed intake and body weight gain were not affected by the treatments, except for a lower feed intake for the pea fibre diet in the first period after the challenge. After the ETEC challenge on day 7, faecal consistency scores increased in all groups, and were higher for the group receiving the diet with pea fibre than for the groups receiving the diet with pea starch or the basal diet (P <0.05). Only in the first three days after the challenge the number of ETEC in the faeces was lower (P <0.05) for the groups fed the basal and the pea hull diet than for the groups receiving the pea and the pea fibre diet. It can be concluded that inclusion of peas and pea fractions in diets for weaned piglets does neither positively nor negatively affect performance and gut health under challenged conditions.
•Tail biting and tail damage already occur before weaning.•Tail biters likely stem from litters that display high levels of tail biting.•Straw-bedding largely reduces tail biting and tail ...damage.•Activity, pig- and pen-directed oral manipulation predicts tail biting at pen level.•Tail damage is rather consistent throughout life, tail biting is inconsistent.
Tail biting behaviour in pigs is a common problem in conventional housing systems. Our study examined the consistency over time in tail biting and tail damage and it explored the predictive value of general behaviours observed in individual pigs and in pens as a whole.
Pigs (n=480), reared in conventional farrowing pens with a sow crate, were followed from pre-weaning to slaughter (23 weeks). Post-weaning, piglets were housed barren (B) or enriched (E). Behaviours were observed pre-weaning (averaged per litter) and post-weaning in three phases (weaner, grower, finisher) (averaged per pig/phase). Tail damage of individual pigs was scored weekly from weaning (4 weeks) onwards (averaged per phase). Relationships between tail biting and tail damage with behaviour were investigated both at individual and pen level using mixed or generalized linear mixed models and Spearman's rank correlations, respectively.
Tail biting and tail damage (2.1±0.05, 1=no tail damage, 4=tail wound) were already observed pre-weaning. Post-weaning, tail biting and tail damage were less prevalent in E compared to B housing (P<0.001). Tail biting behaviour in individual pigs was not consistently observed over time, i.e. none of the pigs was tail biter in all three phases, so new tail biters were found in later phases and some of the already identified tail biters stopped tail biting completely or temporarily. In B housing 38.3% and in E housing 5.6% of pigs was identified as tail biter in at least one phase post-weaning. B housed tail biters in different phases were likely to originate from litters with a relatively high level of tail biting behaviour pre-weaning (P<0.05–0.01). Generally, post-weaning victims were likely to be a victim again in successive phases of life (B: P<0.10–0.001; E: P<0.01). Tail biting and tail damage were best predicted by behaviours at pen level and less by behaviours at the individual level: a higher activity, and more pig and pen-directed manipulative behaviours were observed in pens with high levels of tail biting. Particularly higher levels of chewing or consuming objects such as jute sacks could be useful in predicting tail bite outbreaks. To conclude, tail biting in pigs starts early in life and is difficult to predict due to its inconsistency, although tail damage is more consistent throughout life. Especially behaviour observed at litter or pen level is a promising tool in predicting tail biting and tail damage.
Absorption of tryptophan (TRP) across the gut epithelium is potentially modulated by competing large neutral amino acids (LNAAs), which could affect the appearance of TRP and its metabolites in the ...bloodstream.
This study aimed to determine, in a growing pig model of an adult human, the absorption of TRP and other LNAAs from the gastrointestinal tract, and plasma appearance of TRP, LNAAs and TRP metabolites , in response to dietary proteins varying in TRP content.
Pigs were adapted for seven days to each of four diets that differed in their protein source and TRP content: 1) alpha-lactalbumin (AL; 9.95mg TRP/g diet DM), 2) whey protein (6.59mg TRP/g), 3) casein (3.73mg TRP/g), or 4) zein (0.14mg TRP/g). On day 8, after a 12h fast, pigs received a test meal consisting of 45g protein, or a protein-free meal, and were euthanized 0 (baseline), 1, 2, 3, 4, or 6h later (n=6 pigs at each time in each meal group). Tryptophan and LNAA absorption from the small intestine, and appearance of TRP, LNAAs and TRP metabolites (melatonin, serotonin, kynurenine pathway metabolites), in the portal vein and systemic circulation, were determined.
AL intake resulted in sustained elevated plasma TRP concentrations after an overnight fast. The amount of TRP absorbed was dose-dependently related to protein TRP content (p=0.028), with fastest rates for pigs fed AL (371mg/h). Portal and systemic plasma TRP, TRP/LNAA and the TRP metabolites were highest (p≤0.05) after AL intake , and remained above baseline levels for ∼4h postprandially. Absorption rates of TRP correlated with postprandial plasma TRP and TRP metabolites(p≤0.05).
In adult humans, postprandial plasma TRP and TRP metabolite concentrations can likely be modulated by the TRP content of the meal.
Methane (CH4) emissions from manure management on livestock farms are a key source of greenhouse gas emissions in some regions and for some production systems, and the opportunities for mitigation ...may be significant if emissions can be adequately documented. We investigated a method for estimating CH4 emissions from liquid manure (slurry) that is based on anaerobic incubation of slurry collected from commercial farms. Methane production rates were used to derive a parameter of the Arrhenius temperature response function, lnA', representing the CH4 production potential of the slurry at the time of sampling. Results were used for parameterization of an empirical model to estimate annual emissions with daily time steps, where CH4 emissions from individual sources (barns, outside storage tanks) can be calculated separately. A monitoring program was conducted in four countries, i.e., Denmark, Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands, during a 12-month period where slurry was sampled to represent barn and outside storage on finishing pig and dairy farms. Across the four countries, lnA' was higher in pig slurry compared to cattle slurry (p < 0.01), and higher in slurry from barns compared to outside storage (p < 0.01). In a separate evaluation of the incubation method, in-vitro CH4 production rates were comparable with in-situ emissions. The results indicate that lnA' in barns increases with slurry age, probably due to growth or adaptation of the methanogenic microbial community. Using lnA' values determined experimentally, empirical models with daily time steps were constructed for finishing pig and dairy farms and used for scenario analyses. Annual emissions from pig slurry were predicted to be 2.5 times higher than those from cattle slurry. Changing the frequency of slurry export from the barn on the model pig farm from 40 to 7 d intervals reduced total annual CH4 emissions by 46 %; this effect would be much less on cattle farms with natural ventilation. In a scenario with cattle slurry, the empirical model was compared with the current IPCC methodology. The seasonal dynamics were less pronounced, and annual CH4 emissions were lower than with the current methodology, which calls for further investigations. Country-specific models for individual animal categories and point sources could be a tool for assessing CH4 emissions and mitigation potentials at farm level.
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•Methane production potentials of liquid manure could be estimated with in-vitro assay.•Across four countries, this potential was higher in pig manure than in cattle manure.•The potential was also higher in manure from barns compared to outside storages.•Empirical models with daily time steps could be defined based on experimental results.•Predicted effects of animal type and management were realistic, but lower than IPCC estimates.
Background: The availability of productive sows slaughtered in commercial and traditional pig slaughterhouses makes it possible to use their ovaries as a source of oocytes, which can be used as raw ...materials in the in vitro Maturation (IVM) process. Oocyte diameter is one indicator that determines the success rate of oocyte nuclear maturation in vitro. Scientific information on the relationship between the number and size of the follicles on the diameter of porcine oocytes is still very limited. Therefore, this research was conducted to add data that can later be used for in vitro Maturation and in vitro Fertilization. Methods: This research was carried on in 2021; samples were collected from sow ovaries from commercial and traditional pig slaughterhouses in Badung and Tabanan Regency. The aspiration oocyte collection method was carried out at the Embryology Laboratory of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Udayana University. This research was conducted by grouping ovaries into three groups: group 1 is ovaries with small follicles that have a diameter less than 2 mm, group 2 were ovaries with medium follicles which have a diameter of 3.1-5 mm and group 3 were ovaries with large follicles that have diameter greater than 5 mm. Result: The results showed that the larger the size of the follicle, the larger the diameter of the oocyte. There is a closer relationship between oocyte diameter and follicle diameter with a correlation value of 1 and has a very strong relationship with the number of follicles (negative relationship, correlation value = -0.703) and with oocyte quality (positive relationship with a correlation value 0.703). Oocyte quality correlated perfectly with follicle diameter and number of follicles (correlation value 1) and quite strongly correlated with oocyte diameter (correlation value 0.703). The close relationship between follicle diameter and the number of follicles on oocyte diameter is shown by the regression equation Y= 0.848 + 6.359X1 - 3.797X2 and the close relationship between follicle diameter and oocyte diameter on oocyte quality is shown by the regression equation Y= 0.900+ 0.310X1 + 0.005X2.
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