• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.12
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• pp.1796-1802
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• 2017

Objective: This experiment was conducted to evaluate the optimal space allowance on growth performance, blood profile and pork quality of growing-finishing pigs. Methods: A total of ninety crossbred pigs [$(Yorkshire{\times}Landrace){\times}Duroc$, $30.25{\pm}1.13kg$] were allocated into three treatments (0.96: four pigs/pen, $0.96m^2/pig$; 0.80: five pigs/pen, $0.80m^2/pig$; 0.69: six pigs/pen, $0.69m^2/pig$) in a randomized complete block design. Pigs were housed in balanced sex and had free access to feed in all phases for 14 weeks (growing phase I, growing phase II, finishing phase I, and finishing phase II). Results: There was no statistical difference in growing phase, but a linear decrease was observed on average daily gain (ADG, p<0.01), average daily feed intake (ADFI, p<0.01), and body weight (BW, p<0.01) with decreasing space allowance in late finishing phase. On the other hand, a quadratic effect was observed on gain to feed ratio in early finishing phase (p<0.03). Consequently, overall ADG, ADFI, and final BW linearly declined in response to decreased space allowance (p<0.01). The pH of pork had no significant difference in 1 hour after slaughter, whereas there was a linear decrease in 24 h after slaughter with decreasing space allowance. Floor area allowance did not affect pork colors, but shear force linearly increased as floor space decreased (p<0.01). There was a linear increase in serum cortisol concentration on 14 week (p<0.05) with decreased space allocation. Serum IgG was linearly ameliorated as space allowance increased on 10 week (p<0.05) and 14 week (p<0.01). Conclusion: Data from current study indicated that stress derived from reduced space allowance deteriorates the immune system as well as growth performance of pigs, resulting in poor pork quality. Recommended adequate space allowance in a grow-to-finish production system is more than $0.80m^2/pig$ for maximizing growth performance and production efficiency.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.61 no.4
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• pp.204-215
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• 2019

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary energy and crude protein (CP) levels on growth performance, blood profiles, and carcass traits in growing-finishing pigs. A total of 180 crossbred pigs ([Yorkshire ${\times}$ Landrace] ${\times}$ Duroc) with an average body weight of $30.96{\pm}3.068kg$ were used for a 12-week feeding trial. Experimental pigs were allotted to a $2{\times}3$ factorial arrangement using a randomized complete block (RCB) design. The first factor was two levels of dietary metabolizable energy (ME) density (13.40 MJ/kg or 13.82 MJ/kg), and the second factor was three dietary CP levels based on subdivision of growing-finishing phases (high: 18%/16.3%/16.3%/13.2% middle: 17%/15.3%/15.3%/12.2% and low: 16%/14.3%/14.3%/11.2%). Average daily gain (ADG) and gain-feed ratio (G:F ratio) decreased as dietary CP level was decreased linearly (linear, p < 0.05; p < 0.05, respectively) in the early growing period, and G:F ration also decreased as dietary CP level was decreased linearly (linearly, p < 0.05) over the whole growing phase. Over the entire experimental period, G:F ratio decreased as dietary ME level decreased (p = 0.01). Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) concentration was increased as dietary energy level decreased in growing period (p < 0.01). During finishing period, total protein concentration was decreased by lower dietary energy level (p < 0.05). In this study, there were no significant differences in proximate factors, physiochemical properties, muscle TBARS assay results, pH changes, or color of pork by dietary treatments. However, saturated fatty acid (SFA) increased (p < 0.01) and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) decreased (p < 0.05) when ME was decreased by 0.42 MJ/kg in growing-finishing pig diets. In addition, monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) tended to increase when CP level was decreased in growing-finishing pig diets (p = 0.06). A growing-finishing diet of 13.82 MJ/kg diet of ME with the high CP level can improve growth performance and show better fatty acids composition of pork.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.681-685
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• 2000

A computer software was developed in our laboratory to automatically control the pigs environment by the image analysis system (IAS), which monitors and analyzes the pig's behavior and feeds the results back to the computer hardware. Three feeding trials were conducted with growing pigs ($L{\times}Y$) to test the effectiveness of the IAS under various seasons. In all three trials, the open-sided conventional pens with half-slatted floor were used as controls; for the IAS treatment, fully-slatted floors were used in the windowless pens. Experiment 1 was conducted in the winter for 30 d with 24 growing pigs. There were two treatments (Conventional vs. IAS), and three pens (replicates) per treatment. During the growing period, the feed efficiency was significantly (p<0.05) improved by the IAS. In addition, the pigs reared under the IAS during the growing period displayed better growth rate during the finishing period than did the pigs reared under the conventional conditions. Experiment 2 was conducted in the summer for 30 d with 24 growing pigs. The experimental design was the same as Experiment 1. During the finishing period, all the pigs were kept in conventional open-sided pens until their market weights to evaluate their carcass characteristics. During the growing period, the growth rate and feed efficiency of the pigs in the IAS was better than those of the control pigs. In addition, various carcass characteristics were significantly improved by the IAS rearing during the growing period. Experiment 3 was conducted with 30 growing pigs for 30 d in the spring. The experimental design was the same as Experiment 1. No difference was found in growing performance between the control and IAS pigs. It could be concluded that the IAS is effective in providing optimum conditions for the growing pigs in summer and winter seasons. In addition, providing an optimum environment during the growing period results in improved growth rate, feed efficiency, and carcass qualities for the finishing pigs.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.135-144
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• 2002

An experiment was conducted to evaluate a ventilation system, which was devised to encourage farmers to use the enclosed growing and finishing pig housing system. A roof-air-entry ventilation system in winter and a side-wall-air-entry system in summer were evaluated. Air flow rate on the floor level which is the low part of pen and the living area of pigs in the enclosed growing and finishing pig house during winter was measured at 0 to 0.19 m/s at the minimum ventilation efficiency of 1,440 $m^{3}/h$. During summer the air flow rate was detected at 0.07 to 0.42 m/s at the maximum ventilation efficiency of 24,000 $m^{3}/h$. Therefore, it is concluded that the side-wall ventilation system is suitable for growing and finishing pigs in the enclosed house during the days of mid-summer and the roof-ventilation system was suitable during the coldest days of mid-winter. In addition, although the enclosed pig house has the system in which air exhausts through only one side wall, air should enter through both-side walls for the better ventilation performance.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.21-29
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• 1998

Four feeding trials with 260 pigs were conducted to evaluate the effects of supplementing the diet with different amino acids on growth performance and blood metabolites for weanling, growing and finishing pigs. One hundred twenty weanling pigs (Exp. 1, BW 8 kg), eighty growing pigs (Exp. 2. BW 20 kg), thirty growing pigs (Exp. 3, BW 29 kg) and thirty finishing pigs (Exp. 4, BW 50 kg) were randomly allotted to different dietary treatments according to sex and body weight. Pigs weight and feed consumption were measured at initiation and termination of each trial with 4 weeks. At the end of trial, blood samples from three pigs selected in each pen (Exp. 1) and each pig (Exp. 2) were obtained to determine the level of blood urea nitrogen, glucose, insulin and cortisol in the serum. In Exp. 1, pigs fed diet supplemented both with lysine and methionine had the best feed conversion ratio (p < 0.05), but no significant differences (p > 0.05) were observed in ADG and ADFI. Pigs receiving control diet obtained the obtained the optimal ADG (p < 0.05), ADFI (p < 0.05) and F/G for the whole period. No differences were detected in serum glucose, insulin and cortisol concentrations. In Exp. 2, pigs receiving the control diet exhibited the lowest serum urea nitrogen (p < 0.05), ADG, F/G and serum insulin concentration increased linearly (p < 0.05) with the inclusion of lysine, methionine, threonine and tryptophan in diets. No significant differences (p > 0.05) were detected for glucose and cortisol content in pigs serum among dietary treatments. In Exp. 3 and 4, pigs growth rate increased linearly (p < 0.01), and feed conversion efficiency was also improves by addition of lysine, methionine, threonine and tryptophan. In conclusion, pigs fed diets supplemented with lysine, methionine, threonine and tryptophan together obtained optimal growth performance in growing and finishing periods.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.9
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• pp.1296-1303
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• 2000

A series of four experiments was conducted to compare nutritional values of decorticated sunflower meals against soybean meal, in diets for pigs from weaning (Exp. 1 and 2) to finishing (Exp. 3 and 4). All experimental diets were prepared compensating for the energy content by using vegetable oil and the lysine content was matched using synthetic L-Lysine HCl. Twenty-one day old pigs were fed either corn-soybean meal based diet (CSBM) or corn- twice-decorticated sunflower meal based diet (CDSM) for four weeks (Exp. 1). There was no difference in performances between treatment groups. In Exp. 2, corn-non-decorticated sunflower meal based diet (CNSM) was added to the existing two treatments. Twenty-one day old pigs were fed three experimental diets for four weeks. Pigs fed CNSM had a lower weight gain and feed intake than other treatments (p<0.05). There was no difference between pigs fed CSBM and CDSM (Exp. 2). Growth performance of growing pigs was also greater (p<0.05) in pigs fed corn starch-twice- decorticated sunflower meal based diet (CSDSM) than pigs fed corn starch-non-decorticated sunflower meal based diet (CSNSM) during the eight week feeding trial (Exp. 3). There was no difference between pig fed corn starch-soybean meal based diet (CSSBM) and CSDSM (Exp. 3). In Exp. 4, growing pigs were fed three experimental diets (CSBM, CDSM, and barley-twice- decorticated sunflower meal based diet; BDSM) until the slaughter. There was no difference in growth performance of pigs during growing and finishing periods among treatments. However, pigs fed CSBM had a higher carcass dressing percentage (p<0.05) than pigs fed CDSM and BDSM. Pigs fed BDSM diet had a lower fat tissue percentage than other groups (p<0.05). The twice-decorticated sunflower meal can be used as a substitute for soybean meal in pig diets. The performances of piglets and growing-finishing pigs were not affected when soybean meal was replaced by twice-decorticated sunflower meal. This substitution needs the contribution of synthetic lysine and vegetable oil as sources of complementary nutrients to match the nutrient profile.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.63 no.5
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• pp.998-1007
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• 2021

Brine mineral water (BMW) is groundwater near the deep sea, and the mineral component of the BMW is different from the water of the deep sea because the components of BMW are derived from the unique geographical features surrounding it. Recently, BMW has attracted attention due to the unique health-related minerals it possesses; however, the influence of BMW on physiological function has not yet been determined in domestic animals. Therefore, this experiment investigated the influence of BMW on the growth performance, water intake, blood properties, and immunoglobulin (Ig) levels of serum in growing-finishing pigs. A total of 64 pig barrows (Landrace × Yorkshire × Duroc) with an average initial weight of 40.56 ± 0.17 kg were used in the experiment, and 0%, 2%, 3%, and 5% samples of BMW diluted with freshwater were provided to experimental animals during the 56 days. We found that the gain/feed ratio in the 3% BMW group was significantly higher than that in the 5% BMW group of growing-finishing pigs (p < 0.05). The water intake was significantly increased in the 5% BMW group compared with the other groups (p < 0.05) of growing-finishing pigs. Additionally, the concentrations of red blood cells (RBCs), hemoglobin (HGB), and hematocrit (HCT) were significantly higher in the 3% BMW group than in the control group. The level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was higher in the 3% BMW group than in the 5% BMW group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, IgG and IgM levels in the serum were significantly higher in the 2% and 3% BMW groups than in the control group (p < 0.05). These results suggest that a dilution of 3% BMW in the intake water could improve the levels of RBCs and serum Igs in growing-finishing pigs.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.375-381
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• 2012

Two experiments were conducted to establish a digestible energy (DE) content prediction model of rapeseed meal for growing-finishing pig based on rapeseed meal's chemical composition. In experiment 1, observed linear relationships between the determined DE content of 22 rapeseed meal calibration samples and proximate nutrients, gross energy (GE) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) were used to develop the DE prediction model. In experiment 2, 4 samples of rapeseed meal selected at random from the primary rapeseed growing regions of China were used for testing the accuracy of DE prediction models. The results indicated that the DE was negatively correlated with NDF (r = -0.86) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) (r = -0.73) contents, and moderately correlated with gross energy (GE; r = 0.56) content in rapeseed meal calibration samples. In contrast, no significant correlations were found for crude protein, ether extract, crude fiber and ash contents. According to the regression analysis, NDF or both NDF and GE were found to be useful for the DE prediction models. Two prediction models: DE = 16.775-0.147${\times}$NDF ($R^2$ = 0.73) and DE = 11.848-0.131${\times}$NDF+0.231${\times}$GE ($R^2$ = 0.76) were obtained. The maximum absolute difference between the in vivo DE determinations and the predicted DE values was 0.62 MJ/kg and the relative difference was 5.21%. Therefore, it was concluded that, for growing-finishing pigs, these two prediction models could be used to predict the DE content of rapeseed meal with acceptable accuracy.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.58 no.10
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• pp.37.1-37.10
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• 2016

Background: Providing of insufficient nutrients limits the potential growth of pig, while feeding of excessive nutrients increases the economic loss and causes environment pollution. For these reasons, phase feeding had been introduced in swine farm for improving animal production. This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary energy levels and phase feeding by protein levels on growth performance, blood profiles and carcass characteristics in growing-finishing pigs. Methods: A total of 128 growing pigs ([Yorkshire ${\times}$ Landrace] ${\times}$ Duroc), averaging $26.62{\pm}3.07kg$ body weight, were assigned in a $2{\times}4$ factorial arrangement with 4 pigs per pen. The first factor was two dietary energy level (3,265 kcal of ME/kg or 3,365 kcal of ME/kg), and the second factor was four different levels of dietary protein by phase feeding (1growing(G)-2finishing(F) phases, 2G-2F phases, 2G-3F phases and 2G-3F phases with low CP requirement). Results: In feeding trial, there was no significant difference in growth performance. The BUN concentration was decreased as dietary protein level decreased in 6 week and blood creatinine was increased in 13 week when pigs were fed diets with different dietary energy level. The digestibility of crude fat was improved as dietary energy levels increased and excretion of urinary nitrogen was reduced when low protein diet was provided. Chemical compositions of longissimus muscle were not affected by dietary treatments. In backfat thickness ($P_2$) at 13 week, pigs fed high energy diet had thicker backfat thickness (P = 0.06) and pigs fed low protein diet showed the trend of backfat thinness reduction (P = 0.09). In addition, water holding capacity was decreased (P = 0.01) and cooking loss was increased (P = 0.07) as dietary protein level reduced. When pigs were fed high energy diet with low subdivision of phase feeding, days to 120 kg market weight was reached earlier compared to other treatments. Conclusion: Feeding the low energy diet and subdivision of growing-finishing phase by dietary protein levels had no significant effect on growth performance and carcass characteristics. Also, phase feeding with low energy and low protein diet had no negative effects on growth performance, carcass characteristics but economical profits was improved.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.32 no.12
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• pp.925-932
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• 2023

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of microbial additive on the meat quality and fatty acid (FA) profiles of growing-finishing pigs. A total of 180 growing-finishing pigs (Landrace × Yorkshire × Duroc; mixed sex; 14 weeks of age; 58.0 ± 1.00 kg) were randomly distributed into three treatments with three pens consisting of 20 growing-finishing pigs per pen for 60 days. The experimental treatments were as follows: 0, 0.5, and 1.0% microbial additive. The crude protein, cooking loss, drip loss, water holding capacity, and shear force in loin muscle were no significant differences among treatments (p>0.05), except for the moisture and crude fat contents. The pH and TBARS of loin muscle shown no significant differences among treatments (p>0.05). However, the L^* and a^* values of loin muscle were the highest in the 1.0% supplementation group compared with the other treatments (p<0.05). The b^* value of loin muscle was the highest in the control group compared with the other treatments (p<0.05). Linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, docosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, and n-3 FAs contents of loin muscle were the highest in 1.0% supplementation group compared with the other treatments (p<0.05). In conclusion, using 1.0% microbial additive supplementation can improve meat quality by increasing polyunsaturated FA concentration and meat color in pig loins.