• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제11권4호
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• pp.450-454
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• 1998

Four groups each containing 48 seven-day-old broiler chicks were reared for 7 weeks during winter on rice husk litter spread to depths of 20, 30, 40 or 50 mm. Broiler performance was evaluated in terms of weight gain, feed consumption, feed efficiency and production number. Litter dampness was determined and coccidial oocyst populations were counted at different weeks of age. The depth of litter did not significantly affect live weight gain, feed consumption, feed conversion ratio, liveability or production number. Variation in moisture contents of litter was observed but the coccidial oocysts count per gramme of litter was within the safety level and therefore, there was no outbreak of coccidiosis in any group. Use of rice husk litter at different depths (20 to 50 mm) did not cause any breast blisters or leg abnormalities. It was concluded that rice husk can be used as litter at depths of between 20 and 50 mm during winter to raise broilers without affecting performance characteristics and health of birds.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제21권7호
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• pp.1011-1014
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• 2008

A total of 335 sows at a commercial operation (Hitch Pork Producers Inc, Guymon, OK) was used to determine dietary effects of yeast culture supplementation ($XPC^{TM}$, Diamond V Mills) on litter performance. Sows were grouped by parity (parity 1 to 12). Pigs within a group were then allotted to treatments. Treatments consisted of: CON (no added yeast culture) and YC (12 and 15 g/d XPC during gestation and lactation, respectively). Sows were housed individually and fed their assigned gestation and lactation diets from d 35 of gestation to d 21 of lactation. Sows were fed 2.0 kg/d during gestation and ad libitum during lactation. Voluntary feed intake was measured daily during lactation. At farrowing, numbers of pigs born total and alive were measured. Weights of litters were measured at birth and weaning on d 21 of lactation. Litter weight gain of the YC treatment was 6.9% greater (p<0.01) than that of the CON. However, voluntary feed intake of sows and litter size did not differ between treatments. This study indicates that dietary yeast culture supplementation benefits sow productivity by improving litter weight gain. At present, it is not confirmed if improved litter weight gain was due to milk production, which remains to be investigated.

• 환경생물
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• 제27권4호
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• pp.353-362
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• 2009

This study attempted to compare the litter decomposition rate of Arundinella hirta and Miscanthus sinensis var. purpurascens which collected from serpentine soil acting potentially toxic concentration of heavy metals and non-serpentine soil by using the microcosm method for 192 days under constant humidity and $23^{\circ}C$. The contents of Ni, Fe, Mg and Cr in the serpentine and nonserpentine soil originated litter showed high differences between them. The litter samples from serpentine site have lower C/N than non-serpentine litter, but the soluble carbohydrate content was shown almost similar between two plant litter. The mass loss rates of leaf litter from serpentine area were slower than those from non-serpentine site. During the experimental period, the remained dry weight of A. hirta and M. sinensis var. purpurascens litter collected from serpentine site were 64.7%, 65.0% of initial dry weight and litter samples from non-serpentine site showed 54.2%, 50.7%, respectively. K and Na were leached rapidly at the initial decomposition periods, but Ca showed immobilization and other metal elements reserved at the decomposing litter for a long time. The decomposing A. hirta litter from non-serpentine soil showed higher values of $CO_2$ evolution, microbial biomass-C, and microbial biomass-N than those in serpentine soil originated litter acting nutrient stresses and exhibited rapid decay rate. The microbial biomass and microbial respiration of decaying litter were positively correlated with litter decomposition rate, and these relationships showed more rapid slope in non-serpentine soil originated litter than that in serpentine soil.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• 제32권2호
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• pp.123-127
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• 2009

Weight loss and nutrient dynamics of Quercus mongolica leaf litter during decomposition were investigated from December 2005 through August 2008 in Mt. Worak National Park as a part of National Long-Term Ecological Research Program in Korea. The decay constant (k) of Q. mongolica litter was 0.26. After 33 months decomposition, remaining weight of Q. mongolica litter was 49.3$\pm$4.4%. Initial C/N and C/P ratios of Q. mongolica litter were 43.3 and 2,032, respectively. C/N ratio in decomposing litter decreased rapidly from the beginning to nine months decomposition, and then showed more or less constant. C/P ratio increased to 2,407 after three months decomposition, and then decreased steadily thereafter. N and P concentration increased significantly during decomposition. N immobilization occurred from the beginning through 18 months decomposition, and mineralization occurred afterwards in decomposing litter. P immobilized significantly from fifteen months during decomposition. K concentration decreased rapidly from the beginning to six months decomposition. However it showed an increasing pattern during later stage of decomposition. Remaining K decreased rapidly during early stage of decomposition. There was no net K immobilization. Ca concentration increased from the beginning to twelve months decomposition, and then decreased rapidly till twenty one months elapsed. However, it increased again thereafter. Ca mineralization occurred from fifteen months. Mg concentration increased during decomposition. There was no Mg immobilization during litter decomposition. After 33 months decomposition, remaining N, P, K, Ca and Mg in Q. mongolica litter were 79.2, 110.9, 36.2, 52.7 and 74.4%, respectively.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제15권6호
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• pp.828-833
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• 2002

Thirty mature pregnant ewes of the Phan Rang breed with an initial live weight of 30 to 45 kg were used to compare the effects of three different diets in late pregnancy on ewe and lamb performance. All diets contained 20% of whole sugar cane, 16% rice bran, 26% cassava root and 6% molasses urea block. The remaining 32% of dry matter consisted of Jackfruit (JF diet), 16% each of Jackfruit and Cassava foliage (JF+CS diet) or Jackfruit and Flemingia foliage (JF+FM diet). The diets were fed at 3.5% of actual BW of the individual animal. The foliages were offered at 120% of the amount decided in the diets of the requirements. The JF+CS diet resulted in significantly higher feed intake than the JF diet, and also a higher feed intake than the JF+FM diet, but this difference was not significant. The ewe weight changes during the last 8 weeks of pregnancy, or from start to 24 h after lambing, were significantly different. The highest weight gain was obtained from the ewes fed the JF+CS diet. Diets had no effect on weight changes of ewes during 3 weeks after lambing but a significant effect on the litter birth weight, with the JF+CS diet giving the highest litter birth weight. There was, however, no effect on the litter weight at 21 days or litter growth rate from birth to 21 days due to the experimental diets.

• 한국축산시설환경학회지
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• 제5권2호
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• pp.107-112
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• 1999

This trial was carried out to compare the effect of fresh sawdust and 2 time used sawdust as a litter for Broiler. Broiler was reared from day old to 49 day. The depth. The depth of litter was 5cm in fresh sawdust and 2.5cm in used sawdust with adding 2.5cm depth of fresh sawdust, respectively. Moisture contents of litter and ammonia gas were not affected by litter treatment. The temperatures of litter were not influenced by the litter treatment; however, They were increased significantly at the age of 5 weeks of broiler reared in used sawdust litter(P<0.05). Weight gain, feed conversion and mortality was not influence between litter types. It is conclude that sawdust of litter material can be recycled saveral times as a broiler litter.

• 대한수의학회지
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• 제39권6호
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• pp.1161-1167
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• 1999

To investigate the effect of diazepam on fetal development in pregnant rats, this experiment was performed in eighty Sprague-Dawley female rats which were 8 weeks old and grouped into two according to different diazepam treatment period during 5-9 days of gestation and 10-14 days of gestation. Both experimental groups were included by saline treated groups (control) and diazepam-treated groups (6mg, 12mg and 24mg), respectively. Diazepam was injected to pregnant rats subcutaneously, which were sacrified on 20 days of gestation and mean litter size, fetal body weight, fetal crown-rump length (CRL) and pathological findings were examined. 1. Concerning mean litter size, diazepam-treated groups showed lower mean litter size than control in both 5-9 days and 10-14 days of gestation groups(p < 0.05) without difference according to dosage of diazepam and day of gestation. 2. Concerning fetal body weight, diazepam-treated groups during 5-9 days of gestation showed lower fetal body weight than control and the other treated group during 10-14 days(p < 0.01) without difference according to dosage of diazepam. Diazepam-treated group during 10-14 days of gestation showed no difference among experimented groups. 3. Concerning fetal crown-rump length (CRL), diazepam-treated groups during 5-9 days of gestation showed shorter CRL than control and the other treated group during 10-14 days of gestation(p < 0.01) without difference according to dosage of diazepam. 4. Reduction of mean litter size, fetal body weight and CRL was shown from when treated by the dosage of 6mg/kg of diazepam. 5. Maternal mortality according to dosage of the 20mg/kg of diazepam were 30% and 20% in the treated group during 5-9 days and 10-14 days of gestation, respectively. These results indicated that diazepam treatment in pregnant rats caused considerable reduction of mean litter size, fetal body weight and fetal crown-rump length when treated during 5-9 days of gestation.

• 한국수정란이식학회지
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• 제8권2호
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• pp.97-103
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• 1993

This study was conducted to determine the main effects of the parity and farrowing season on gestation length and newborn pigs on the basis of the data obtained from 234 litters of Landrace breeds raised at an integrated swine farm in Kyunggy province from January 1991 to December 1992. The results obtained are summarized as follows ; 1. The average gestation length was 115.37 days, and 114.64 days of 8th parity and over was shorter than those of other parities. 2. The averages of litter size and litter size alive per sow were 9.91 and 9.50 heads. The litter size horn at 1st parity was smaller than at other parities, and the litter size in spring was larger than in summer, autumn or winter. 3. The averages of birth weight per litter and pig were 13.53 kg and 1.37 kg. The effect of farrowing season for each litter weight(p<0.01) and pig weight(p<0.05) at birth was significantly higher in spring than other seasons. 4. Incidence of malformation and stillbirth at birth was 4. 10%, and it at 8th parity and over showed the highest rate(7.50%).

• 한국가금학회지
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• 제50권4호
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• pp.273-282
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• 2023

A total of 192 one-day-old Ross 308 broilers (initial body weight: 31.30±0.41 g) were used in this experiment for 28 days. Treatments were as follows: basal rice husk (CON), rice husk + 1% illite (T1), rice husk + 1% zeolite (T2), and rice husk + 0.5% illite + 0.5% zeolite (T3). The percentage of illite and zeolite was calculated on a weight of litter. Each treatment had four replicates, with 12 birds per pen. Each pen was provided with 5 kg of rice husk as litter. Litter moisture content was significantly decreased (P<0.05) in the T1, T2, and T3 groups compared to CON group at week 4. In litter nitrogen, the T1 group showed significantly lower (P<0.05) litter nitrogen content than the other groups at weeks 1, 2, and 3. Also, the T3 group showed a significantly lower (P<0.05) litter nitrogen content than the CON and T2 groups at weeks 2 and 3. The counts of E. coli in the litter were significantly decreased (P<0.05) in the T1 group compared to the CON group at weeks 2 and 3. Moreover, the counts of Salmonella in the litter were significantly decreased (P<0.05) in the T1 group compared to the CON group at week 4. The FPD score significantly decreased (P<0.05) in the T1 group compared to the CON group. In conclusion, spraying illite could be an ideal way to improve litter quality and decrease FPD in broilers.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• 제63권1호
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• pp.1-15
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• 2021

As a result of intensive breeding, litter size has considerably increased in pig production over the last three decades. This has resulted in an increase in farrowing complications. Prolonged farrowing will shorten the window for suckling colostrum and reduce the chances for high-quality colostrum intake. Studies also agree that increasing litter sizes concomitantly resulted in decreased piglet birth weight and increased within-litter birth weight variations. Birth weight, however, is one of the critical factors affecting the prognosis of colostrum intake, and piglet growth, welfare, and survival. Litters of uneven birth weight distribution will suffer and lead to increased piglet mortality before weaning. The proper management is key to handle the situation. Feeding strategies before farrowing, management routines during parturition (e.g., drying and moving piglets to the udder and cross-fostering) and feeding an energy source to piglets after birth may be beneficial management tools with large litters. Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1)-driven recovery from energy losses during lactation appears critical for supporting follicle development, the viability of oocytes and embryos, and, eventually, litter uniformity. This paper explores certain management routines for neonatal piglets that can lead to the optimization of their colostrum intake and thereby their survival in large litters. In addition, this paper reviews the evidence concerning nutritional factors, particularly lactation feeding that may reduce the loss of sow body reserves, affecting the growth of the next oocyte generation. In conclusion, decreasing birth weight and compromised immunity are subjects warranting investigation in the search for novel management tools. Furthermore, to increase litter uniformity, more focus should be placed on nutritional factors that affect IGF-1-driven follicle development before ovulation.