• Animal Bioscience
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• v.36 no.7
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• pp.1083-1090
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• 2023

Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the short-term effects of dietary selenium supplementation on lactating sows on the physiological response, litter performance, milk composition, and tissue selenium retention in piglets when selenium was provided by different sources and at different levels in a lactation diet. Methods: A total of 48 multiparous sows (Yorkshire×Landrace) with average body weight, backfat thickness, and parity were assigned to one of the four treatments with 12 sows per treatment using a 2×2 factorial arrangement in a completely randomized design. Inorganic or organic Se sources were added to the diet at 0.30 ppm and 0.50 ppm Se. Treatments were as follows: i) IS30, basal diet + inorganic Se 0.30 ppm; ii) IS50, basal diet + inorganic Se 0.50 ppm; iii) OS30, basal diet + organic Se 0.30 ppm; and iv) OS50: basal diet + organic Se 0.50 ppm. Results: At Day 21 of lactation, a high tendency of litter weight (p = 0.08) and litter weight gain (p = 0.09) were observed when sows were fed an organic Se source. The milk Se concentration in the organic Se treatment was higher than that in the inorganic Se treatment at Day 21 of lactation (p<0.05). The serum Se concentrations of sows and piglets at Day 21 of lactation were significantly higher when lactating sows were fed organic Se instead of inorganic Se (p<0.01). During the suckling period, the kidney and muscle Se concentrations of piglets at Day 21 of lactation were significantly higher when the sow dietary Se source was organic (p<0.05). Liver Se concentrations were affected by Se source and level (p<0.05). This also resulted in an interaction response at 21 days of lactation (p<0.05). Conclusion: The supplementation of dietary organic Se in a lactating diet could improve sow feed consumption, piglet performance, milk Se level, and the Se status of sows and piglets.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.43-49
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• 2013

The aim of this study was to compare both the performance of litters derived from two sire genetic origins (SGO), Vienna Blue (VB) and Burgundy Fawn (BF), along successive seasons of birth (SB; winter, spring, summer and autumn), and doe reproductive performance in an organic production system. A total of fifty-eight does consisting of a mixture of crosses of several medium-large size breeds at different parity order (P, 1 = nulliparous; 2 = primiparous; ${\geq}3$ = multiparous) and twelve males (6 VB and 6 BF) were housed indoors at environmental conditions that followed seasonality. An extensive reproductive rhythm was used and kits were weaned at $46{\pm}6$ d of age. Doe reproductive performance and the data of 105 litters (55 from VB and 50 from BF SGO) were recorded throughout the SB. No statistically significant differences related to SGO effect were observed. As regards parity order, multiparous does showed higher live weights (LW) (p<0.05), total born (p<0.01), total born alive (p<0.05) per delivery, and litter weight of born alive (p<0.05), but lower milk output at 21st d than primiparous does (p<0.05). The extensive reproductive rhythm mainly increased litter performance at birth in multiparous does but was not sufficient to permit a complete recovery of body reserves lost during lactation. Autumn SB negatively affected doe LW variation between deliveries. The number of pups born and born alive per delivery (p<0.05) and litter size at 21 d of age and at weaning (p<0.01) were lower during hot SB. Due to the lower litter size of pups born in summer and autumn, their individual weight at 21st d of age and daily individual growth rate 0 to 21 d were higher than those of pups born in winter (p<0.001). Litter performance at 21st d of age and individual pup pre-weaning growth rate were poorer for those born in spring than in other seasons due to the harmful effects of increased environmental temperatures. SB affected most of the performance traits of does and young rabbits reared under the organic farming system. The rabbits seemed better suited to organic rearing conditions during winter than in other seasons. The worst results overall were obtained in the spring SB, whereas the hot SB negatively affected both doe energy balance and prolificacy. In conclusion, the pups of the 2 SGO showed good pre-weaning performance and seemed suited to the organic rabbit production system.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.62 no.6
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• pp.777-789
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• 2020

Intense artificial selection has been imposed to Luzhong mutton sheep population in the past years. Improvements on growth and reproductive performance are two breeding goals in the present herd. Although some progresses were phenotypically observed possibly due to inbreeding induced by strong selection in terms of these traits, the genomic evaluation was poorly understood. Therefore, a high-density SNP array was used to characterize the pattern of runs of homozygosity (ROH), estimate inbreeding and inbreeding depressions on early growth performance and litter size based upon ROH, and scan positive selection signatures of recent population. Consequently, a low inbreeding level was observed which had negative effects on litter size, but not on early growth performance. And 160 genes were under selection, of which some were reported to be linked to several traits of sheep including body weight, litter size, carcass and meat quality, milk yield and composition, fiber quality and health, and the top genes were associated with growth (growth hormone [GH]- growth hormone receptor [GHR]- Insulin-like growth factor 1 [IGF1] axis) and litter size (bone morphogenic proteins [BMPs]-associated). The effectiveness of previous breeding measures was highlighted, but purging selection was proposed to alleviate the inbreeding depression on litter size, providing some genomic insights to breeding management of Luzhong mutton sheep.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.568-572
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• 2006

The effect of dietary lysine supplementation on the performance of crossbred lactating sows (n = 49, total 92 litters) and suckling piglets during the warm and cool seasons was studied. Sows were randomly allocated to one of two experimental diets, which were fed throughout a 28-day lactation period. Two diets were formulated based on corn-soybean meal with 6% wheat bran, containing 15% crude protein, and with or without 0.25% lysine-HCl supplementation. No interaction was observed between season and dietary lysine supplementation. Dietary lysine supplementation significantly (p<0.05) increased weaning weight (7.11 vs. 6.46 kg) and daily gain (0.20 vs. 0.18 kg) of piglets. During the warm season lactating sows had significantly lower feed intake (3.78 vs. 6.11 kg, p<0.01), higher weight loss (19.81 vs. 9.73 kg, p<0.01) and backfat loss (0.23 vs. 0.06 cm, p<0.01), longer interval from weaning to estrus (9.32 vs. 6.21 days, p<0.05), lower litter weight gain (42.13 vs. 52.90 kg, p<0.01) and lower daily gain (0.17 vs. 0.21 kg, p<0.01) than lactating sows during the cool season. The results indicate that the influences of dietary treatment and season were independent. The 15.0% CP lactation diet with 0.25% lysine-HCl supplementation did not improve the performance of lactating sows and litter piglets, which was impaired by the warm season.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.62 no.2
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• pp.218-226
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• 2020

The present study investigated the effects of loose farrowing type during gestation and after farrowing on reproductive performance and of lactating sows. A total of 22 primiparous sows (Landrace; average initial body weights [BW], 228.54 ± 12.79 kg) were allotted to one of two treatments on the basis of body weight. Sows were divided into two experimental groups, conventional farrowing crates (CON), and loosed-farrowing pens (LFP). The experiment duration was around 38 days ranging from 10 days before parturition to 28 days after parturition. Gestating sows at the age of 105 d were placed in gestational stalls (group housing). All the sows were fed a common diet according to the National Research Council requirements for lactation. Cross-fostering was performed within 1 day of parturition. From 1 day after weaning, estrus detection was performed twice-daily (0900 and 1730 h) for 10 min by boar exposure. There were significant effects of LFP housing type on the farrowing duration, and farrowing interval. At the farrowing time, none of the litter parameters including total born, stillborn, mummy, born alive piglets and total litter weight and piglet weight were affected. There were no effects of housing type on the mortality of piglets at d 1, 3, 7, 21, and 28. In conclusion, the result of this study showed that there is no performance difference between the crated or LFP sows, which indicate that the LFP housing has the potential to be used as an alternative to the crated house without any detrimental effects in reproduction performance of lactating sows.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.264-274
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• 2023

Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of β-glucan with vitamin E supplementation on the physiological response, litter performance, blood profiles, immune response, and milk composition of lactating sows. Methods: A total of 50 multiparous F₁ sows (Yorkshire×Landrace) with an average body weight (BW) of 233.6±4.30 kg and an average parity of 4.00±0.307 and their litters were used in this experiment. All sows were allotted to one of five treatments, taking into consideration BW, backfat thickness, and parity in a completely randomized design with 10 replicates. The experimental diets included a corn-soybean meal-based basal diet with or without 0.1% or 0.2% β-glucan and 110 IU vitamin E/kg diet. Results: All treatments added with β-glucan or vitamin E were statistically higher in the average daily feed intake (ADFI) of lactating sows compared to those of the control (Diet, p<0.01). Additionally, the ADFI of lactating sows was significantly higher in the groups supplemented with 0.1% β-glucan compared to 0.2% β-glucan (BG, p<0.01). There was an increasing trend in piglet weight at weaning (BG, p = 0.07), litter weight at the 21st day of lactation (BG, p = 0.07) and litter weight gain (BG, p = 0.08) in groups supplemented with 0.1% β-glucan. The addition of 110 IU vitamin E/kg diet increased vitamin E concentration significantly in lactating sows (VE, p<0.01) and exhibited a trend for higher concentrations of vitamin E (VE, p = 0.09) in piglets. Adding 0.1% β-glucan compared to 0.2% β-glucan induced a decrease in the concentration of tumor necrosis factor-α in lactating sows (BG, p = 0.06) and in piglets (BG, p = 0.09) on the 21st day of lactation. There were no significant differences in the milk composition of sows. Conclusion: Adding 0.1% β-glucan and 110 IU vitamin E/kg to a lactating sow's diet was beneficial to the growth performance of piglets by leading to an increase in the feed intake of sows and efficiently supplying vitamin E to both the sows and piglets.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.93-99
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• 1996

The effect of KTC-1, a new semisynthetic rifamycin antituberculous drug, on general toxicity, reproductive capability and fetal development was investigated in Sprague-Dawley rats. Male rats were administered KTC-1 with mashed feed from 63 days before mating to the end of mating period, and female rats were given from 14 days before mating to day 7 of gestation at dose levels of 0, 375, 750, and 1,500 ppm. The females were sacrificed on day 21 of gestation for examination of their fetuses. At 1,500 ppm, a reduction in body weight gain and testis atrophy were observed in male rats. Histological examination revealed testicular atrophy, absence or decrease of germinal cells, and vacuolization of Sertoli cells in testis. A reduction in body weight gain, a decrease in food consumption were found in female rats. In addition, decreases in the number of corpora lutea, iraplantations, and the litter size of live fetuses were seen. Mating, fertility, and pregnancy performances were also affected. There were no external abnormalities observed by examination of fetuses. At 750 ppm, a reduction in the body weight gain of male and female rats and decreases in the number of implantations and litter size were found. At 375 ppm, no treatment-related effects were observed. The results suggest that the no-effect dose levels (NOELs) of KTC-1 are 375 ppm for males and females on general toxicity, 750 ppm for males and females on reproductive capability, and 375 ppm for fetuses on embryonic development.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.66 no.2
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• pp.295-309
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• 2024

To investigate the effect of dietary supplementation with a fermented mixture of bean dregs and wheat bran (FBW) on sow performance. FBW was given to sows during late gestation and lactation; in total, 24 sows were randomly assigned to 4 groups (control diet; 3% FBW diet; 6% FBW diet; 9% FBW diet, n = 6). The weight ratio of bean dregs (wet) to wheat bran was 4:6. Sows were fed different diets from 85 d of gestation until weaning. The results showed that supplementation with FBW increased average daily feed intake (ADFI) during lactation (p < 0.05). FBW supplementation also increased litter weight and milk yield (p < 0.05). The contents of Escherichia coli in the feces of the treatment groups were significantly reduced by FBW supplementation (p < 0.01). FBW supplementation significantly improved the fecal morphology (p < 0.05), alleviating sows' constipation. In conclusion, FBW could increase the ADFI, improve lactation and piglet litter weight in sows and reduce the pathogenic bacterial content in sow feces and constipation.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.231-236
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• 2007

This study examined the decomposition of blades and culms of aquatic emergent plant species, Zizania latifolia, Phragmites communis and Typha angustata, and changes in nutrient contents during decomposition. Z. latifolia, P. communis and T. angustata were the most frequently occurring species in Lake Paldang of Han River, Korea. Experiments were carried out from July 27 to December 14, 2005 in Lake Paldang using the litter bag method. The remaining masses of blade litter of each species at the end of experimental period were 21.2% of initial dry weight in Z. latifolia, 32.5% in P. communis, and 44.7% in T. angustata. In addition, the remaining mass of culm was 22.6% of initial dry mass in Z. latifolia, 56.4% in P. communis, and 38.1% in T. angustata. During the litter decomposition period, P, K, Na, and Mg concentration decreased rapidly within 10 days, but Ca and Mg concentration declined slowly. K contents remained below 10% of initial values in all litter samples retrieved during decomposition, whereas Ca and Mg concentration remained above 40% and 50% during decomposition in all three species. Na, P and Mn contents in litter varied among species and plant parts. P concentration in culms of P. communis remained at about 60% of initial concentration throughout the study, but the remaining P content in culms of Z. latifolia was only 10% of the original value at the end of the study period. The Mn concentration in blades of P. communis increased about 15-fold relative to the initial content by the end of experiment.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.253-257
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• 2003

The suitability of processed cardboard(PC) as litter of broiler house was evaluated by comparing the growth performances of broiler chicks reared on the PC with those of birds reared on conventional rice hull litter(RH) as the control group. A total of 180 male broiler chick (5d old, Ross) were randomly divided into 2 groups and placed into 2 types of litter, PC and RH, with 3 replicates of 30 birds per replicate. Commercial broiler feeds and water were provided ad libitum for 5 weeks. The body weight gains of the birds reared on PC were heavier than those on RH(P<0.05). The average feed conversion rate of chicks reared on PC was appeared to be improved as compared to that of the control. The Enterobacter aerogens counts in PC were significantly rduced than those in the control litter(P<0.05), but a total number of Salmonella and E. coli were not affected by the litter materials. No difference was observed between the average moisture contents of the litters. The average mortality of the chicks reared on PC was significantly lower than that of RH(P<0.05). The results indicate that processed cardboard can substitute other conventional litter materials when the others are in short supply or expensive.