• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.3_spc
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• pp.338-344
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• 2021

In the modern pig production, pigs are weaned at early age with immature intestine. Dietary and environmental factors challenge the intestine, specifically the jejunum, causing inflammation and oxidative stress followed by destruction of epithelial barrier and villus structures in the jejunum. Crypt cell proliferation increases to repair damages in the jejunum. Challenges to maintain the intestinal health have been shown to be related to changes in the profile of mucosa-associated microbiota in the jejunum of nursery pigs. All these processes can be quantified as biomarkers to determine status of intestinal health related to growth potential of nursery pigs. Nursery pigs with impaired intestinal health show reduced ability of nutrient digestion and thus reduced growth. A tremendous amount of research effort has been made to determine nutritional strategies to maintain or improve intestinal health and microbiota in nursery pigs. A large number of feed additives have been evaluated for their effectiveness on improving intestinal health and balancing intestinal microbiota in nursery pigs. Selected prebiotics, probiotics, postbiotics, and other bioactive compounds can be used in feeds to handle issues with intestinal health. Selection of these feed additives should aim modulating biomarkers indicating intestinal health. This review aims to define intestinal health and introduce examples of nutritional approaches to handle intestinal health in nursery pigs.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2000

The structural and environmental characteristics of typical pig houses in different growth phases were surveyed and analyzed. Based on the data for thirty nine selected farms in four provinces, Jeonbuk-do, Jeonnam-do, Gyeongbuk-do, and Gyeongnam-do, in the southern provinces, Korea, the goal is to eventually establish standard pig houses of sow and litter, nursery pigs, and growing-finishing pigs. The survey included farm scale, production specialization, structural dimensions of the houses and their ventilation systems, cooling and heating systems, and floor and pit systems related to manure collection. The survey showed 90∼98% of growing-finishing pig houses adopted the sidewall curtain systems. The sidewall curtain systems, although popular, is not well insulated which leads to excessive heating costs in winter. Regarding flooring and manure collection system of the house, 23∼35% of growing-finishing houses installed scraper systems with concrete-slat floors in Gyeongsang provinces while 52∼78% did in Jeolla provinces. The cause of a large variance in flooring between tow regions could not be academically pinpointed, rather it could be attributed to the advice of neighbors who leads local pig production circle. A general trend toward enlargement and enclosure of pig houses for all growth phases was gaining popularity in most regions in recent years. A steady shift to multisite operation from continuous operation was also observed to prevent a disease transfer. The structural design of a standard pig house with its environmental control systems including ventilation and heating/cooling system was suggested for further validation study. In-depth analysis of the survey data is presented in the Results and Discussion section.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.792-798
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• 2010

Four experiments with 2,020 nursery pigs (Triumph-4${\times}$PIC Camborough 22) were conducted at a commercial research site to evaluate the effects of including 30% distillers dried grain with solubles (DDGS) in late nursery diets on pig growth performance and to compare the effects of pelleted and meal diets containing 30% DDGS on growth performance and nutrient digestibility. In Exp. 1, 312 pigs (10.54${\pm}$0.16 kg) were allotted to two diets: corn-soybean meal based control diet and a corn-soybean meal diet containing 30% DDGS. In Exp. 2, 337 pigs (16.70${\pm}$0.14 kg) were used to validate Exp. 1 with similar diets. In Exp. 3, 665 pigs (11.77${\pm}$0.12 kg) were allotted to diets containing 30% DDGS, but in different forms: meal or pellet. Fecal samples were collected during the final day of the trials to measure nutrient and energy apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD). In Exp. 4, 706 pigs (18.40${\pm}$0.18 kg) were allotted to the same diets as Exp. 3. In Exp. 1 and 2, there was no (p>0.05) effect of DDGS on ADG, ADFI or G:F. In Exp. 3, pelleting improved (p<0.01) ADG (578 vs. 541 g/d) and G:F (714 vs. 674 g/kg), with no difference (p>0.05) in ADFI. The ATTD of most nutrients and energy were improved by pelleting (p<0.05). In Exp. 4, ADG (717 vs. 675 g/d) and G:F (680 vs. 648 g/kg) were improved by pelleting (p<0.01), with no difference (p>0.05) in ADFI. In conclusion, 10-23 kg pigs in late nursery phase can be fed up to 30% DDGS without having a detrimental effect on pig performance, and pelleting the diet will increase nutrient and energy availability.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.1218-1223
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• 1999

The purposes of this study are to examine seroprevalence of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae infection in pigs of different age groups, and retrospectively determine if nursery depopulation (ND) could influence the seroprevalence of M hyopneumoniae infection in nurseries. Sera of 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 weeks old pigs from 7 farms were first selected from a serum bank to examine serologic profiles for M hyopneumoniae infections. Availability of representative sera in the serum bank was a major criterion for farm selection. The sera were tested for M hyopneumoniae antibodies by an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using Tween-20 extracted antigen. Serum samples were also selected from 15 of 34 swine farms that previously participated in a ND study. In order to evaluate M hyopneumoniae infection following ND, ELISA was performed with sera of 8~10 weeks old nursery pigs collected prior to and after ND for up to 12 months from the 15 farms. Serological profiles showed positive ELISA titers for 2 of 7 farms at 8 weeks, 4 of 7 farms at 12 weeks, 6 of 7 farms at 16 weeks, 6 of 6 farms at 20 weeks of age. Prior to ND, 11 of the 15 farms had positive titers in sera of 8~10 weeks old pigs. Sera of 8~10 weeks old pigs collected from 7 of the 11 farms (63.6%) were ELISA antibody negative for up to 12 months following ND. In conclusion, seroconversion to M hyopneumoniae was detected commonly between 10~16 weeks of age, indicating the occurrence of natural infection during the nursery age. The ND appeared to be an effective method to prevent M hyopneumoniae infection within the nursery pig in some farms.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 1999

The structural and environmental characteristics of typical pig houses in different growth phases were surveyed and analyzed. Based on the data for thirty six selected farms in four provinces, Gyonggi-do, Gangwon-do, Choongnam, and Chonbook, in Central Korea, the goal is to eventually establish standard pig houses of sow and litter, nursery pigs, and growing-finishing pigs. The survey included farm scale, production specialization, structural dimensions of the houses and their ventilation systems, cooling and heating systems, and floor and pit systems related to manure collection. The survey showed 90∼99% of growing-finishing curtain installation rate was lower by 10∼20%. The sidewall curtain system, although popular, is not well insulated which leads to excessive heating costs in winter. Regarding flooring and manure collection system of the house, there was quite a lot variability among provinces, with 30∼80% of the houses installing scraper systems with concrete-slat floors in comparison with 30∼60% using a slurry system. Gangwon-do and Choongbook Chungwoo-goon are the predominant regions that installed a scraper system. A general trend toward enlargement and enclosure of pig houses for all growth phases was gaining popularity in most regions in recent years. A steady shift to three site production from a lumped system was also observed to prevent a disease transfer. The structural design of a standard pig house with its environmental control systems including ventilation and heating/cooling system was suggested for further validation study. In-depth analysis of the survey data is presented in the Results and Discussing section.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.207-213
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• 2015

High-quality protein ingredients have been used in nursery diets, in spite of expensive ingredients, to minimize nutritional deficiency and disease problems. Recent dramatic increases in prices of protein products for nursery diets have exacerbated the challenge. Spray-dried egg may be a part of the solutions. Therefore, this review describes the value of spray-dried egg in nursery diets as a high-quality protein source. Spray-dried egg is egg by-product and is produced by only eggs without shell that are below the USDA Grade B standards. Spray-dried egg is an excellent nutrient source: 1) highly digestible, 2) excellent balance of amino acids, 3) rich content of fat, and 4) high metabolizable energy. These can be attributed to growth of nursery pigs. Beyond the provision of bioavailable nutrients, spray-dried egg also may provide specific physiological benefits. Spray-dried egg contains 1) immunoglobulin antibodies (IgY: IgG in egg yolk) that may attach to intestinal pathogens and excrete them and 2) lysozymes antimicrobial protein that can damage bacteria cell wall. Thereby feeding spray-dried egg may reduce concentration of intestinal pathogen and thus improve potential gut health or enteric disease resistance in nursery pigs. This is important for physiologically immature weaned pigs. Based on these benefits, spray-dried egg is believed to have the same benefits as spray-dried plasma protein and milk products in diets for nursery pigs. Therefore, it is suggested that spray-dried egg has a great potential as a valuable protein source in nursery diets.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.63 no.6
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• pp.1344-1354
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• 2021

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of brown rice (Japonica) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and blood parameters of weanling pigs. A total of 60 weanling pigs (28-day-old, 30 barrows and 30 gilts, 6.73 ± 0.77 kg body weight [BW]) were randomly allotted to 2 dietary treatments (6 pigs per pen; 5 replicates per treatment) in a randomized complete block design with the initial BW and sex as blocks. The dietary treatments were a typical nursery diet based on corn and soybean meal (CON) and the CON replaced 50% of corn with brown rice (BR). Pigs were fed respective dietary treatments for 5 weeks. For the last week of experiment period, pigs were fed respective dietary treatments containing 0.2% chromic oxide as an indigestible marker. Fecal samples were collected from randomly selected 1 pig in each pen daily for the last 3 d after the 4-d adjustment period. Blood was collected from randomly selected 1 pig in each pen on d 0, 3, 7, and 14 after weaning. Compared with pig fed CON diet, pigs fed the BR diet were found to have higher (p < 0.05) final BW, overall average daily gain, and apparent ileal digestibility (AID) and apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of dry matter and energy. However, there were no significant differences between the groups with respect to average daily feed intake, gain to feed ratio, frequency of diarrhea, and the AID and ATTD of crude protein during overall experimental period. Similarly, there were no significant differences on blood parameters between the groups. Thus, the findings of this study indicate that brown rice (Japonica) can be used to replace 50% of corn in the diet of pigs during the nursery period without negatively affecting growth performance, nutrient digestibility, or blood parameters.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.7
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• pp.1007-1010
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• 2011

The objective was to evaluate in vitro prediction of ileal digestibility of protein and amino acids (AA) for current nursery pig diets (n = 10) by using pepsin and pancreatin incubations. To compare in vivo ileal digestibility, forty nursery pigs (4 pigs per diet) with an initial BW of $12.2{\pm}2.7$ kg were surgically equipped with T-cannula in the distal ileum. In all cases, the values of in vitro digestibility were higher than those of in vivo digestibility (p<0.05). With regard to the relationships of essential and non essential AA (CP), the $r^2$ value was 0.76. With regard to AA, high relationships were observed in Ile, Thr, and Gly (0.85, 0.83, and 0.89, respectively). Also, there was a lower relationship for Arg, Met, Ala, Asp, Glu, Pro, Ser, and Tyr with $R^2$ values of 0.56, 0.54, 0.40, 0.54, 0.45, 0.24, 0.49, and 0.35, respectively between in vitro and in vivo digestibility. The EAA relationship ($R^2$ = 0.71) was generally higher than that of NEAA ($R^2$ = 0.50) numerically. In conclusion, there were strong linear relationships between in vivo and in vitro ileal digestibility (CP, Ile, Thr, and Gly). In vitro prediction of ileal digestibility (CP, Ile, Thr, and Gly) seems to have significant potential for practical application.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.63 no.3
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• pp.640-650
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• 2021

Particulate matter (PM) produced in pig houses may contain microbes which can spread by airborne transmission, and PM and microbes in PM adversely affect human and animal health. To investigate the microbiome in PM from pig houses, nine PM samples were collected in summer 2020 inside and outside of pig houses located in Jangseong-gun, Jeollanam-do Province, Korea, comprising three PM samples from within a nursery pig house (I-NPH), three samples from within a finishing pig house (I-FPH), and three samples from outside of the pig houses (O-PH). Microbiomes were analyzed using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Firmicutes was the most dominant phylum and accounted for 64.8%-97.5% of total sequences in all the samples, followed by Proteobacteria (1.4%-21.8%) and Bacteroidetes (0.3%-13.7%). In total, 31 genera were represented by > 0.3% of all sequences, and only Lactobacillus, Turicibacter, and Aerococcus differed significantly among the three PM sample types. All three genera were more abundant in the I-FPH samples than in the O-PH samples. Alpha diversity indices did not differ significantly among the three PM types, and a principal coordinate analysis suggested that overall microbial communities were similar across PM types. The concentration of PM did not significantly differ among the three PM types, and no significant correlation of PM concentration with the abundance of any potential pathogen was observed. The present study demonstrates that microbial composition in PM inside and outside of pig houses is similar, indicating that most microbe-containing PM inside pig houses leaks to the outside from where it, along with microbe-containing PM on the outside, may re-enter the pig houses. Our results may provide useful insights regarding strategies to mitigate potential risk associated with pig farming PM and pathogens in PM.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.29 no.7
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• pp.33-40
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• 2024

The live weight of livestock is important information for managing their health and housing conditions, and it can be used to determine the optimal amount of feed and the timing of shipment. In general, it takes a lot of human resources and time to weigh livestock using a scale, and it is not easy to measure each stage of growth, which prevents effective breeding methods such as feeding amount control from being applied. In this paper, we aims to improve the accuracy of weight measurement of piglets, weaned pigs, nursery pigs, and fattening pigs by collecting, analyzing, learning, and predicting video and image data in animal husbandry and pig farming. For this purpose, we trained using Pytorch, YOLO(you only look once) 5 model, and Scikit Learn library and found that the actual and prediction graphs showed a similar flow with a of RMSE(root mean square error) 0.4%. and MAPE(mean absolute percentage error) 0.2%. It can be utilized in the mammalian pig, weaning pig, nursery pig, and fattening pig sections. The accuracy is expected to be continuously improved based on variously trained image and video data and actual measured weight data. It is expected that efficient breeding management will be possible by predicting the production of pigs by part through video reading in the future.