• 한국유기농업학회지
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• 제28권4호
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• pp.627-641
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• 2020

Intensive farming methods that do not guarantee animal welfare can induce stress in pigs. Stress, in turn, can reduce their disease resistance and influence their hormones and metabolites in such a manner that productivity is negatively affected. This study was conducted to compare the stress related factors and blood characteristics of pigs raised on conventional farms and those raised on animal welfare farms. We measured the levels of cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine, biochemical parameters in blood and glycogen, L-lactate and heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) in muscle, as physiological markers of indicating the stress in conventional farm pigs (Control, n=10) and animal welfare farm pigs (Welfare, n=10). We found that there was a significant difference in the albumin-globulin ratio (A/G ratio), as well as the albumin (ALB), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels between the two farms. Epinephrine was significantly higher in conventional farm, while level of norepinephrine was higher in animal welfare farm. There was no significant difference in cortisol, which is known as a stress hormone, across the two groups of farms. Muscular glycogen content was significantly high in animal welfare farm pigs. While L-lactate tended to be low in the animal welfare farm pigs, the difference between them and the conventional farm cohorts was not significant. HSP70 showed high levels of expression in conventional farm. Thus, we suggested that blood parameter results showed a stress response in the livers of conventional farm, and that catecholamine hormones, glycogen, L-lactate and HSP70 can be used as physiological factors of assessing animal welfare.

• 한국수정란이식학회지
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• 제32권3호
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• pp.73-79
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• 2017

Transplantation is considered to be a very useful approach to improve human welfare and to prolong life-span. Heterologous organ transplantation using pig organs which are similar to human beings and easy to make mass-production has known as one of the alternatives. To ensure potential usage of the pig organ for transplantation application, it is essentially required to generate transgenic pig modifying immuno-related genes. Previously, we reported production of heterozygous ${\alpha}1,3$-galactosyltransferase (GalT) knock-out and human membrane cofactor protein (MCP) expressing pig ($GalT^{-MCP/+}$), which is enforced for suppression of hyperacute and acute immunological rejection. In this study, we reported generation of homozygous pig ($GalT^{-MCP/-MCP}$) by crossbreeding $GalT^{-MCP/+}$ pigs. Two female founders gave birth to six of $GalT^{-MCP/-MCP}$, and seven $GalT^{-MCP/+}$ pigs. We performed quantitative real-time PCR, western blot, and flow cytometry analyses to confirm GalT and MCP expression. We showed that fibroblasts of the $GalT^{-MCP/-MCP}$ pig do not express GalT and its product Gal antigen, while efficiently express MCP. We also showed no expression of GalT, otherwise expression of MCP at heart, kidney, liver and pancreas of transgenic pig. Taken together, we suggest that the $GalT^{-MCP/-MCP}$ pig is a useful candidate to apply xenotransplantation study.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제30권12호
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• pp.1667-1673
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• 2017

Antibiotics have long been of great benefit for people, both in the medical treatment of human disease and in animal food where they improve the growth performance and feed utilization during animal production. Antibiotics as in-feed supplements affect all stages of pork production, including the gestation, nursing, growing, and finishing stages, although the effects show stage-dependent differences. However, the use of antibiotics in animal feed has become a worldwide concern. This review describes why sub-therapeutic levels of antibiotic additives in animal feed have become an integral part of animal feeding programs for more than 70 years, particularly in pork production. It also discusses the threat of the long-term use of sub-therapeutic levels of antibiotics in pork production. In recent years, the effectiveness of in-feed antibiotics has tended to decrease. This review analyzes this change from various perspectives. First, the equipment used at pig farms has improved dramatically and is more sanitary. Worldwide, more pig farms use pig farrowing crates, gestation crates, piglet nursery crates, flooring devices, piggery ventilation and cooler systems, automatic pig feeders, piggery heating equipment, and artificial insemination systems. In addition, scientists have replaced the use of antibiotics with organic acids, fermented mash, probiotics, prebiotics, minerals, oligosaccharides, enzymes, herbs/flavors, and protein/amino acids, and have improved management and husbandry techniques. In addition, animal welfare legislation has been aimed at improving the quality of the floors and living space, ensuring that animals have permanent access to fresh water, and setting a minimum weaning age. Finally, the prospects and the possibility of replacing antibiotics in pork production are described, in line with recent research results.

• Animal Bioscience
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• 제37권4_spc호
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• pp.786-793
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• 2024

Latin America is a culturally, geographically, politically, and economically diverse region. Agriculture in Latin America is marked by a remarkable diversity of production systems, reflecting various agroecological zones, farm sizes, and technological levels. In the last decade, the swine industry increased by 30.6%, emerging as a great contributor to food security and economic development in Latin America. Brazil and Mexico dominate the pig production landscape, together accounting for 70% of sow inventory in the region. The swine industry in Latin America is predominantly comprised of small and medium-sized farms, however, in the past 30 years, the number of pig producers in Brazil dropped by 78%, whereas pork production increased by 326%. Similar to the global pork industry, the growing demand for pork, driven by population growth and changing dietary habits, presents an opportunity for the industry with an expected growth of 16% over the next decade. The export prospects are promising, however subject to potential disruptions from global market conditions and shifts in trade policies. Among the challenges faced by the swine industry, disease outbreaks, particularly African Swine Fever (ASF), present significant threats, necessitating enhanced biosecurity and surveillance systems. In 2023, ASF was reported to the Dominican Republic and Haiti, Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) in Mexico, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, and Venezuela, and Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED) in Mexico, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, and Ecuador. Additionally, feed costs, supply chain disruptions, and energy expenses have affected mainly the smaller and less efficient producers. The swine industry is also transitioning towards more sustainable and environmentally friendly practices, including efficient feed usage, and precision farming. Ensuring long-term success in the swine industry in Latin America requires a holistic approach that prioritizes sustainability, animal welfare, and consumer preferences, ultimately positioning the industry to thrive in the evolving global market.

• 한국수정란이식학회지
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• 제32권4호
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• pp.305-310
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• 2017

Miniature pig (minipig) has been considered as an important laboratory animal in the developmental biotechnology researches with respect to xenotransplantation, stem cell, somatic cell nuclear transfer and embryo transfer. Given that the laboratory minipigs are normally housed at an indoor facility, they pass the time with lying or sleeping unless it is feeding time. Therefore, it is necessary to provide environmental enrichments to satisfy their innate needs and to lessen atypical behaviors caused by stress, on the purpose of welfare. We quantitatively investigated the type of preferable enrichment for the laboratory minipigs as well as its effect on their daily life. They presented a great interest to the pliable pail but a rapid loss of attraction to non-preferable enrichments. When the daily life of the single housed minipigs was quantified based on duration of playing or resting, they were more actively engaged in lively activities in the presence of enrichments. In addition, the provision of enrichments could effectively alleviate the conflicts during group housing when new pen mate was introduced, resulting in reduction of wound cases. We believe the considerations of animal welfare are essential to the conduct of better research because animals in the non-stressful environment will be more physiologically stable and provide more reliable results in the animal experiments.

• 한국동물위생학회지
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• 제42권4호
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• pp.183-191
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• 2019

Claw lesion is one of the major causes of lameness in sows and the lameness is one of the reasons for culling of sows from the swine herd. This survey was conducted on sows in total of 8 farms with a total of 684 pigs. The lesions observed in the study were horizontal and vertical claw cracks (CWH & CWV), differences in the length of toes (T) and/or in the length of dew claws (DC) according to crates, breeds and parity of sows. Scores of claw lesions were assigned on 0, 1, 2, and 3 at each foot depending on the severity of the claw lesions. The sows' parity was classified into 1 to 2, 3 to 4, 5 to 8. Prevalence rate of claw lesions in sows raised on punched plastic crate was higher than that in sows raised on tribar crate. In prevlence rate by breeds, inbreed Landrace sows showed higher than that of Yorkshire sows. According to 4 claw lesions, the length of DC was the highest at parity 3~4 and CWV was the lowest at parity 3~4 in F1 crossbred sows raised on punched plastic crates, respectively. In Yorkshire breeds raised on punched plastic crates, the length of DC at parity 5~8 was the lowest and CWH was the highest at parity 3~4, respectively. In Landrace breeds raised on tribar crates, CWH was the highest at parity 1~2 and CWV was the lowest at parity 3~4, respectively. The high parity in F1 crossbred sows showed high prevalence rate of claw lesions than that of low parity and other inbreed sows, respectively. These results may be useful as elementary data in establishment of welfare quality protocol and preventive measures to reduce economic losses from craw lesions in sows.

• 한국콘텐츠학회논문지
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• 제18권2호
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• pp.1-10
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• 2018

혼잡한 돈방에서 사육되는 이유자돈들의 공격적인 이상행동들은 축산농가의 경제적 손실을 야기할 뿐만 아니라 동물복지입장에서도 바람직하지 않다. 이러한 문제점의 해결책으로, 최근 IT기반의 연구들이 소개되고 있으나 혼잡한 돈방에서의 돼지 객체 탐지는 여전히 도전적인 문제로 알려져 있다. 본 논문에서는 개별 돼지의 탐지를 위한 키넥트 카메라와 딥러닝 기반의 새로운 모니터링 시스템을 제안한다. 제안된 시스템은 다음과 같다. 1) 키넥트 카메라로부터 취득한 깊이 영상에서 배경 차영상 기법과 깊이 임계값을 이용하여 서있는 돼지만을 탐지한다, 2) 딥러닝 알고리즘 중 최근 가장 빠르고 높은 정확도를 보이는 YOLO(You Only Look Once)를 이용하여 서있는 돼지들을 탐지한다. 본 연구의 실험 결과에 의하면, 제안된 시스템은 경제적인 비용(저가의 키넥트 센서)과 시스템 정확도(평균 99.40% 객체 검출율과 탐지 정확도)로 개별 돼지 객체들을 실시간으로 탐지할 수 있음을 실험적으로 확인하였다.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• 제60권5호
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• pp.13.1-13.7
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• 2018

Background: The objective of this study was to underline that litter size as a key trait of sows needs new parameters to be evaluated and to target an individual optimum. Large individual variation in litter size affects both production and piglet's survival and health negatively. Therefore, two new traits were suggested and analyzed. Two data sets on 5509 purebred German Landrace sows and 3926 Large White and crossing sows including at least two parental generations and at least five parities were subjected to variance components analysis. Results: The new traits for evaluating litter size were derived from the individual numbers of total born piglets (TBP) per parity: In most cases, sows reach their maximum litter size in their fourth parity. Therefore, data from at least five parities were included. The first observable maximum and minimum of TBP, and the individual variation expressed by the range were targeted. Maximum of TBP being an observable trait in pig breeding and management yielded clearly higher heritability estimates ($h^2{\sim}0.3$) than those estimates predominantly reported so far. Maximum TBP gets closer to the genetic capacity for litter size than other litter traits. Minimum of TBP is positively correlated with the range of TBP ($r_p=0.48$, $r_g$ > 0.6). The correlation between maximum of TBP and its individually reached frequency was negative in both data sets ($r_p=-0.28$ and - 0.22, respectively). Estimated heritability coefficients for the range of TBP comprised a span of $h^2=0.06$ to 0.10. Conclusion: An optimum both for maximum and range of total born piglets in selecting sows is a way contributing to homogenous litters in order to improving the animal-related conditions both for piglets' welfare and economic management in pig.

• Animal Bioscience
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• 제35권6호
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• pp.791-803
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• 2022

Genome/gene-editing (GE) techniques, characterized by a low technological barrier, high efficiency, and broad application among organisms, are now being employed not only in medical science but also in agriculture/veterinary science. Different engineered CRISPR/Cas9s have been identified to expand the application of this technology. In pig production, GE is a precise new breeding technology (NBT), and promising outcomes in improving economic traits, such as growth, lean or healthy meat production, animal welfare, and disease resistance, have already been documented and reviewed. These promising achievements in porcine gene editing, including the Myostatin gene knockout (KO) in indigenous breeds to improve lean meat production, the uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) gene knock-in to enhance piglet thermogenesis and survival under cold stress, the generation of GGTA1 and CMP-N-glycolylneuraminic acid hydroxylase (CMAH) gene double KO (dKO) pigs to produce healthy red meat, and the KO or deletion of exon 7 of the CD163 gene to confer resistance to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus infection, are described in the present article. Other related approaches for such purposes are also discussed. The current trend of global regulations or legislation for GE organisms is that they are exempted from classification as genetically modified organisms (GMOs) if no exogenes are integrated into the genome, according to product-based and not process-based methods. Moreover, an updated case study in the EU showed that current GMO legislation is not fit for purpose in term of NBTs, which contribute to the objectives of the EU's Green Deal and biodiversity strategies and even meet the United Nations' sustainable development goals for a more resilient and sustainable agri-food system. The GE pigs generated via NBT will be exempted from classification as GMOs, and their global valorization and commercialization can be foreseen.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제14권7호
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• pp.1019-1023
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• 2001

An on-farm trial was conducted in temperature-controlled lactation rooms at a commercial pig farm to investigate the efficacy of broadcasting sow suckling grunts from day 4 of lactation, on increasing piglet growth to weaning. In the Broadcast treatment, sows and litters were exposed to a 3-min broadcast from loud-speakers every 42 min. The Control treatment was not exposed to the broadcast. All sows and litters had similar husbandry and piglets were provided with creep feed on the floor twice daily. In each of the three replicates in time, the Broadcast and Control treatments were allocated to different lactation rooms at random and there were 12 sows and litters per treatment per replicate. A total of four identical lactation rooms were available for the trial, each containing 28 conventional sow and litter crates with piglet heater in the creep area. A non-trial room separated the two treatment rooms in each replicate to minimise the chance that the broadcast grunt stimulation was audible to the Control treatment litters. Five "normal and average-looking" piglets from the trial litters were weighed twice, 7 d apart. The cohort of five piglets was identified by ear-tags and formed the experimental unit for the statistical analysis. The average (${\pm}SD$) age of piglets at initial weighing was 7.7(${\pm}2.22$) days. For each litter, mean piglet live weight at day 14 of lactation was estimated by linear regression of the two weights recorded seven days apart, when on average, the Broadcast treatment had been exposed to the stimulation for 10 days. Piglets in the Broadcast treatment were heavier (p<0.01) at day 14 of lactation compared to Control treatment (4.24 and 3.92 kg, respectively) and tended to have a greater average daily weight gain over the 7-d period (245 and 228 g/day, respectively; p<0.08). The results suggest piglet growth was improved by about 8% in response to the regular, timed broadcast of sow suckling grunts in the lactation shed. The independent contributions of milk and creep feed to the improved growth remain to be determined.