• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
• /
• v.20 no.8
• /
• pp.200-206
• /
• 2019

Korea is introducing new animal welfare rearing standards for swine farmers in order to improve the breeding environment of livestock on Korean farms, Korea is establishing a policy to apply to all new farms in 2019 and to all existing farms in 2025. These guidelines are limiting stall breeding of sows after 4 weeks of pregnancy, the light intensity should be above 40lux, the ammonia level should be below 25ppm and the breeding density area should be increased from $1.4m^2$ to $2.25m^2$. In Europe, where animal welfare has been studied and applied for nearly 100 years, the facility specifications and management manuals are available and provided to farmers to introduce proper animal welfare for pigs and to enhance the convenience and utility of farmers who are converting to raising pigs. The EU has established independent standards for each country, and the EU has set the standards for floor facilities to improve animal welfare on pig farms and as applied by farmers. Yet in Korea, there are no methods and techniques for breeding methods that do not use an ordinary stall, except on a few leading farms. There has been no research on the welfare of sows so that farmer could improve sows' living conditions. Thus, farmers can minimize the difficulty of implementing the changing government policies, and they must develop farm turnover policies and specification management manuals to cope with the introduced regulations on sow group housing. We suggest that conducting research and evaluating the level of sows' welfare are important for farmers.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Developmental Biology Conference
• /
• 2001.10a
• /
• pp.37-43
• /
• 2001

1. About fifty thousand of cattle embryos were transferred and 16000 ET-calves were born in 1999. Eighty percents of embryos were collected from Japanese Black beef donors and transferred to dairy Holstein heifers and cows. Since 1985, we have achieved in bovine in vitro fertilization using immature oocytes collected from ovaries of slaughterhouse. Now over 8000 embryos fertilized by Japanese Black bull, as Kitaguni 7~8 or Mitsufuku, famousbulls as high marbling score of progeny tests were sold to dairy farmers and transferred to their dairy cattle every year. 2. Embryo splitting for identical twins is demonstrated an useful tool to supply a bull for semen collection and a steer for beef performance test. According to the data of Dr. Hashiyada(2001), 296 pairs of split-half embryos were transferred to recipients and 98 gave births of 112 calves (23 pairs of identical twins and 66 singletons). 3. A blastomere-nuclear-transferred cloned calf was born in 1990 by a joint research with Drs. Tsunoda, National Institute of Animal Industry (NIAI) and Ushijima, Chiba Prefectural Farm Animal Center. The fruits of this technology were applied to the production of a calf from a cell of long-term-cultured inner cell mass (1988, Itoh et al, ZEN-NOH Central Research Institute for Feed and Livestock) and a cloned calf from three-successive-cloning (1997, Tsunoda et al.). According to the survey of MAFF of Japan, over 500 calves were born until this year and a glaf of them were already brought to the market for beef. 4. After the report of "Dolly", in February 1997, the first somatic cell clone female calves were born in July 1998 as the fruits of the joint research organized by Dr. Tsunoda in Kinki University (Kato et al, 2000). The male calves were born in August and September 1998 by the collaboration with NIAI and Kagoshima Prefecture. Then 244 calves, four pigs and a kid of goat were now born in 36 institutes of Japan. 5. Somatic cell cloning in farm animal production will bring us as effective reproductive method of elite-dairy- cows, super-cows and excellent bulls. The effect of making copy farm animal is also related to the reservation of genetic resources and re-creation of a male bull from a castrated steer of excellent marbling beef. Cloning of genetically modified animals is most promising to making pig organs transplant to people and providing protein drugs in milk of pig, goat and cattle. 6. Farm animal cloning is one of the most dreamful technologies of 21th century. It is necessary to develop this technology more efficient and stable as realistic technology of the farm animal production. We are making researches related to the best condition of donor cells for high productivity of cloning, genetic analysis of cloned animals, growth and performance abilities of clone cattle and pathological and genetical analysis of high rates of abortion and stillbirth of clone calves (about 30% of periparutum mortality). 7. It is requested in the report of Ministry of Health, labor and Welfare to make clear that carbon-copy cattle(somatic cell clone cattle) are safe and heathy for a commercial market since the somatic cell cloning is a completely new technology. Fattened beef steers (well-proved normal growth) and milking cows(shown a good fertility) are now provided for the assessment of food safety.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
• /
• v.62 no.2
• /
• pp.180-186
• /
• 2020

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of replacing corn with soy hulls on nutrient digestibility of growing pigs. Three experimental diets were tested using a 3 × 3 Latin square design using three barrows per group (Landrace × Yorkshire × Duroc, average initial body weight of 36.9 ± 4.0 kg) in individual metabolic cages. The dietary treatments were the control (CON) basal diet (corn-soybean meal based diet), whereas in the test diets, soy hulls were included at 5% (H1), 10% (H2), gradually replacing corn. The daily feed allowance was adjusted to 2.7 times the maintenance requirement for digestible energy (DE) (2.7 × 110 kcal of DE/kg BW^0.75). Intake of crude fiber (CF) was different among treatments (p < 0.05). Pigs fed with H2 diet excreted higher concentrations of dry matter (DM), and CF than pigs fed with H1 diet and basal diet (p < 0.05). Pigs fed with H1 and H2 diets excreted higher concentrations of crude protein (CP) than pigs fed with CON diet (p < 0.05). The apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of CF from H1 and H2 diets were higher than CON diet (p < 0.05). Pigs fed with H2 diets were significantly lower (p < 0.05) the ATTD of CP than the pigs fed with CON and H1 diets. The current data suggest that 10% inclusion soy hulls can slightly decrease CP digestibility. However, soy hulls considerably increased CF digestibility.It is concluded that 5% soy hulls may be a usable alternative to corn in growing pig diets.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.32 no.12
• /
• pp.1836-1843
• /
• 2019

Objective: Social genetic effects (SGE) are an important genetic component for growth, group productivity, and welfare in pigs. The present study was conducted to evaluate i) the feasibility of the single-step genomic best linear unbiased prediction (ssGBLUP) approach with the inclusion of SGE in the model in pigs, and ii) the changes in the contribution of heritable SGE to the phenotypic variance with different scaling ${\omega}$ constants for genomic relationships. Methods: The dataset included performance tested growth rate records (average daily gain) from 13,166 and 21,762 pigs Landrace (LR) and Yorkshire (YS), respectively. A total of 1,041 (LR) and 964 (YS) pigs were genotyped using the Illumina PorcineSNP60 v2 BeadChip panel. With the BLUPF90 software package, genetic parameters were estimated using a modified animal model for competitive traits. Giving a fixed weight to pedigree relationships (${\tau}:1$), several weights (${\omega}_{xx}$, 0.1 to 1.0; with a 0.1 interval) were scaled with the genomic relationship for best model fit with Akaike information criterion (AIC). Results: The genetic variances and total heritability estimates ($T^2$) were mostly higher with ssGBLUP than in the pedigree-based analysis. The model AIC value increased with any level of ${\omega}$ other than 0.6 and 0.5 in LR and YS, respectively, indicating the worse fit of those models. The theoretical accuracies of direct and social breeding value were increased by decreasing ${\omega}$ in both breeds, indicating the better accuracy of ${\omega}_{0.1}$ models. Therefore, the optimal values of ${\omega}$ to minimize AIC and to increase theoretical accuracy were 0.6 in LR and 0.5 in YS. Conclusion: In conclusion, single-step ssGBLUP model fitting SGE showed significant improvement in accuracy compared with the pedigree-based analysis method; therefore, it could be implemented in a pig population for genomic selection based on SGE, especially in South Korean populations, with appropriate further adjustment of tuning parameters for relationship matrices.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.107-114
• /
• 2011

This study was designed to determine the effect of season and split-sex feeding on performance, stress and carcass quality of finishing pigs. Two hundred and seventy cross-bred finishing pigs $(82.1{\pm}0.82kg)$ were randomly divided into six groups in 2 seasons (summer and winter) ${\times}$ 3 split-sex feeding (female only, castrated male and mixed) factorial arrangement of treatments. In winter, feed intake and weight gain of finishing pigs were better than summer (p<0.05). Split-sex feeding was affected the feed conversion, feed conversion of finishing pigs were superior in winter and mixed groups. Plasma concentrations of cortisol as a stress indicators was greater in the mixed groups vs female only and castrated male groups. There were no interactions between the season and split-sex feeding in their effects on these blood variables. The season was affected the carcass characteristics and PSE incidence of the finishing pigs, PSE incidence was low in winter and mixed groups. Meat quality did not show any significant difference due to the difference of season and split-sex feeding of finishing pigs. There was no significant difference in the pH, drip loss and meat color of pork loin between the season and split-sex feeding of finishing pigs. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that we need more precise on-farm management practice in summer and application of split-sex feeding skills to reduce the stress and improve welfare status of finishing pigs.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.101-106
• /
• 2011

One hundred and forty-four cross-bred market pigs weighing approximately 110 kg were randomly divided into four groups in a 2 (handling stress; minimal vs stimulated) ${\times}$ 2 (transport vehicle type; enclosed box vs conventional open) factorial arrangement of treatments. The stimulated handling stress group received overally rough handling including electric prod stimulation during loading, transport and lairage at least once at each step. All the animals received 3-h lairage prior to slaughter. Blood and longissimus dorsi muscle (LM) samples were taken at slaughter and after overnight chilling of the carcass, respectively. Plasma concentrations of stress indicators glucose, cortisol, creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase were greater in the stimulated vs minimal handling stress group. There were no interactions between the handling stress and transport vehicle type in their effects on these blood variables. The incidence of pale, soft and exudative (PSE) carcass and drip loss of LM, 24-h postmortem LM pH and color including the lightness and redness were not affected by the handling stress and transport vehicle type. In conclusion, results suggest that rough handling inflicts a stimulated stress on the animal, which is manifested by increased blood concentrations of stress indicators, and therefore should be avoided for animal welfare.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
• /
• v.47 no.3
• /
• pp.597-604
• /
• 2020

Exposure to heat stress (HS) has negative effects on pig production and health. Plasma concentrations of amino acids (AAs) can be used as indicators of HS. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the effect of acute HS on feed intake, water drink, and plasma AAs in pigs. A total of 6 growing pigs (n = 6, 3 boars and 3 gilts) were raised in thermal neutral (TN; 25℃) conditions for the 5-d adaptation period as a control. After the adaptation, pigs were exposed to HS at 33℃ (HS33) for 24 h. All the pigs were fed the same diet formulated to meet or exceed predicted requirements during the whole experimental period. Blood samples were collected after the adaptation and heat treatment to verify the AAs. Measurements were the average daily feed intake (ADFI), average daily water intake (ADWI), water loss, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, nitrate, total nitric oxide, and AAs in the plasma samples. Data were analyzed using the PROC GLM of SAS. HS33 had a lower ADFI (p < 0.05) and a tendency for an increased ADWI and water loss compared to TN. The level of TNF-α was significantly decreased (p < 0.05) in HS33. HS33 had a lower concentration of histidine and sarcosine compared to TN; however, there were no differences in the levels of nitrates and total nitric oxide. In conclusion, the results of this study show the differential effect of HS on the plasma concentration of AAs. We expect that the changed AAs could be potential indicators of HS.

• Animal Bioscience
• /
• v.34 no.1
• /
• pp.154-160
• /
• 2021

Objective: The effect of environmental enrichment on the behaviour of piglets in the nursery phase was evaluated. Methods: A total of 450 hybrid pigs (21 day old), including both females and uncastrated males, weighing approximately 6 kg, were distributed in a completely randomised design with 3 treatments and 3 replicates of 50 animals each. The treatments were: i) pen without environmental enrichment (control), ii) treatment consisting of continuous environmental enrichment (CEE) with rubber balls throughout the experimental period, and iii) treatment consisting of environmental enrichment with washed balls (EEWB) during the whole experimental period which were removed daily for washing. For the behavioural evaluation, 10 animals were randomly selected per replicate. The behavioural assessments were performed once a week, from 8 am to 6 pm, using images captured with a video camera. The data were submitted to non-parametric analyses, the means were compared using the Bonferroni test, and Person's correlations were also calculated. Results: A statistical difference (p = 0.001) was observed in the B5 (playful) behaviour; the animals in the EEWB treatment group had a higher frequency of this behaviour than animals in the control treatment group. The animals in the control group showed a higher frequency of B7 behaviour (lying down) (p = 0.026) than those in the EEWB and CEE treatment groups. The animals in the control group had a higher frequency of the B9 (belly nosing) behaviour than those in the EEWB group (p = 0.015). There was a tendency towards a higher frequency of behaviour B3 (walking in the pen) (p = 0.067) when the animals received the control treatment than treatments EEWB or CEE. Conclusion: The use of an enriching object improved the animal welfare and altered the correlation between the evaluated behaviours compared to the animals that did not have environmental enrichment.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
• /
• v.65 no.6
• /
• pp.1124-1150
• /
• 2023

This study aimed to analyze the leading research materials and research trends related to livestock food in Asia in recent years and propose future research agendas to ultimately contribute to the development of related livestock species. On analyzing more than 200 relevant articles, a high frequency of studies on livestock species and products with large breeding scales and vast markets was observed. Asia possesses the largest pig population and most extensive pork market, followed by that of beef, chicken, and milk; moreover, blood and egg markets have also been studied. Regarding research keywords, "meat quality" and "probiotics" were the most common, followed by "antioxidants", which have been extensively studied in the past, and "cultured meat", which has recently gained traction. The future research agenda for meat products is expected to be dominated by alternative livestock products, such as cultured and plant-derived meats; improved meat product functionality and safety; the environmental impacts of livestock farming; and animal welfare research. The future research agenda for dairy products is anticipated to include animal welfare, dairy production, probiotic-based development of high-quality functional dairy products, the development of alternative dairy products, and the advancement of lactose-free or personalized dairy products. However, determining the extent to which the various research articles' findings have been applied in real-world industry proved challenging, and research related to animal food laws and policies and consumer surveys was lacking. In addition, studies on alternatives for sustainable livestock development could not be identified. Therefore, future research may augment industrial application, and multidisciplinary research related to animal food laws and policies as well as eco-friendly livestock production should be strengthened.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
• /
• v.43 no.4
• /
• pp.595-602
• /
• 2016

In pigs, individuals in the same pen may show aggressive behavior toward each other, such as tail biting. Such social interactions among pen mates may considerably affect their welfare and performance, both in negative and positive ways. The present study was conducted to investigate social genetic effects on days to 90 kg using data from 12,208 Duroc and Yorkshire pigs that were born between 2008 and 2012. Heritability was estimated using the five following animal models: a basic model with direct heritable effects only (Model 1), a social model with direct and social heritable effects (Model 2), a model accounting for covariance between direct and social heritable effects (Model 3), and two models considering a dilution factor with direct and social heritable effects (Models 4 and 5). The optimal model to represent Duroc pigs was Model 1 which only uses direct heritable effects. Direct heritability (0.21) was higher than total heritability (0.09) and covariance was negative. Model 2 was evaluated as the optimum model for Yorkshire pigs. Yorkshire data showed that total heritability (0.5) was twice as high as direct heritability (0.25) and covariance was positive. Our results suggest that the efficiency of social effects differed among breeding lines. Further research on social effects related to breeds by group size would clarify which is the most efficient selection method that accounts for social genetic effects.