• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.141-148
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• 2013

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of different housing systems on the performances of sows and their piglets during gestation. A total of 90 sows (Landrace ${\times}$ Yorkshire) were employed into 3 experimental farms to give 3 treatments, stall housing, group housing in either slatted floor or litter floor. Individual sow was used as an experimental unit. Group housed sows were fed with electronic sow feeder during gestation. Performance measures were taken on sows and piglets. Back-fat thickness and body condition score of sows were not affected by housing systems for pregnant sows. There was no difference of estrus interval of pregnant sows between housing systems. The lower number of still-birth was observed in group housing type. The number of wounded sows in slatted floor was remarkably increased compared with sows in litter floor. This study showed that the housing systems could fairly impact sow and piglet performances.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.191-199
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• 2021

Salmon oil (SO) could be used as a great source of ω-3 fatty acids in pig diet. The purpose of the study was to investigate the SO effect on production performance of sows and their offspring. 48 lactating sows (Landrace × Yorkshire) from Dankook University experimental farm were used in this study. Sows were conceived using either guided natural mating or by artificial insemination. Pregnancy diagnosis was confirmed by ultrasonography on day 25 after mating. Sows and their offspring were assigned randomly to 1 of 2 treatments. Treatments included: 1), control (CON); 2), control + SO 0.5% (CS). The inclusion of SO did not affect (p > 0.05) the litter size throughout the experiment. No difference (p > 0.05) was observed on the average daily feed intake (ADFI), chest circumference, estrus interval and sow backfat thickness between CON and SO treatments. Dietary SO supplemented diet reduced (p < 0.05) body weight loss during lactation compared with control treatment. Pigs fed SO supplemented diet did not affect (p > 0.05) the fecal scores during lactation compared with those fed control treatments. Sows fed SO supplemented diet led to a higher (p < 0.05) initial weight, weaning weight and average daily gain of piglets than those fed control diets. No difference (p > 0.05) was observed on piglet survival and fecal scores throughout the experiment. Inclusion of SO could reduce the body weight loss of sows and improves piglet growth during lactation, indicating SO has beneficial effects for pigs.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.774-780
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• 1998

This report includes an extensive bibliography of research articles investigating various facets of rearing neonatal piglets using liquid diets, and includes historical publications dating back to the 1940's. However, in order to provide concise and timely focus for application in modem swine production, only a selected number of recent findings are reviewed in detail. Collectively, the data presented illustrate that growth of piglets fed liquid diets can greatly exceed that of littermates fed dry diets and can even exceed growth rates of sow-reared controls (by up to 160%). The central questions that remain unanswered are: 1) Can this improved performance be obtained routinely and economically under applied farm conditions? and if so, 2) Does improved growth during the early-weaning period translate into improved net economic returns overall? Unfortunately, due to the current practical management constraints related to liquid-diet feeding (i.e., lack of an easy-to-manage feed delivery system), limited data are available which examine the efficacy of liquid-diet feeding under practical, commercial farm conditions.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.64 no.4
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• pp.696-706
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• 2022

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of Silybum marianum seed (SMS) extract on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, fecal noxious gas emission, and hematology parameters in weaned piglets. A total of 120, 21-day-old weaned piglets ([Yorkshire × Landrace] × Duroc) were randomly assigned to 3 groups based on the average initial body weight (6.46 ± 0.45 kg). There were 8 replicate pens per treatment and 5 pigs (mixed sex) per pen. The experimental period was 42 days. Dietary groups included a basal diet, and a basal diet supplemented with 0.05% or 0.10% SMS extract. Feeding weaned piglets with SMS extract containing diet significantly increased average daily gain and average daily feed intake. Additionally, the supplementation of SMS extract had no significant effects on nutrient digestibility, serum hematology, and fecal noxious gas emission parameters. We considered that the supplementation of SMS extract had positive effects on the voluntary feed intake in weaned piglets, thus improving growth performance.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.11
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• pp.1733-1743
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• 2022

Objective: This study was aimed to explore the efficacy of combination of endo-xylanase (Xyn) and xylan-debranching enzymes (arabinofuranosidase, Afd and feruloyl esterase, FE) in improving utilization of bran in piglet diet. Methods: In vitro experiments were firstly conducted to examine the enzymological properties of Xyn, Afd, and FE, concurrent with their effect on degradation of arabinoxylan (Abx) in bran. In vivo experiment was then implemented by allocating two hundred and seventy 35-d-old postweaning piglets into 3 groups (6 replicates/group), which received bran-containing diet supplemented with Xyn (1,600 U/kg) or its combination with Afd (0.8 U/kg) and FE (4 U/kg) or without enzyme. Results: Both Xyn, Afd, and FE are relatively stable against the changes in temperature and pH value. Combining Xyn with Afd and FE had a superiority (p<0.05) over Xyn alone and its combination with Afd or FE in promoting (p<0.05) degradation of Abx in different brans. Combined treatment with Xyn, Afd, and FE was more beneficial than Xyn alone to induce increasing trends (p<0.10) of average daily gain, final body weight and feed efficiency of piglets fed bran-containing diet. Moreover, combination of Xyn, Afd, and FE showed advantages (p<0.05) over Xyn alone in causing reductions (p<0.05) in diarrhea rate and cecal pH value, concurrent with increases (p<0.05) in cecal and colonic acetic acid and total volatile fatty acid concentrations, as well as cecal butyric acid concentration of piglets fed bran-containing diet. Conclusion: Combining Xyn with Afd and FE was more beneficial than Xyn alone in promoting degradation of Abx in bran, along with growth performance and intestinal volatile fatty acid profile of piglets received bran-containing diet. Thereby, combination of Xyn, Afd, and FE had a superior efficacy relative to Xyn alone in improving application of cereal bran in piglet diet.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.83-92
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• 2014

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary CP levels in gestation under equal lysine content on reproductive performance, blood metabolites and milk composition of gilts. A total of 25 gilts ($F_1$, Yorkshire${\times}$Landrace) were allotted to 4 dietary treatments at breeding in a completely randomized design, and fed 1 of 4 experimental diets containing different CP levels (11%, 13%, 15%, or 17%) at 2.0 kg/d throughout the gestation. Body weight of gilts at 24 h postpartum tended to increase linearly (p = 0.09) as dietary CP level increased. In lactation, backfat thickness, ADFI, litter size and weaning to estrus interval (WEI) did not differ among dietary treatments. There were linear increases in litter and piglet weight at 21 d of lactation (p<0.05) and weight gain of litter (p<0.01) and piglet (p<0.05) throughout the lactation as dietary CP level increased. Plasma urea nitrogen levels of gilts in gestation and at 24 h postpartum were linearly elevated as dietary CP level increased (p<0.05). Free fatty acid (FFA) levels in plasma of gestating gilts increased as dietary CP level increased up to 15%, and then decreased with quadratic effects (15 d, p<0.01; 90 d, p<0.05), and a quadratic trend (70 d, p = 0.06). There were no differences in plasma FFA, glucose levels and milk composition in lactation. These results indicate that increasing dietary CP level under equal lysine content in gestation increases BW of gilts and litter performance but does not affect litter size and milk composition. Feeding over 13% CP diet for gestating gilts could be recommended to improve litter growth.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.157-164
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• 2012

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of different farrowing space, narrow and wide, on the sow performances and piglet growth performances. The $1.5m^2$ of narrow farrowing space was determined as the size of farrowing crate. The $3.0m^2$ of wide space for farrowing sow was the same of farrowing pen to allow the behavior freedom of sow. Baby piglets in the wide farrowing space was protected from crushing of sow by installation of safety bar. The pregnant sows used in this study were stall-housed during gestation and moved to each farrowing spaces on 8 d before parturition. Feed intake, backfat thickness and body condition score of sow were not affected by both farrowing spaces. However, the changes in backfat thickness and body condition score between farrowing and weaning in wide farrowing space were lower (p<0.05) than in narrow farrowing space. The return to estrus of sow was remarkably decreased in wide farrowing space compared to sows in narrow farrowing space. The lower number of stillbirth and higher mortality of piglets were observed in wide farrowing space. From the results, although wide farrowing space could be practically acceptable in terms of sow performances, possible cause of mortality of piglets should be scrutinized through observation of piglet and sow behaviors.

• 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.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.576-584
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• 2017

Objective: To generate recombinant Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) engineered for expression of porcine ${\beta}-defensin-2$ (pBD-2) and cecropin P1 (CP1) fusion antimicrobial peptide and investigate their anti-bacterial activity in vitro and their growth-promoting and disease resisting activity in vivo. Methods: The pBD-2 and CP1 fused gene was synthesized using the main codons of B. subtilis and inserted into plasmid pMK4 vector to construct their expression vector. The fusion peptide-expressing B. subtilis was constructed by transformation with the vector. The expressed fusion peptide was detected with Western blot. The antimicrobial activity of the expressed fusion peptide and the recovered pBD-2 and CP1 by enterokinase digestion in vitro was analyzed by the bacterial growth-inhibitory activity assay. To analyze the engineered B. subtilis on growth promotion and disease resistance, the weaned piglets were fed with basic diet supplemented with the recombinant B. subtilis. Then the piglets were challenged by enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli). The weight gain and diarrhea incidence of piglets were measured after challenge. Results: The recombinant B. subtilis engineered for expression of pBD-2/CP1 fusion peptide was successfully constructed using the main codons of the B. subtilis. Both expressed pBD-2/CP1 fusion peptide and their individual peptides recovered from parental fusion peptide by enterokinase digestion possessed the antimicrobial activities to a variety of the bacteria, including gram-negative bacteria (E. coli, Salmonella typhimurium, and Haemophilus parasuis) and grampositive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus). Supplementing the engineered B. subtilis to the pig feed could significantly promote the piglet growth and reduced diarrhea incidence of the piglets. Conclusion: The generated B. subtilis strain can efficiently express pBD-2/CP1 fusion antimicrobial peptide, the recovered pBD-2 and CP1 peptides possess potent antimicrobial activities to a variety of bacterial species in vitro. Supplementation of the engineered B. subtilis in pig feed obviously promote piglet growth and resistance to the colibacillosis.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.511-515
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• 2000

Early weaning is a means of breaking the disease cycle from sow to piglet as well as capitalising on the enormous growth potential of the pig. However, the transition from milk to dry diets results in a growth check. Feeding of supplemental milk, fermented to reduce pH and enterotoxigenic bactetial proliferation, may be a means of gradually weaning pigs on to solid feed. This study involved 216 pigs weaned from the sow at 12 days of age, allocated to groups of 6 males and 6 females per weaner pen and allowed ad libitum access to a pelleted diet. In addition, half the pigs were given supplemental fermented skim milk for the first 8 days after weaning. Feeding supplemental fermented milk increased feed intake (104 vs. 157 g DM/d, p=0.011), average daily gain (-3 vs. 112 g/d, p<0.001) and feed conversion efficiency (0.01 vs. 0.81, p=0.003) over the first 8 days after weaning. The improvements observed in the supplemented pigs continued to be augmented such that, by 42 days of age, the pigs that had received supplemental fermented milk were heavier (9.6 vs. 11.5 kg, p=0.003) than their unsupplemented counterparts. Feeding fermented supplemental milk to early-weaned pigs can improve growth performance in the immediate and subsequent post-weaning period.