• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.347-360
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• 1993

The project was undertaken to provide information on the present system of traditional pig farming in the South Pacific region, to identify the problems currently limiting productivity of such pigs and to offer practical strategies which could be used for increasing productivity of the animals. The problems were identified by surveying some 220 subsistence pig farms in eleven island countries in the South Pacific region using a prepared questionnaire. The units were found to be generally small, consisting of about 2-4 sows per herd. The productivity of the units as assessed in terms of sow reproductive efficiency was rather low, being only about 7.5. Feed, housing, breeding, disease, marketing, lack of capital, technical know-how and existing social traditions were identified as current constraints. Based on three of the most limiting factors identified namely feed, housing and breeding, strategies for improvement were developed on the basis of better and more effective use of locally available feed resources, better housing and genetic improvement through crossbreeding programmes. These improvement strategies were tested as a package model on some ten farms in two of the island countries. The results of these on-farm trials indicated that using the improvement strategies increased sow reproductive efficiency by approximately 60 percent, to nearly 12. The significance of these findings in the overall management of traditionally raised pigs in the South Pacific region is discussed.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.6-9
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• 2000

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of lower numbers of sperm $(3{\times}10^9)$ per dose liquid semen and type of semen used in artificial insemination (AI) on sow reproductive performance in subtropical area. Semen was supplied by two commercial AI centers. A total of 671 female pigs from seven farms were inseminated with either $3{\times}10^9$ or $5{\times}10^9$ sperm per dose. Two types of semen were used: heterospermic semen from two boars of the same breed and homospermic semen from a single boar. After insemination, conception rate, farrowing rate, total litter size, and number of dead piglets were recorded. The analysis of variance indicated that there was no significant effect of interactions between pig farm, type of semen, or number of sperm on any of the traits measured. There were significant differences in conception rate, farrowing rate, and total litter size among pig farms (p<0.05). The effect of number of sperm per dose liquid semen ($3{\times}10^9$ or $5{\times}10^9$) was not significant. Sows inseminated with homospermic semen showed significantly higher conception and farrowing rates but significantly lower total litter size (p<0.05). In conclusion, the number of sperm per dose liquid semen for AI could be lowered to $3{\times}10^9 $ without affecting reproductive performance in subtropical areas like Taiwan.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.11
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• pp.1601-1606
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• 2011

32 sows (Landrace${\times}$Yorkshire) and their litters were used to evaluate the effects of varying creep feed duration on pre-weaning, post-weaning performance of piglets and sows. Sows were randomly assigned with 1, 2 or 3+ parities into 1 of 4 treatments. Creep feeding was initiated at day 5, 10 and 15 from birth for treatment 1 (TRT1), 2 (TRT2) and (TRT3), respectively, with a control group provided no creep feed. In this study, TRT1 and TRT2 diets had reduced (p<0.05) the post-weaning diarrhea scores in piglets and the weaning-to-estrus interval and cortisol concentration in sows at weaning time compared with other treatments. Dietary TRT1 led to a higher (p<0.05) epinephrine and norepinephrine concentrations than other treatments. No differences (p>0.05) were noted in suckling, sleeping, fighting frequency and mortality in piglet and eating, standing times, backfat and body weight loss in sows. In conclusion, creep feed initiated from day 5 and 10 reduce diarrhea scores in piglets and benefit the estrus interval in sows compared with those initiated from day 15 and no-creep feeding diets, indicating creep feeding could improve the pigs and sows performance, especially those initiated from day 5 and 10.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.7
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• pp.1011-1014
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• 2008

A total of 335 sows at a commercial operation (Hitch Pork Producers Inc, Guymon, OK) was used to determine dietary effects of yeast culture supplementation ($XPC^{TM}$, Diamond V Mills) on litter performance. Sows were grouped by parity (parity 1 to 12). Pigs within a group were then allotted to treatments. Treatments consisted of: CON (no added yeast culture) and YC (12 and 15 g/d XPC during gestation and lactation, respectively). Sows were housed individually and fed their assigned gestation and lactation diets from d 35 of gestation to d 21 of lactation. Sows were fed 2.0 kg/d during gestation and ad libitum during lactation. Voluntary feed intake was measured daily during lactation. At farrowing, numbers of pigs born total and alive were measured. Weights of litters were measured at birth and weaning on d 21 of lactation. Litter weight gain of the YC treatment was 6.9% greater (p<0.01) than that of the CON. However, voluntary feed intake of sows and litter size did not differ between treatments. This study indicates that dietary yeast culture supplementation benefits sow productivity by improving litter weight gain. At present, it is not confirmed if improved litter weight gain was due to milk production, which remains to be investigated.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.127-131
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• 1994

In order to examine the effects of PGF2$\alpha$ on intervals from weaning to estrus and serum progesterone levels seventeen crossbred primiparious sows were randomly alloted to two groups. One group was injected intramuscularly on the day of weaning with 10 mg PGF2$\alpha$ (10mg/2ml, Lutylase). The other group was treated with saline as a control. Serum progesterone concentrations were determined at 24 hour intervals for 12 days after weaning. A serum progesterone level in PGF2$\alpha$-treated group was reached to the lowest level(1.19$\pm$0.38 ng/ml) on day 3 after weaning and remained low(1.26~1.43ng/ml) thereafter. Whereas, the control group showed the lowest level of progesterone on day 4 after wearing, then showed a rapid increase up to 5.02$\pm$0.38ng/ml on day 8 and a rapid decrease was followed. The PGF2$\alpha$ treated group showed an interval from weaning to estrus(5.2$\pm$0.8 days) approximately 2 days shorter than the control(7.4$\pm$3.0 days)(p<0.05).

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.249-252
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• 2007

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of administration of Prostaglandin $F_2{\alpha}$ ($PGF_2{\alpha}$) on semen collection training and semen characteristics in sexually inexperienced boars. Boars were moved individually to a semen collection pen and were trained to mount dummy sow. During the first and second semen collection secessions, 4 out of 17 boars and 4 out of remaining 13 boars allowed collection of semen. The 9 boars that failed semen collection from first 2 attempts received immediately 15 mg of $PGF_2{\alpha}$ i.m. (intramuscular injection) upon entering the collection pen for semen collection resulted in successful semen collection from all 9 boars. Total numbers of spermatozoa were higher in $PGF_2{\alpha}$ treated boars but there was no significant difference in % motility kinematics characteristics between control and $PGF_2{\alpha}$ treated groups during 72 hr period. Overall, administration of $PGF_2{\alpha}$ in sexually inexperienced boars increased the sex drive and facilitated the mounting activity to the dummy sow for semen collection.

• 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.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.89-94
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• 2004

Total 2,451 sera collected from pig farms nationwide were tested for the detection of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome(PRRS) virus antibodies. The results were analyzed between different geographic regions, types of breeding pigs, and different years. The overall seroprevalence of PRRS virus antibodies for 3 years was 32.4%(705/2,451). The seroprevalence of PRRS virus antibodies in years 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2004 was 33.4% (284/850), 38.6%(291/754), 33.3%(155/466), and 17.1%(65/381), respectively. The seropevalence of PRRS virus antibody in sow in years 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003 was 31.7%, 28.4%, 29.6%, and 13.4%, respectively. The seropevalence of PRRS virus antibody in gilts in years 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003 was 36.6%, 67.4%, 54.7%, and 33.9%, respectively. The seropevalence of PRRS virus antibody in boars in years 2000, 2001 and 2003 was 45.7%, 36.4%, and 100%, respectively. No boar serum sample was submitted for the diagnosis of PRRS virus antibody in the year 2000. High seroprevalence of the PRRS virus antibody in sow, gilts and boars indicates that the infected breeding pigs are the major source of the PRRS virus infection, and also play an important role in spreading the PRRS virus between fan mates or herds.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.25-31
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• 1994

In order to investigate the internal parasitic infection, fecal samples were collected from weaning pig(n=123), porker(n=418) and sow(n=121) in 49 sawdust fermentative pigsty of Chonbuk district. The prevalence and identification of internal parasites were determined by the fecal examination using the floatation and /or sedimentation methods and microscopical examination, respectively. The results were obtained as follows ; 1. The detection rate of parasite - eggs from 662 fecal samples was 86.6%. 2. The infection rate of parasite-egg 96.4% in porker, 76.9% in sow, 62.6% in weaning pig, in order. 3. In the concern of mired infection such as single, double triple and quadraple, the rate was 42.3%, 28.7%, 12.2% and 3.3%, respectively. 4. Ten kinds of the detected eggs were isolated from 662 fecal samples. They were classified as Balantidium coli (63.6%), Trichuris suis(24.8%), isospora spp.(23.5%), Oesoohangostomum spp.(17.8%), Ascaris suum(11.8%), Hyostronylus rubiddus (2.8%), strongyloides spp. (1.7%), Gnathostoma spp. (1.5%), Stephanurus dentatus(1.3%) and Metastrongylus spp. (0.7%), in order.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.305-312
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• 2007

The present studies was to seroepidemiological investigation with the related pneumonia due to a combination of both viral and bacterial agents. In selected herd in Jeonbuk-Iksan area of swine farms in 2006. The seroprevalence of antibody titers of PRRS, PCV-2 and mycoplasmal pneumonia were 87.2%, 69.8% and 47.4%, respectively. High seroprevalence of antibody in sow indicate that the infected sow major source of the diseases, and play an important role in circulation between production stage.