• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.29 no.7
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• pp.1060-1064
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• 2016

With regard to animal welfare concerns, behavioral information of weaned and mixed piglets is great interest in swine production. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the change in behavior of weaned piglets over time in two different groups (littermates and piglets from different litters) after mixing. Two weaned groups of piglets (72 individuals in all) housed either with littermates or with foreign piglets (6 individuals in $1.8m{\times}1.4m$ pens, $28^{\circ}C{\pm}1^{\circ}C$ temperature) were observed with the aid of video technology for 9 consecutive hours on days 1, 2, and 3 after mixing. The behaviors of the weaned piglets in the control and treatment groups were significantly different among the days after mixing. Piglets were, however, more active and aggressive in the groups with foreign piglets. This study reveals a lower level of agonistic behavior in groups of piglets that came from the same litter.

• 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.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.863-876
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• 2019

Farm animals such as piglets are often affected by environmental stress, which can disturb the gut ecosystem. Antibiotics were commonly used to prevent diarrhea in weaned piglets, but this was banned by the European Union due to the development of antibiotic resistance. However, the use of probiotics instead of antibiotics may reduce the risk posed by pathogenic microorganisms and reduce the incidence of gastrointestinal diseases. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the effects of Lactobacillus casei Zhang on the mechanical barrier and immune function of early-weaned piglets infected using Escherichia coli K88 based on histomorphology and immunology. Fourteen-day-old weaned piglets were divided into a control group and experimental groups that were fed L. casei Zhang and infected with E. coli K88 with or without prefeeding and/or postfeeding of L. casei Zhang. The L. casei Zhang dose used was $10^7CFU/g$ diet. Jejunum segments were obtained before histological, immunohistochemical, and western blot analyses were performed. In addition, the relative mRNA expression of toll receptors and cytokines was measured. Piglets fed L. casei Zhang showed significantly increased jejunum villus height, villus height-crypt depth ratio, muscle thickness, and expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen and tight junction proteins ZO-1 and occludin. The use of L. casei Zhang effectively reduced intestinal inflammation after infection. We found that L. casei Zhang feeding prevented the jejunum damage induced by E. coli K88, suggesting that it may be a potential alternative to antibiotics for preventing diarrhea in early-weaned piglets.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.97-104
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• 2000

This study was carried out to determine the effects of different weaning age on feeding performance and behaviour of piglets. Sixty crossbred(YLxD) litters of piglets were randomly alloted to be 15 pens with 4 piglets per pen and 5 pens per treatment by weaned at 14, 21, and 28 days. Pens were video-taped for 24 hours immediately at 7 weeks and 8 weeks of age. The piglets weaned at 14 and 21 days were significantly (P<0.05) much intake than piglets weaning at 28 days. The piglets weaning at 14 days were significantly lighter than piglets weaning at 14 and 21 days fro m2 weeks to 8 weeks age. However, feed conversion ration was significantly(P<0.05) improved according to late weaning days. Times spent engaged in Feeding, lying and walking were similar in piglets across weaning age. They also showed similar occurrence of drinking and agonistic behaviour at 7 weeks and 8 weeks of age. Piglets weaned at 14 days exhibited more belly-nosing behaviour at 7 weeks of age, but similar in piglets at 8 weeks of age across weaning age. We concluded that piglets performance influenced by weaning day, however time spent for feeding, lying and walking behaviour were no significance. Drinking, Agonistic and belly-nosing were not significantly different by weaning age.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.28 no.8
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• pp.1163-1170
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• 2015

Two probiotic strains, Lactobacillus johnsonii x-1d-2 and Lactobacillus mucosae x-4w-1, originally isolated from piglet feces, have been demonstrated to possess antimicrobial activities, antibiotic resistances and interleukin-6 induction ability in RAW 267.4 macrophages in our previous study. These characteristics make L. johnsonii x-1d-2 and L. mucosae x-4w-1 good candidates for application in feed probiotics. In this study, soybeal meal, molasses and sodium acetate were selected to optimize the growth medium for cultivation of L. johnsonii x-1d-2 and L. mucosae x-4w-1. These two strains were then freeze-dried and mixed into the basal diet to feed the weaned piglets. The effects of L. johnsonii x-1d-2 and L. mucosae x-4w-1 on the growth performance and fecal microflora of weaned piglets were investigated. The results showed that the bacterial numbers of L. johnsonii x-1d-2 and L. mucosae x-4w-1 reached a maximum of 8.90 and 9.30 log CFU/mL, respectively, when growing in optimal medium consisting of 5.5% (wt/vol) soybean meal, 1.0% (wt/vol) molasses and 1.0% (wt/vol) sodium acetate. The medium cost was 96% lower than the commercial de Man, Rogosa and Sharpe medium. In a further feeding study, the weaned piglets fed basal diet supplemented with freeze-dried probiotic cultures exhibited higher (p<0.05) body weight gain, feed intake, and gain/feed ratio than weaned piglets fed basal diet. Probiotic feeding also increased the numbers of lactobacilli and decreased the numbers of E. coli in the feces of weaned piglets. This study demonstrates that L. johnsonii x-1d-2 and L. mucosae x-4w-1 have high potential to be used as feed additives in the pig industry.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.802-811
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• 2020

Objective: Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of dietary sucralose on diet preference and growth performance of weaned piglets, and a third experiment was a 28-d safety study to examine if high-dose sucralose could affect the health state of weaned piglets. Methods: In experiment one, 48 piglets had free access to a corn-soybean based diet and the same diet supplemented with 150 mg/kg sucralose for 15 d. In experiment two, 180 piglets were blocked into 5 treatments with 6 replications. They were fed basal diets supplemented with 0, 75, 150, 225, and 300 mg/kg sucralose for 28 days. In experiment three, 108 piglets were randomly assigned to 3 treatments and fed diets supplemented with 0, 150 (suitable level), and 1,500 (ten-fold suitable level) mg/kg sucralose for 28 d. Results: The experiment 1 showed that piglets preferred (p<0.05) diets containing sucralose during experimental period. In experiment 2, piglets fed a diet supplemented with 150 mg/kg sucralose had a higher average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) than pigs in the control group and other treatment groups during the experiment period. The concentrations of sucralose over 150 mg/kg may decrease feed intake. However, no difference in feed conversion ratio was observed. In experiment 3, piglets fed diet supplemented with 150 mg/kg sucralose had a higher ADG and ADFI than that of pigs in the control group and 1,500 mg/kg treatment groups during the experiment period. Clinical blood metabolites, organ index and histological morphology were not significantly different between sucralose treatments. Conclusion: Sucralose can promote feed intake and thereby improve growth performance of weaned piglets. Moreover, inclusion of 1,500 mg/kg sucralose was demonstrated to have no observed adverse effects. Supplementing 150 mg/kg sucralose for weaned piglets is recommended in this study.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.22 no.11
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• pp.1540-1546
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• 2009

One hundred and forty-four piglets with an average birth weight of 1,672${\pm}$13.4 g were used to evaluate different feeding strategies for piglets reared from birth on a dummy sow. A 3${\times}$2 factorial experiment compared three nursing frequencies (1, 3 or 6 h intervals) and two feeding regimes (milk only, or milk combined with access to creep feed and water). The piglets which were nursed at one hour intervals had the lightest body weights at all days, and the poorest combined milk and creep feed dry matter conversion efficiency to piglet body weight gain in the second week. Piglets which were nursed at 3 h intervals had the heaviest body weight at day 15 and 22, but those nursed at 6 h intervals achieved similar body weight by days 29 (milk withdrawal) and 36. Piglets offered creep feed were observed to wean themselves before cessation of milk availability, and the timing of this self-weaning depended on the nursing frequency. The piglets nursed at one hour intervals weaned themselves between day 22 and day 29, those nursed at 3 h intervals weaned themselves between day 15 and day 22, whilst those nursed at 6 h intervals weaned themselves between day 8 and day 15. The piglets which were nursed at 6 h intervals had the highest total dry matter intake in weeks 3 and 4 when fed with milk, creep feed and water but not when fed milk only. They consequently had the poorest dry matter conversion efficiency in the fourth week and overall when fed with milk, creep feed and water, but not when fed milk only. It is concluded that the optimal management routine under these conditions is a 3 h nursing cycle with provision of supplementary creep feed and water.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.63 no.3
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• pp.575-592
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• 2021

In livestock nutrition, natural feed additives are gaining increased attention as alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters to improve animal performance. This study investigated the effects of dietary turmeric supplementation on the growth performance and gut health of weaned piglets. A total of 48 weaned piglets (Duroc × [Landrace × Yorkshire]) were used in a 6-week feeding trial. All piglets were allotted to two dietary treatments: corn-soybean meal basal diet without turmeric (control) and with 1% weight per weight (w/w) turmeric powder (turmeric). The results showed that dietary inclusion of turmeric with the basal diet improved final body weight and total average daily gain (p < 0.05). The concentrations of short-chain fatty acids in the fecal samples, including acetic, butyric, and propionic acids, were higher in the turmeric group (p < 0.05). The villus height-to-crypt depth ratio was higher in the ileum of turmeric-fed piglets (p = 0.04). The 16S rRNA gene sequencing of fecal microbiota indicated that, at the phylum level, Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were the most predominant taxa in all fecal samples. Bacteroidetes were significantly decreased in the turmeric group compared to the control group (p = 0.021). At the genus level, turmeric showed a decreased abundance of Prevotella (p = 0.021) and an increasing trend of Lactobacillus (p = 0.083). Among the total detected species, nine bacterial species showed significant differences between the two groups. The results of this study indicated that turmeric altered the gut microbiota and shortchain fatty acid production. This suggests that turmeric could be used as a potential alternative growth promoter for piglets.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.425-430
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• 1999

Complex environmental control systems were developed, which control properly the pig's environment in windowless pig-housing based on the thermoregulatory behaviors of pigs and concentrations of noxious gases (CO2 and NH3). The this study was conducted to assess the performance of complex environmental control systems by raising weaned piglets and growing pigs under different seasonal conditions. Average daily gain of pigs in the experimental pig-housing was slightly higher than that of pigs in the conventional pig-housing. Average daily gain was not significantly different in winter and spring(P＞0.05), but was significantly different in summer(P＜0.05). Feed conversion rate of pigs in the experimental pig-housing was smaller than that of pigs in the conventional pig-housing. Feed conversion rate was not significantly different in environment for weaned piglets and growing pigs resulted in the improved daily gain, feed conversion rate, and carcass quality of the finishing pigs. These results showed that the performance of the complex environmental control systems in windowless pig-housing was excellent for weaned piglets and growing pigs.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.22 no.8
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• pp.1160-1166
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• 2009

This study was conducted according to the single-factor design principle to investigate in vitro the effects of different glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) concentrations (0, $1{\times}10^{-11}$, $1{\times}10^{-10}$, $1{\times}10^{-9}$, $1{\times}10^{-8}$ and $1{\times}10^{-7}$ mol/L) on the morphology, proliferation and enzyme activity of intestinal enterocyte cells of 28-d-old weaned piglets. These cells were primary cultured in 4 pieces of 24-well cell culture plate. After having been grown for 48 h in culture media with hGLP-2, the ileal enterocyte cells of 28-d-old weaned piglets exhibited the typical characteristics of simple columnar epithelium. Compared with the control groups, the quantities of treated cells significantly increased (p<0.05) and their corresponding absorption values in 540 nm (MTT OD) also significantly increased (p<0.01). Likewise, lactic acid concentration, total protein content and protein retention significantly increased (p<0.05). $Na^{+}$, $K^{+}$-ATP enzyme activity was more active (p<0.05), although the activity of alkaline phosphatase, lactic acid dehydrogenase and creatine phosphokinase in culture media significantly decreased (p<0.01). To summarize, the results indicated that GLP-2 in vitro is capable of promoting the proliferation of intestinal enterocyte cells of 28-d weaned piglets, restraining their apoptosis and maintaining the integrity of their morphology.