• 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.25 no.2
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• pp.151-162
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• 2012

Analysis for back fat thickness (BFAT) and daily body weight gains from birth to the end of a performance test were conducted to find an optimal method for estimation of weaning age effects and to ascertain impacts of weaning age on the growth performance of purebred Berkshire pigs from a closed population in Korea. Individual body weights were measured at birth (B), at weaning (W: mean, 22.9 d), at the beginning of the performance test (P: mean, 72.7 d), and at the end of the performance test (T: mean, 152.4 d). Further, the average daily gains in body weight (ADG) of 3,713 pigs were analyzed for the following periods: B to W (DGBW), W to P (DGWP), P to T (DGPT), B to P (DGBP), B to T (DGBT), and W to T (DGWT). Weaning ages ranged from 17 to 34 d, and were treated as fixed (WF), random with (WC) and random without (WU) consideration of an empirical relationship between weaning ages in the models. WF and WC produced the lowest AIC (Akaike Information Criterion) and least fractions of error variance components in multi-traits analysis, respectively. The fractions of variances due to diverse weaning age and the weaning age correlations among ADGs of different stages (when no overlapping allowed) by WC ranged from 0.09 to 0.35 and from -0.03 to 0.44, respectively. The maximum weaning age effects and optimal back fat thicknesses were attained at weaning ages of 27 to 32 d. With the exception of DGBW, the effects of weaning age on the ADGs increased (ranging from 1.50 g/d to 7.14 g/d) with increased weaning age. In addition, BFAT was reduced by 0.106 mm per increased day in weaning age. In conclusion, WC produced reasonable weaning age correlations, and improved the fitness of the model. Weaning age was one of crucial factors (comparable with heritability) influencing growth performance in Berkshire pigs. Further, these studies suggest that increasing weaning age up to 32 d can be an effective management strategy to improve growth performance. However, additional investigations of the costs and losses related to extension of the suckling period and on the extended range of weaning age are necessary to determine the productivity and safety of this practice in a commercial herd and production system.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.60 no.12
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• pp.30.1-30.11
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• 2018

Background: Recently, as production costs have been increasing owing to rising feed prices worldwide, shortening the age of slaughter has been recognized as a way to increase farm income. In Korea, the raising period for Hanwoo steers is over 31 months with the delay of weaning and castration stated as one of the reasons for the increase in the raising period. Thus far, studies on age of weaning and castration have been conducted individually, and there have been no studies on the combined effects of weaning and castration ages on the growth performance and carcass characteristics in Hanwoo steers. Methods: Weaning ages were calculated at 80 or 130 days of age, and castration ages were calculated at 90 days and 180 days of age. Calves were allocated to one of the four treatment groups: W80C90 (weaning at 80 days of age and castration at 90 days of age), W80C180, W130C90, and W130C180. Results: For the entire experimental period, weaning and castration ages did not significantly affect growth performance of Hanwoo steers. In addition, weaning and castration ages did not affect the overall yield and quality traits of carcass in Hanwoo steers. Conclusion: Weaning and castration ages had small effects on growth performance and carcass characteristics in Hanwoo steers. Therefore, the early weaning and castration ages are recommended to reduce the slaughter age without any negative effects on meat quality grade.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.55-66
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• 2002

It is an important task to give adequate nutritions to infants and to wean properly for rapid growth. This study was conducted to survey on doing the weaning activities of the first-time mother. This study was to provide basic data of health teaching and nursing intervention for the promotion of ideal weaning activities. Survey was done from January to February in 2001. Total 444 mothers who have first-time baby under twelve month old were interviewed in five community health center around contry (Seoul, Choung-ju, Asan, Cheon-an, Jeju). The results are summarized as follows; Starting time of weaning was common in four month old(40.4%). Most common daily weaning times by age showed once(under 3 months), twice(4 to 7 months), three times(8 to 12 months). The younger, the more commercial weaning products(p<0.01). Education level showed relatively positive relation with home-made weaning food(p<0.05). Items showed low scores in 4 to 7 months group were starting new food item, waiting at least one week interval to new food, feeding by milk bottle, allowing grasping spoon, consulting pediatrician for problems after weaning, starting from morning, regular schedule. Items showed low scores in 8 to 12 months group were feeding whole egg rather than yolk only up to 12 months, keeping weaning interval were increased, feeding by milk bottle, trying various cooking method, not giving commerical cooking and instant food and unproper raw milk feeding. In weaning activities by general factors, mother age, health status, marriage duration, monthly income were statistically significant (p<0.05). To improve good weening activities, targetting on low maternal age and poor health status, and low income group, developing teaching materials and training program for items showed low scores and proper weaning time, type of easy home-made food and easy cooking method should be provided. Further study on effect of nursing intervention to improve weaning activities are needed.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.497-502
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• 2011

The present survey was conducted to provide basic information on Hanwoo calf weaning age and farmer's understanding of early weaning. Eight hundred and sixty-two Hanwoo breeding farms from all nine provinces were surveyed via personal interviews. The percentages of farms categorized by herd size were 30.5%, 32.8%, 26.0% and 10.7% for <50 heads, 51~100 heads, 101~200 heads and >200 heads, respectively. The percentage of farms weaning calves at three months of age were 39.2% and 12% of farms weaned calves less than two months of age. But the percentage of farms weaning at or over four months of age were still high, being 16.1% at four months of age and 16.6% over five months of age, respectively. The result of the present study showed that calf weaning age in Hanwoo was inconsistent and higher percentage of farms wean calves at three months of age among the surveyed farms. The improvement of cow reproductive performance was answered as the biggest merit of early weaning.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.259-267
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• 1999

This study was conducted to investigate to the effect of weaning food-feeding methods on Preschool-Children's food habit, food preference and iron nutritional status for the subjects of 337 children, aged 18-60 months attending day care centers in Suwon and Seoul area. It divided the subjects into two groups according to the weaning food-feeding methods during their weaning period. One group(spoon-group) was defied as one had used to spoon over two times a day for 5 months and the ohter group (bottle-group) as one had used to bottle over two times a day for 5 months in weaning periods. All of the data were analyzed based on the weaning food-feeding method, mainly using bottle or spoon during their weaning period. The study results are summarized as follows. 1) 44.2% of the mothers mostly used bottle and 46.6% of them mostly used bottle to feed weaning foods. Age difference between the two groups was not found. 2) The numbers of daily consumed foods were significantly more higher in the spoon-group than the bottle-group and the amount of daily milk consumption was more higher among bottle-group. 3) Both of food intake frequency and food preference scores of the spoon-group were significantly higher than food intake frequency and food preference scores the bottle-group. 4) Iron nutritional status assessed by Hb and Hct was low in general. Only 26-63% of the subjects at each monthly age were in normal range. The higher the children's age, the more were grouped in normal range, which was more evident among children of the bottle-group. 5) Mother's nutrition knowledge related to weaning was more higher among spoon-group than both-group. There results shows the importance of appropriate weaning food-feeding methods for Preschool-children's food habit, food preference and nutritional status especially iron nutritional status. Nutrition education for mothers with weaning aged children has to be stressed and related programs have to be intervened effectively.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.61-67
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• 1999

Data from 22837 lambings of Lohi and Kajli ewes from 1962 through 1994 were used to analyse productive and reproductive traits and wool production, Overall litter size at birth averaged 1.33 being 1.45 for Lohi and 1.21 for Kajli ewes. The corresponding values at weaning were 1.23, 1.32 and 1.14, respectively. Litter size was consistently lowest for one year old, with a substantial increase at two, three and four years of ewe age and marginal increase thereafter, Ewes lambing in spring weaned 0.08 more lambs per parturition than ewes lambed in Autumn (p<0,01). Lamb birth weights were affected by ewe breed (p<0.01) and increased with ewe age. Overall lamb weaning weight (120 d) of 17993 lambs was 20.3 kg. Weaning weight was affected by breed, sire, year of birth, sex, rearing rank and weaning age (p<0.01). The highest mean weaning weight was 21.9 kg for Lohi lambs followed by Kajli lambs (18.8 kg), Lambs from Kajli ewes were 9% heavier at birth but 14% lighter at weaning. Twin born lambs were 18% lighter at birth and 13% at weaning than single born lambs. Male lambs were 3% heavier at birth and 4.5% heavier at weaning than female lambs. Overall annual mean wool production was 2,64 kg, Kajli ewes were heavier at breeding than Lohi ewes (i.e. 46.2 vs 44.8 kg). Lohi ewes being 3% less body weight produced 38% more wool and 18% more litter weaning weight than Kajli ewes, When average weight of lamb weaned per ewe weaning lambs was adjusted for ewe average metabolic body size, Lohi ewes were most efficient (i.e. arbitrary assigned value of 100) compared to Kajli ewes achieving only 83% of Lohi level.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.64-64
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• 1999

The relations between micorfloral compositions and environmental factors of 32 Korean infants were sought through statistical analysis after examination of fecal bacterial and questions to their mothers about feeding experiences at three different times for each subjects, about one week after birth, before weaning (2-3 months after birth), and after weaning 95-7 months after birth). The majority of mothers fed their infants cereal foods after the age of 4 months and began weaning with fruit juice and commercial weaning foods. Defection frequencies and fecal pH of infants decreased significantly during the examination period and 37.5% of total infants in fecal samples increased significantly during the examination period, which means that the kinds of bacterial genera increase with aging of infants. Frequencies of streptococci were significantly higher in infants fed delivered by Caesarian section than infants delivered naturally. Frequencies of clostridia were significantly higher in infants fed with cereal food before 4 months of age than after 5 months. The infants fed with probiotics showed significantly higher frequencies of veillonella at about 1 week old. They also showed significantly higher frequencies of clostridia before weaning than the infant fed with no probiotics, but significantly lower frequencies of C. perfringens before weaning. The infants fed with probiotics showed significantly higher number of streptococci at the age of about 1 week and significantly higher numbers of total aerobes before weaning, but significantly lower numbers of bacteroides after weaning than their counter parts. The fecal pH was directly proportional to the number of clostridia, klebsiella, and total aerobes at about 1 week after birth, to the number of E. coli before weaning, and to the number of streptococci and clostridia after weaning. Fecal pH had a negative relationship to the total number of anaerobes in 1-week-old infants. The infants that had diarrhea during lactation showed higher frequencies of bacteroides before weaning than those that didn't.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.67-74
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• 1999

The relations between micorfloral compositions and environmental factors of 32 Korean infants were sought through statistical analysis after examinaton of fecal bacterial and questions to their mothers about feeding experiences at three different times for each subjects, about one week after birth, before weaning (2-3 months after birth), and after weaning 95-7 months after birth). The majority of mothers fed their infants cereal foods after the age of 4 months and began weaning with fruit juice and commercial weaning foods. Defection frequencies and fecal pH of infants decreased significantly during the examination period and 37.5% of total infants in fecal samples increased significantly during the examination period, which means that the kinds of bacterial genera increase with aging of infants. Frequencies of streptococci were significantly higher in infants fed delivered by Caesarian section than infants delived naturally. Frequencies of clostrida were significantly higher in infants fed with cerealfood before 4 months of age than after 5 months. The infants fed with probiotics showed significantly higher frequencies of veillonella at about 1 week old. They also showed significantly higher frequencies of clostridia before weaning than the infant fed with no probiotics, but significantly lower frequencise of C. perfringens before weaning. The infants fed with probiotics showed significantly higher number of streptococci at the age of about 1 week and significantly higher numbers of total aerobes before weaning, but significantly lower numbers of bacteroides after weaning than their counter parts. The fecla pH was directly proportional to the number of clostridia, klebsiella, and total aerobes at about 1 week after birth, to the number of E. coli before weaning, and to the number of streptococci and clostridia after weaning. Fecal pH had a negative relationship to the total number of anaerobes in 1-week-old infants. The infants that had diarrhea during lactation showed higher frequencies of bacteroides before weaning than those that didn't.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.1610-1615
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• 2001

Three studies were conducted to determine the effect of sex on pre- and post-weaning performance of pigs. These studies were conducted in response to observations that female pigs appear to grow faster than male pigs after weaning. In addition, female pigs have been found to grow faster than male pigs when supplied with supplemental milk before weaning. The aims of the present work were to further characterise the ontogeny of sex differences growth of nursing and growing pigs. In the first study, piglets sucking 32 sows were crossfostered to produce litters of 10 boars (n=9), 10 gilts (n=l 1) or 5 boars and 5 gilts (n=12). Liveweight of the sucking pigs was then measured weekly until weaning at 4 weeks of age. In the second study, 80 boars and 80 gilts were weaned at 26 days of age and growth performance measured until 21 days post-weaning. In the third experiment, 40 boars and 40 gilts were weaned into groups of 5 pigs at either 17 or 25 days of age and pigs were weighed until they were approximately 90 kg liveweight. All-boar litters grew more slowly than the all-gilt and mixed litters such that by 14 days of age the all-boar litters were 10% lighter than the all-gilt or mixed litters (39 vs. 43.8 kg, p=0.050). The proportional difference in litter weight appeared to be maintained at 21 days of age (53.9 vs. 59.4 kg, p=0.063) but was diminished by 28 days of age (66.5 vs. 70.8 kg, p=0.28). In the second study, gilts grew more quickly than boars over the first 7 and 21 days post-weaning and as a consequence were 10% heavier than boars at 21 days after weaning (13.7 vs 12.48 kg, p=0.001). In the third study, gilts grew more quickly than boars in the immediate 7 days post-weaning (40 vs. 5 g/day, p=0.014) whereas from 7 until 35 days post-weaning there was no significant difference in growth rate (381 vs. 360 g/day, p=0.19). Gilts also grew more quickly than boars over the 14 days after being moved into the grower (631 vs. 570 g/day, p=0.013) and finisher (749 vs. 688 g/day, p=0.038) sheds. However, these differences were not maintained over the entire period in each shed. These data support the hypotheses that gilts handle the stresses of weaning and other transitions better than boars.