• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.63 no.6
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• pp.1344-1354
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• 2021

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of brown rice (Japonica) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and blood parameters of weanling pigs. A total of 60 weanling pigs (28-day-old, 30 barrows and 30 gilts, 6.73 ± 0.77 kg body weight [BW]) were randomly allotted to 2 dietary treatments (6 pigs per pen; 5 replicates per treatment) in a randomized complete block design with the initial BW and sex as blocks. The dietary treatments were a typical nursery diet based on corn and soybean meal (CON) and the CON replaced 50% of corn with brown rice (BR). Pigs were fed respective dietary treatments for 5 weeks. For the last week of experiment period, pigs were fed respective dietary treatments containing 0.2% chromic oxide as an indigestible marker. Fecal samples were collected from randomly selected 1 pig in each pen daily for the last 3 d after the 4-d adjustment period. Blood was collected from randomly selected 1 pig in each pen on d 0, 3, 7, and 14 after weaning. Compared with pig fed CON diet, pigs fed the BR diet were found to have higher (p < 0.05) final BW, overall average daily gain, and apparent ileal digestibility (AID) and apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of dry matter and energy. However, there were no significant differences between the groups with respect to average daily feed intake, gain to feed ratio, frequency of diarrhea, and the AID and ATTD of crude protein during overall experimental period. Similarly, there were no significant differences on blood parameters between the groups. Thus, the findings of this study indicate that brown rice (Japonica) can be used to replace 50% of corn in the diet of pigs during the nursery period without negatively affecting growth performance, nutrient digestibility, or blood parameters.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.31 no.8
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• pp.1267-1274
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• 2018

Objective: The objective of the study was to investigate the effects of zinc amino acid complex (ZnAA) on growth performance, hematological and biochemical parameters in weanling pigs. Methods: In Exp. 1, a total of 216 Duroc${\times}$Landrace${\times}$Large White weanling pigs were assigned randomly to 6 dietary treatments. Each treatment had 6 replicates (pens) with 6 pigs each. The diets were corn-soybean meal based with supplementation of 0, 20, 40, 80, 120 mg Zn/kg from ZnAA or 40 mg Zn/kg from feed-grade zinc sulfate. The experiment lasted 42 days. In Exp. 2, a total of 180 weanling pigs were assigned randomly to 3 dietary treatments supplemented with 0, 80, or 800 mg Zn/kg from ZnAA. Results: In Exp. 1, pigs fed 40 to 80 mg Zn/kg from ZnAA had higher (p<0.05) average daily gain (ADG) than the unsupplemented group during d 0 to 14. During d 0 to 42, the pigs fed 20 to 120 mg Zn/kg from ZnAA had increased (p<0.05) ADG. Pigs fed 20 to 120 mg/kg Zn from ZnAA had lower feed:gain (p<0.05), increased the activity of serum Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase on d 14, and increased serum Zn levels on d 42 (p<0.05). In Exp. 2, pigs fed diets with 800 mg Zn/kg had increased average daily feed intake during d 15 to 28 (p<0.05) compared to the unsupplemented group. During d 0 to 28, the pigs fed supplemental Zn had increased ADG (p<0.05). On d 14 and d 28, pigs fed supplemental Zn had higher the serum alkaline phosphatase activities (p<0.05). No significant differences were observed in the hematological parameters and organ indices. Conclusion: Supplementation with 20 to 80 mg/kg Zn from ZnAA improved the growth performance in weaned pigs. The piglets can tolerate up to 800 mg/kg Zn from ZnAA with limited potential health effects.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.9
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• pp.1256-1267
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• 2011

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of dietary lysine and energy level on performance and apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of nutrients in weanling pigs. In Exp. 1, a total of 288 weaned pigs (initial BW $5.77{\pm}0.85\;kg$) were randomly allotted to 4 treatments (4 replicates per treatment with 18 pigs in each replicate). Experimental diets were fed in the 3 phases: phase I (d 0 to 7), phase II (d 8 to 14) and phase III (d 15 to 28). Isocalorific diets (3,450 kcal/kg) with incremental lysine levels (Phase I: 1.51, 1.61, 1.71 and 1.81; Phase II: 1.35, 1.46, 1.56 and 1.66; Phase III: 1.18, 1.28, 1.39 and 1.49% lysine respectively for T1, T2, T3 and T4) were used as treatments. An increase in the dietary lysine levels linearly improved (p<0.05) the ADG and G:F during phases I, II and III as well as overall study period. The ATTD of DM (d 7 and 28) and CP (d 7, 14 and 28) were linearly improved (p<0.05) with increasing dietary lysine levels. ATTD of ash, Ca and P were not affected by dietary lysine level. In Exp. 2, 64 weanling pigs (initial BW $4.79{\pm}0.79\;kg$) were randomly allotted to 4 treatments (4 replicates per treatment with 4 pigs in each replicate) in a $2{\times}2$ factorial arrangement on the basis of BW. Effects of two levels of energy (high, 3,450 or low, 3,350 kcal/kg) and lysine (high or low; 1.70 or 1.50, 1.55 or 1.35 and 1.40 or 1.20% in phase I, II and III diets, respectively) on performance and ATTD of nutrients were investigated. High energy and lysine diets improved ADG (p<0.05) in pigs during phase I, II and III and overall period (p<0.001), while G:F increased (p<0.05) during phase I and overall period. Pigs fed high lysine diets consumed more (p<0.05) feed during phase III and overall period. Additionally, pigs fed high energy diets had greater (p<0.05) ATTD of GE (d 7 and 14), CP (d 7 and 28) and DM (d 28); whereas, pigs fed high lysine diets had greater (p<0.05) ATTD of GE and CP during d 7, 14 and 28. ATTD of ash, Ca and P remained unaffected (p>0.05) by dietary energy and lysine level. However, there was no energy${\times}$lysine interaction for any of the measured variables. Results obtained in present study suggested that high energy and lysine level improve the growth performance and ATTD of nutrients in weanling pigs.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.21-29
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• 1998

Four feeding trials with 260 pigs were conducted to evaluate the effects of supplementing the diet with different amino acids on growth performance and blood metabolites for weanling, growing and finishing pigs. One hundred twenty weanling pigs (Exp. 1, BW 8 kg), eighty growing pigs (Exp. 2. BW 20 kg), thirty growing pigs (Exp. 3, BW 29 kg) and thirty finishing pigs (Exp. 4, BW 50 kg) were randomly allotted to different dietary treatments according to sex and body weight. Pigs weight and feed consumption were measured at initiation and termination of each trial with 4 weeks. At the end of trial, blood samples from three pigs selected in each pen (Exp. 1) and each pig (Exp. 2) were obtained to determine the level of blood urea nitrogen, glucose, insulin and cortisol in the serum. In Exp. 1, pigs fed diet supplemented both with lysine and methionine had the best feed conversion ratio (p < 0.05), but no significant differences (p > 0.05) were observed in ADG and ADFI. Pigs receiving control diet obtained the obtained the optimal ADG (p < 0.05), ADFI (p < 0.05) and F/G for the whole period. No differences were detected in serum glucose, insulin and cortisol concentrations. In Exp. 2, pigs receiving the control diet exhibited the lowest serum urea nitrogen (p < 0.05), ADG, F/G and serum insulin concentration increased linearly (p < 0.05) with the inclusion of lysine, methionine, threonine and tryptophan in diets. No significant differences (p > 0.05) were detected for glucose and cortisol content in pigs serum among dietary treatments. In Exp. 3 and 4, pigs growth rate increased linearly (p < 0.01), and feed conversion efficiency was also improves by addition of lysine, methionine, threonine and tryptophan. In conclusion, pigs fed diets supplemented with lysine, methionine, threonine and tryptophan together obtained optimal growth performance in growing and finishing periods.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.393-402
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• 1995

Experiments were conducted to evaluate the nutritive values of supplemental L-lysine, liquid and powder type, and DL-methionine in weanling pigs. For feeding trial, 165 weanling pigs were treated in 2 controls; 18 and 16% CP, 6 supplementations of lysine alone to 16% CP diets; 0.1, 0.2 and 0.4% of liquid and powder type each, and 3 supplementations of lysine + methionine to 15% CP diets; 0.05 + 0.025, 0.1 + 0.05 and 0.2 + 0.1%. Pigs were fed for 5 week to investigate the protein sparing effect of supplemental amino acid, and the optimal supplemental level. A metabolic trial included the measurements of digestibilities of dry matter, crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, energy, phosphorus and amino acids. The liver acinar cell culture was conducted for the protein synthesis activity of the pigs fed each experimental diet. Supplementation of both type of L-lysine in 16% CP diet showed improved daily weight gain and feed efficiency which were compatible with those of pigs fed 18% CP diet. Groups fed liquid lysine did not differ from those fed powder type in growth performance. Supplementation of lysine and methionine to 15% CP diet did not improve growth performance of pigs to the extent that 18% CP diet was fed. In nutrient digestibility, 16% CP control diet showed significantly (p < 0.05) lower crude protein digestibility than any other treatments. Digestibilities of 16% CP diets with lysine supplementation were equal to that of 18% CP control, while digestibilities of 15% CP diets with the supplementation of lysine + methionine was inferior to that of 18% CP control. Supplementation of lysine alone reduced the nitrogen excretion compared to the none supplemented control groups. However, addition of lysine + methionine excreted more nitrogen than controls. Pigs fed diet supplemented with lysine alone, or lysine + methionine excreted less fecal phosphorus than those fed none supplemetation. Retained protein from liver tissue of pigs fed 18% diet was significantly (p < 0.05) greater than those fed 16% CP diet. A significant difference (p < 0.05) was observed in physical type of lysine. Feeding of powder type showed less secreted protein and greater retained protein in the culture of liver acinar cell. It is concluded that supplementation of lysine at the level of 0.1 to 0.2% can spare 2% of dietary protein and reduce nitrogen excretion by 19.3%. Also, no difference in nutritional values was observed between liquid and powder lysine in weanling pigs.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.29 no.7
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• pp.998-1003
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• 2016

Although exogenous protease enzymes have been used in poultry diets quite extensively, this has not been the case for pig diets. In general, due to their better gut fermentative capacity and longer transit time, pigs have greater capacity to digest dietary proteins than poultry. However, in early-weaned piglets, the stress brought about by weaning adversely affects the digestion of dietary proteins. Therefore, a study was conducted to determine the effects of a commercial protease enzyme in weanling pigs. Indices of growth, nutrient digestibility, blood profiles, fecal microflora, fecal gas emission and fecal scores were measured during the study. A total of 50 weanling pigs ($6.42{\pm}0.12kg$) at 28 d of age were randomly assigned to receive 1 of 2 dietary treatments: i) control diet (corn-soy based) with no supplemental protease (CON), and ii) control diet+200 g/ton protease (PROT) for 42 d. A completely randomized design consisting of 2 treatments, 5 replicates, and 5 pigs in each replicate was used. Growth performance in terms of body weight ($27.04{\pm}0.38kg$ vs $25.75{\pm}0.39kg$; p<0.05) and average daily gain ($491{\pm}7.40g$ vs $460{\pm}7.46g$; p<0.05) in PROT fed pigs were increased significantly, but gain per feed ($0.700{\pm}0.01$ vs $0.678{\pm}0.01$; p>0.05) was similar between treatments at d 42. Relative to CON pigs, PROT fed pigs had increased (p<0.05) apparent total tract digestibility ($84.66%{\pm}0.65%$ vs $81.21%{\pm}1.13%$ dry matter and $84.02%{\pm}0.52%$ vs $80.47%{\pm}1.22%$ nitrogen) and decreased (p<0.05) $NH_3$ emission ($2.0{\pm}0.16ppm$ vs $1.2{\pm}0.12ppm$) in the feces at d 42. Except for a decreased (p<0.05) in blood creatinine level, no differences were observed in red blood cell, white blood cell, lymphocyte, urea nitrogen, and IgG concentrations between treatments. Fecal score and fecal microflora (Lactobacillus and E. coli) were also similar between CON and PROT groups. Overall, the supplementation of protease enzyme in weanling pigs resulted in improved growth rate and nutrient digestibility. Exogenous protease enzyme reduced fecal $NH_3$ emission, thus, potentially serving as a tool in lowering noxious gas contribution of livestock production in the environment.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.109-113
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• 2013

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of partial substitution of an extruded or extruded-pelleted corn product for unprocessed corn of the starter diet on growth performance and incidence of diarrhea in weanling pigs. Seventy-two 21-day-old weanling pigs were allotted to 24 pens and provided ad libitum with one of the four experimental diets for 3 wk in two serial feeding trials during summer beginning from late June. The treatments were a milk product-soy-corn-based control diet containing 25% unprocessed corn and the other three diets only substituted with 12.5% extruded corn Suprex$^{(R)}$, Optigrain$^{(R)}$, an extruded mixture of wheat, rye and durum, or extruded-pelleted corn for an equal percentage of unprocessed corn of the control diet. All diets were supplemented with 100 ppm sulfathiazone, 50 ppm penicillin, and 100 ppm chlortetracycline for preventive medication. The initial and final weights as well as gain : feed were less in the second trial than in the first one (P<0.05). However, effects of the dietary treatments were not detected in any of the performance variables including final weight, ADG, ADFI, and gain : feed, nor were there any interactions between the trial and dietary treatment. In addition, almost all pigs exhibited normal firm feces in both trials and therefore there was no main effect in the fecal consistency score. Results suggest that partial substitution of the thermally processed corn for unprocessed corn of the milk product-corn-soy-based and medicated starter diet has no effect on growth performance or incidence of diarrhea in weanling pigs.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.1616-1620
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• 2001

Two feeding trials were conducted to study the effects of different chelated copper and zinc compounds on the performance and fecal excretions of weanling pigs. In Exp. 1, 150 weanling pigs ($L{\times}Y{\times}D$, $12.30{\pm}2.07kg$) were randomly assigned to five dietary treatments: 170 ppm Cu from $CuSO_4$, 85 ppm Cu from Cu amino-chelate (CAC), 170 ppm Cu from CAC, 85 ppm Cu from Cu-Lysine (CL), and 170 ppm Cu from CL. In Exp. 2, 150 weanling pigs ($L{\times}Y{\times}D$, $12.52{\pm}1.80kg$) were randomly assigned to five dietary treatments: 120 ppm Zn from $ZnSO_4$, 60 ppm Zn from Zn-amino-chelate (ZAC), 120 ppm Zn from ZAC, 60 ppm Zn from Zn-Methionine (ZM), and 120 ppm Zn from ZM. In both experiments, pigs were randomly distributed to the treatments following a randomized complete block design on the basis of body weight as the blocking variable. Each experiment was conducted for 28 days. Blood and fecal samples were collected to determine mineral contents as affected by the dietary treatments. There was no difference (p>0.05) in ADG and ADFI among treatments, but F/G was improved (p<0.05) in pigs fed diet with 170 ppm CAC than 85 ppm CL but not different (p>0.05) to the control (170 ppm $CuSO_4$). Regardless of copper source, concentration of Cu in serum and feces were higher in pigs fed diet with 170 ppm Cu than pigs fed diet with 85 ppm Cu (Exp 1). In Exp 2 the ADG was higher (p<0.05) in pigs fed diet with 120 ppm ZM than in pigs fed diets with 120 ppm $ZnSO_4$ and 60 ppm ZAC and ZM. The serum zinc concentration was generally higher (p<0.05) in pigs fed diet with organic source than the control group ($ZnSO_4$). Also, there was a trend towards a decrease in fecal excretions of zinc when dietary zinc level was low. The efficacy of the two chelated copper and zinc sources is similar in terms of growth performance. The fecal excretions for Cu and Zn could be reduced in pigs fed low level of these minerals using organic sources.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.64 no.5
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• pp.854-862
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of different levels of crude protein (CP) diets supplemented with dietary protease on the growth performance and nutrient digestibility of the weanling pigs. In a 5-week study, 100 crossbred ([Landrace × Yorkshire] × Duroc) of weaner pigs that have an average initial body weight (BW) of 7.17±1.06 kg were assigned to one of four dietary treatments with 5 replications and 5 pigs (3 gilts and 2 castrated male pigs) per pen in a randomized complete block design. The dietary treatments were as follows: Phase 1: CON: basal diets (20.60% CP); low protein (LP): CON - 0.30% CP; PLP1: (CON - 0.30% CP) + 0.05% protease; PLP2: (CON - 0.50% CP) + 0.05% protease. Phase 2: CON: basal diets (18.88% CP); LP: CON - 0.30% CP; PLP1: (CON - 0.30% CP) + 0.05% protease; PLP2: (CON - 0.50% CP) + 0.05% protease. The addition of protease to low CP diets significantly increased the feed conversion ratio (FCR) (p = 0.039), BW (p = 0.046), average daily gain (ADG) (p = 0.049), and average daily feed intake (ADFI) tended to increase (p = 0.053) in the young pigs during phase 1. However, FCR tended to increase throughout the experiment but did not change during phase 2, whereas BW, ADG, and ADFI stayed unchanged throughout phase 2 and overall. There was no significant difference in dry matter, nitrogen (N), and gross energy of nutrient digestibility in all phases and overall in weaned pigs with low CP when protease was fed. In contrast, adding protease to the low CP diets increased the tendency of N digestibility (p = 0.059) during phase 1. It is concluded that dietary protease supplementation tended to increase N retention during the first phase of the weaning period, hence increasing piglet performance.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.31 no.10
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• pp.1660-1669
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• 2018

Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of probiotics (Bacillus subtilis and Enterococcus faecium) and xylo-oligosaccharide (XOS) supplementation on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, serum profiles, intestinal health, fecal microbiota and noxious gas emission in weanling pigs. Methods: A total of 240 weanling pigs ([Yorkshire${\times}$Landrace]${\times}$Duroc) with an average body weight (BW) of $6.3{\pm}0.15kg$ were used in this 28-day trial. Pigs were randomly allocated in 1 of the following 4 dietary treatments in a $2{\times}2$ factorial arrangement with 2 levels of probiotics (0 and 500 mg/kg probiotics) and XOS (0 and 200 mg/kg XOS) based on the BW and sex. Results: Administration of probiotics or XOS improved average daily gain (p<0.05) during 0 to 14 d and the overall period, while pigs that were treated with XOS had a greater average daily gain and feed efficiency (p<0.05) compared with unsupplemented treatments throughout 15 to 28 d and the whole experiment. Either probiotics or XOS treatments increased the apparent total tract digestibility of nutrients (p<0.05) during 0 to 14 d. No effects on serum profiles were observed among treatments. The XOS increased villus height: crypt depth ratio in jejunum (p<0.05). The supplementation of probiotics (500 mg/kg) or XOS (200 mg/kg) alone improved the apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter, nitrogen and gross energy on d 14, the activity of trypsin and decreased fecal NH3 concentration (p<0.05). Administration of XOS decreased fecal Escherichia coli counts (p<0.05), while increased lactobacilli (p<0.05) on d 14. There was no interaction between dietary supplementation of probiotics and XOS. Conclusion: Inclusion of XOS at 200 mg/kg or probiotics (Bacillus subtilis and Enterococcus faecium) at 500 mg/kg in diets containing no antibiotics significantly improved the growth performance of weanling pigs. Once XOS is supplemented, further providing of probiotics is not needed since it exerts little additional effects.