1
|
Magalhães ES, Zhang D, Moura CAA, Trevisan G, Holtkamp DJ, López WA, Wang C, Linhares DCL, Silva GS. Development of a pig wean-quality score using machine-learning algorithms to characterize and classify groups with high mortality risk under field conditions. Prev Vet Med 2024; 232:106327. [PMID: 39216328 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2024.106327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 07/15/2024] [Accepted: 08/22/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Mortality during the post-weaning phase is a critical indicator of swine production system performance, influenced by a complex interaction of multiple factors of the epidemiological triad. This study leveraged retrospective data from 1723 groups of pigs marketed within a US swine production system to develop a Wean-Quality Score (WQS) using machine learning techniques. The study evaluated three machine learning models, Random Forest, Support Vector Machine, and Gradient Boosting Machine, to classify groups having high or low 60-day mortality, where high mortality groups represented 25 % of the groups among the study population with the highest mortality values (n=431; 60-day mortality=9.98 %), and the remaining 75 % of the groups were of low mortality (n=1292; 60-day mortality=2.75 %). The best-performing model, Random Forest (RF), outperformed the other ML models in terms of accuracy (0.90), sensitivity (0.84), and specificity (0.92) metrics, and was then selected for further analysis, which consisted of creating the WQS and ranking the most important factors for classifying groups as high or low mortality. The most important factors ranked through the RF model to classify groups with high mortality were pre-weaning mortality, weaning age, average parity of litters in sow farms, and PRRS status. Additionally, stocking conditions such as stocking density and time to fill the barn were important predictors of high mortality. The WQS was developed and correlated (r = 0.74) with the actual 60-day mortality of the groups, offering a valuable tool for assessing post-weaning survivability in swine production systems before weaning. This study highlights the potential of machine learning and comprehensive data utilization to improve the assessment and management of weaned pig quality in commercial swine production, which producers can utilize to identify and intervene in groups, according to the WQS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Edison S Magalhães
- Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Danyang Zhang
- Department of Statistics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | | | - Giovani Trevisan
- Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Derald J Holtkamp
- Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Will A López
- Pig Improvement Company (PIC), Hendersonville, TN, USA
| | - Chong Wang
- Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA; Department of Statistics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Daniel C L Linhares
- Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Gustavo S Silva
- Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Sagrera M, Sibila M, Martínez-Boixaderas N, Llorens AM, Espigares D, Pastor J, Garza-Moreno L, Segalés J. Can immunocrit be used as a monitoring tool for swine vaccination and infection studies? Porcine Health Manag 2024; 10:30. [PMID: 39180120 PMCID: PMC11342561 DOI: 10.1186/s40813-024-00380-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 08/26/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The immunocrit is a cost-effective and straightforward technique traditionally used to assess passive immunity transfer to newborn piglets. However, it has not been previously used for monitoring the effect of vaccination and/or infections. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of the immunocrit technique as an immunological monitoring tool in a vaccination and challenge scenario, using porcine circovirus 2 (PCV-2) as pathogen model. The immunocrit ratio was monitored in PCV-2 vaccinated (V) and non-vaccinated (NV) 3-week-old piglets (study day 0, SD0) that were subsequently challenged with this virus at SD21 and followed up to SD42. Additional techniques (PCV-2 IgG ELISA, optical refractometry, and proteinogram) were performed to further characterize the results of the immunocrit analysis. RESULTS Immunocrit, γ-globulin concentration and PCV-2 S/P values followed similar dynamics: descending after PCV-2 vaccination but ascending after an experimental PCV-2 inoculation. However, statistically significant differences between V and NV animals were only found with the PCV-2 ELISA. In this case, V animals had significantly higher (p < 0.05) S/P values (S/P ratio = 0.74) than NV (S/P ratio = 0.39) pigs only after challenge at SD42. On the other hand, serum total protein obtained by refractometer (STPr) were maintained from SD0 to SD21 and increased in both groups from SD21 to SD42. Correlations between techniques were low to moderate, being the most robust ones found between immunocrit and optical refractometry (ρ = 0.41) and immunocrit with γ-globulins (ρ = 0.39). In a subset of sera, the proteinogram technique was applied to the whole serum and the supernatant of the immunocrit, with the objective to characterize indirectly the immunocrit fraction. The latter one included all protein types detectable through the proteinogram, with percentages varying between 64.3% (γ-globulins) and 82% (β-globulins). CONCLUSION The immunocrit technique represented a fraction of the total serum proteins, with low to moderate correlation with all the complementary techniques measured in this study. Its determination at different time points did not allow monitoring the effect of vaccination and/or infection using PCV-2 as a pathogen model.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mònica Sagrera
- IRTA, Programa de Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de La UAB, 08193, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Spain
- Unitat Mixta d'Investigació IRTA-UAB en Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
- Ceva Salud Animal, Avenida Diagonal, 08017, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marina Sibila
- IRTA, Programa de Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de La UAB, 08193, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Spain
- Unitat Mixta d'Investigació IRTA-UAB en Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
- WOAH Collaborating Center for Research and Control of Emerging and Re-Emerging Pig Diseases in Europe (IRTA-CReSA), 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Núria Martínez-Boixaderas
- IRTA, Programa de Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de La UAB, 08193, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Spain
- Unitat Mixta d'Investigació IRTA-UAB en Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
- Ceva Salud Animal, Avenida Diagonal, 08017, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anna Maria Llorens
- IRTA, Programa de Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de La UAB, 08193, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Spain
- Unitat Mixta d'Investigació IRTA-UAB en Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
- WOAH Collaborating Center for Research and Control of Emerging and Re-Emerging Pig Diseases in Europe (IRTA-CReSA), 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - David Espigares
- Ceva Salud Animal, Avenida Diagonal, 08017, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josep Pastor
- Departament de Sanitat i Anatomia Animals, Facultat de Veterinària, UAB, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Joaquim Segalés
- Unitat Mixta d'Investigació IRTA-UAB en Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
- WOAH Collaborating Center for Research and Control of Emerging and Re-Emerging Pig Diseases in Europe (IRTA-CReSA), 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
- Departament de Sanitat i Anatomia Animals, Facultat de Veterinària, UAB, 08193, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Chen Z, Xiao L, Sun Q, Chen Q, Hua W, Zhang J. Effects of Acremonium terricola Culture on Lactation Performance, Immune Function, Antioxidant Capacity, and Intestinal Flora of Sows. Antioxidants (Basel) 2024; 13:970. [PMID: 39199216 PMCID: PMC11352107 DOI: 10.3390/antiox13080970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2024] [Revised: 08/05/2024] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 09/01/2024] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to determine the effects of different doses of Acremonium terricola culture (ATC) on lactation performance, immune function, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal flora of sows. Forty-five Landrace sows (3-6 parity) were randomly assigned to the following three treatments from 85 days of gestation to 21 days after farrowing: a control diet (CON, basal diet), a low-dose Acremonium terricola culture diet (0.2% ATC, basal diet + 0.2% ATC), and a high-dose Acremonium terricola culture diet (0.4% ATC, basal diet + 0.4% ATC). Compared with the CON group, the supplementation of 0.2% ATC increased the average daily milk yield of sows by 4.98%, increased milk fat, total solids, and freezing point depression on day 1 postpartum (p < 0.05), increased serum concentration of Triiodothyronine, Thyroxin, and Estradiol on day 21 postpartum (p < 0.05). Compared with the CON group, the supplementation of 0.4% ATC increased the average daily milk yield of sows by 9.38% (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the supplementation of 0.2% ATC increased serum concentration of IgG, IgM, and IFN-γ, CD4 on day 1 postpartum (p < 0.05) and increased serum concentration of immunoglobulin A ( IgA), immunoglobulin G (IgG), immunoglobulin M ( IgM), complement 3 (C3), cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4), cluster of differentiation 8 (CD8), interferon-γ (IFN-γ) on day 21 postpartum (p < 0.05), while the supplementation of 0.4% ATC reduced serum concentration of IL-2 on day 21 postpartum (p < 0.05). Moreover, the supplementation of 0.4% ATC significantly increased serum concentration of catalase (CAT) (p < 0.05). Additionally, the supplementation of ATC affected the relative abundance of the intestinal flora at different taxonomic levels in sows and increased the abundance of beneficial bacteria such as in the norank_f__Eubacterium_coprostanoligenes group, Eubacterium_coprostanoligenes group, and Lachnospiraceae_XPB1014 group of sows, while reducing the abundance of harmful bacteria such as Phascolarctobacterium and Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1. These data revealed that the supplementation of ATC during late gestation and lactation can improve lactation performance, immune function, antioxidant capacity, and the gut microbiota. Compared with supplementation of 0.4% ATC, 0.2% ATC enhances the levels of thyroid-related hormones, specific antibodies, and cytokines in serum, promotes the diversity of beneficial gut microbiota, beneficial bacteria in the intestine, reduces the population of harmful bacteria, and thereby bolsters the immunity of sows. Hence, 0.2% ATC is deemed a more optimal concentration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhirong Chen
- College of Animal Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (Z.C.); (L.X.); (Q.S.); (Q.C.)
| | - Lixia Xiao
- College of Animal Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (Z.C.); (L.X.); (Q.S.); (Q.C.)
| | - Qian Sun
- College of Animal Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (Z.C.); (L.X.); (Q.S.); (Q.C.)
| | - Qiangqiang Chen
- College of Animal Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (Z.C.); (L.X.); (Q.S.); (Q.C.)
| | - Weidong Hua
- Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China;
| | - Jinzhi Zhang
- College of Animal Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (Z.C.); (L.X.); (Q.S.); (Q.C.)
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Gao T, Li R, Hu L, Hu Q, Wen H, Zhou R, Yuan P, Zhang X, Huang L, Zhuo Y, Xu S, Lin Y, Feng B, Che L, Wu D, Fang Z. Probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG improves insulin sensitivity and offspring survival via modulation of gut microbiota and serum metabolite in a sow model. J Anim Sci Biotechnol 2024; 15:89. [PMID: 38951898 PMCID: PMC11218078 DOI: 10.1186/s40104-024-01046-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sows commonly experience insulin resistance in late gestation and lactation, causing lower feed intake and milk production, which can lead to higher mortality rates in newborn piglets. The probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) is known to improve insulin resistance. However, whether supplementing LGG can improve insulin sensitivity in sows and enhance lactation performance, particularly the early survival of offspring remains unclear. Hence, we explored the effects and mechanisms of supplementing LGG during late gestation and lactation on sow insulin sensitivity, lactation performance, and offspring survival. In total, 20 sows were randomly allocated to an LGG (n = 10) and control group (n = 10). RESULTS In sows, LGG supplementation significantly improved insulin sensitivity during late gestation and lactation, increased feed intake, milk production and colostrum lactose levels in early lactation, and enhanced newborn piglet survival. Moreover, LGG treatment significantly reshaped the gut microbiota in sows, notably increasing microbiota diversity and enriching the relative abundance of insulin sensitivity-associated probiotics such as Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Bacteroides. Serum metabolite and amino acid profiling in late-gestation sows also revealed decreased branched-chain amino acid and kynurenine serum levels following LGG supplementation. Further analyses highlighted a correlation between mitigated insulin resistance in late pregnancy and lactation by LGG and gut microbiota reshaping and changes in serum amino acid metabolism. Furthermore, maternal LGG enhanced immunity in newborn piglets, reduced inflammation, and facilitated the establishment of a gut microbiota. CONCLUSIONS We provide the first evidence that LGG mitigates insulin resistance in sows and enhances offspring survival by modulating the gut microbiota and amino acid metabolism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tianle Gao
- Key Laboratory for Animal Disease-Resistance Nutrition of China Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211 Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Ran Li
- Key Laboratory for Animal Disease-Resistance Nutrition of China Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211 Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, 611130, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Product Processing and Nutrition Health (Co-construction by Ministry and Province), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Food Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya' an, 625014, China
| | - Liang Hu
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Product Processing and Nutrition Health (Co-construction by Ministry and Province), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Food Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya' an, 625014, China
| | - Quanfang Hu
- Key Laboratory for Animal Disease-Resistance Nutrition of China Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211 Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Hongmei Wen
- Key Laboratory for Animal Disease-Resistance Nutrition of China Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211 Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Rui Zhou
- Key Laboratory for Animal Disease-Resistance Nutrition of China Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211 Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Peiqiang Yuan
- Key Laboratory for Animal Disease-Resistance Nutrition of China Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211 Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Xiaoling Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Animal Disease-Resistance Nutrition of China Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211 Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Lingjie Huang
- Key Laboratory for Animal Disease-Resistance Nutrition of China Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211 Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Yong Zhuo
- Key Laboratory for Animal Disease-Resistance Nutrition of China Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211 Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Shengyu Xu
- Key Laboratory for Animal Disease-Resistance Nutrition of China Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211 Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Yan Lin
- Key Laboratory for Animal Disease-Resistance Nutrition of China Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211 Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Bin Feng
- Key Laboratory for Animal Disease-Resistance Nutrition of China Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211 Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Lianqiang Che
- Key Laboratory for Animal Disease-Resistance Nutrition of China Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211 Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - De Wu
- Key Laboratory for Animal Disease-Resistance Nutrition of China Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211 Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Zhengfeng Fang
- Key Laboratory for Animal Disease-Resistance Nutrition of China Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211 Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, 611130, China.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Tummaruk P, Petchsangharn K, Shayutapong K, Wisetsiri T, Krimtum P, Kaewkaen S, Taechamaeteekul P, Dumniem N, Suwimonteerabutr J, De Rensis F. Effect of Andrographis paniculata supplementation during the transition period on colostrum yield, immunoglobulin G, and postpartum complications in multiparous sows during tropical summer. Anim Biosci 2024; 37:862-874. [PMID: 38271976 PMCID: PMC11065714 DOI: 10.5713/ab.23.0190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study evaluated the effect of Andrographis paniculata (A. paniculata) supplementation in sow diets before and after farrowing on the sow and piglets' performances during early postpartum period and on sows' backfat and longissimus muscle losses during lactation. METHODS Seventy Landrace×Yorkshire sows and their offspring (1,186 piglets) were distributed into three groups: control (n = 31), treatment-250 (n = 18), and treatment-1000 (n = 21). From 110.2±0.7 days of gestation until farrowing (5.8 days) and throughout the lactation period (25.2 days), sows in the control group were given the conventional lactation diet, while sows in the treatment-250 and treatment-1000 groups received supplements of 250 ppm and 1,000 ppm of A. paniculata, respectively. RESULTS In sows with parity 3-5, piglets from the treatment-1000 group had higher colostrum intake than the control and treatment-250 groups (p<0.05), but not in sows with parity 6-9. Colostrum immunoglobulin G (IgG) increased in treated sows versus controls for parity 6-9 (p<0.05), but was consistent for parity 3-5. Piglet performance until day 3 postnatal was similar across groups (p>0.05). Treatment-250 sows had higher feed intake post-farrowing than treatment-1000 sows (p<0.05). Longissimus loss was less in both treatment groups than control (p<0.05), but backfat loss was similar across groups (p>0.05). Post-partum complications were consistent across groups (p>0.05). Farrowing duration and piglet birth intervals in sows with parity 6-9 were prolonged in the treatment-1000 group. CONCLUSION Supplementing with 1,000 ppm A. paniculata for 5.8 days pre-farrowing and 25.2 days post-farrowing enhanced sow colostrum IgG and piglet colostrum intake, while also reducing longissimus loss in sows. However, for sows of parity 6-9, this supplementation led to prolonged farrowing, increased intervals between piglet births, increased stillbirth, and reduced piglet birth weight. These effects should be considered when using A. paniculata supplementation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Padet Tummaruk
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330,
Thailand
- Centre of Excellence in Swine Reproduction, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330,
Thailand
| | - Kankawee Petchsangharn
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330,
Thailand
| | - Kanyakon Shayutapong
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330,
Thailand
| | - Thanwarat Wisetsiri
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330,
Thailand
| | - Patcharin Krimtum
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330,
Thailand
| | - Sidthipong Kaewkaen
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330,
Thailand
| | - Preechaphon Taechamaeteekul
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330,
Thailand
| | - Natchanon Dumniem
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330,
Thailand
| | - Junpen Suwimonteerabutr
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330,
Thailand
- Centre of Excellence in Swine Reproduction, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330,
Thailand
| | - Fabio De Rensis
- Department of Veterinary Medical Science, University of Parma, Parma 43126,
Italy
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Hammers KL, Urriola PE, Schwartz M, Ryu MS, Gomez A, Johnston LJ. Timing of dietary zinc additions during gestation for improved piglet survival. Transl Anim Sci 2024; 8:txae030. [PMID: 38510065 PMCID: PMC10953792 DOI: 10.1093/tas/txae030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The objectives of this study were to determine a practical approach to feeding elevated dietary zinc (Zn) to gestating sows in a commercial setting and to confirm preweaning mortality could be reduced by feeding high Zn to sows during different periods of gestation. The study was conducted at a commercial sow farm in the upper Midwest. Mixed parity sows (n = 267) over three consecutive weekly farrowing groups (sows farrowing within 1 wk) were assigned randomly to one of the three dietary treatments within parity. Treatments consisted of: (1) control sows fed a corn-soybean meal diet containing 206 mg/kg total supplemental Zn supplied by zinc hydroxychloride; (2) breed-to-farrow: as control + 147 mg/kg supplemental Zn as ZnSO4 (353 mg/kg total supplemental Zn) fed from 5 d after breeding to farrowing; and (3) day 110-to-farrow: as control fed from breeding to farrowing + 4,079 mg/kg supplemental Zn as ZnSO4 (4,285 mg/kg total supplemental Zn) starting day 110 of gestation until farrowing. At farrowing, individual piglets were weighed and identified within 12 h of birth. Data were analyzed using PROC GLIMMIX of SAS and the model considered the fixed effect of dietary treatment and random effect of farrowing group. Dietary treatments did not affect number of total pigs born per litter. For breed-to-farrow sows, there was an increase in the percentage of pigs born alive compared to sows fed the control and day 110-to-farrow treatments (P < 0.001). The number of stillborn pigs expressed as a percentage of total litter size at birth decreased for breed-to-farrow sows (P < 0.001) compared with control or day 110-to-farrow sows. Mortality of low birth weight piglets from birth to weaning did not differ among dietary treatments (P = 0.305); however, a trend for decreasing post-natal mortality (P = 0.068) of normal birth weight pigs was observed for pigs born to sows fed elevated Zn 5 d before farrowing. In conclusion, feeding elevated Zn to sows throughout gestation increased the proportion of pigs born alive suggesting that elevated gestational Zn intake makes piglets more robust to endure the stresses of farrowing and decreases intrapartum mortality. Under the conditions of this study, elevated Zn intake of sows did not influence piglet post-natal survival. However, feeding high zinc throughout gestation may decrease piglet mortality during the parturition process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey L Hammers
- Department of Animal Science, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Pedro E Urriola
- Department of Animal Science, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | | | - Moon-Suhn Ryu
- Department of Food and Nutrition, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Andres Gomez
- Department of Animal Science, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Lee J Johnston
- Department of Animal Science, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
- West Central Research and Outreach Center, University of Minnesota, Morris, MN 56267, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Witt J, Krieter J, Büttner K, Wilder T, Hasler M, Bussemas R, Witten S, Czycholl I. Relationship between animal-based on-farm indicators and meat inspection data in pigs. Porcine Health Manag 2024; 10:8. [PMID: 38273396 PMCID: PMC10811934 DOI: 10.1186/s40813-024-00359-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/21/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study aimed to validate slaughterhouse indicators collected during meat inspection as an alternative to on-farm animal welfare indicators. For this purpose, the assessments of twelve on-farm and seven slaughterhouse indicators of 628 pigs from three different farms were combined into three indices, differentiated between on-farm and slaughterhouse: (1) limb health, (2) other organ health, and (3) respiratory health. At first, an assessment at animal-level using agreement parameters was carried out to ascertain whether the same welfare or health issues were identified on-farm and at slaughterhouse, taking the production period (farrowing, rearing and fattening period) and the last weeks before slaughtering into account. Second, the connection of slaughterhouse findings on the individual on-farm health indices was examined using logistic regressions, to determine whether certain welfare issues can be better monitored using slaughterhouse indicators. RESULTS Acceptable agreement was determined using the Prevalence-Adjusted Bias-Adjusted Kappa (PABAK) for the farrowing and fattening period, but not for the rearing period. A more detailed analysis of the weeks before slaughter shows that there is still a poor agreement 8 weeks before slaughter and an acceptable agreement 4 weeks before slaughter. This indicated the slaughterhouse indicators pneumonia, pleuritis and pericarditis as possible estimators of fever and deviant behavior on-farm and the slaughterhouse indicators bursitis and joint inflammations as possible estimators of lameness. In the second part of the analysis, the connection of slaughterhouse findings on the individual on-farm health indices was investigated; a significant influence of the farm on the limb and respiratory indices and no significant influence of the slaughterhouse findings could be determined, provided that all weekly assessments during the lifetime of the pigs have been taken into account. However, an influence of the slaughterhouse findings on the respiratory index and on the other organ index could be determined if only the weekly assessments four and eight weeks before slaughter, respectively, were taken into account. CONCLUSIONS In general, the possible suitable indicators detected by the PABAK, could replace some health-related indicators but a complete substitution of on-farm welfare assessment is not possible. In addition, the traceability over time must be investigated further.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Witt
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Husbandry, Christian-Albrechts-University, 24098, Kiel, Germany.
| | - Joachim Krieter
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Husbandry, Christian-Albrechts-University, 24098, Kiel, Germany
| | - Kathrin Büttner
- Unit for Biomathematics and Data Processing, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Justus Liebig University, 35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Thore Wilder
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Husbandry, Christian-Albrechts-University, 24098, Kiel, Germany
| | - Mario Hasler
- Lehrfach Variationsstatistik, Christian-Albrechts-University, 24118, Kiel, Germany
| | - Ralf Bussemas
- Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute, 23847, Westerau, Germany
| | | | - Irena Czycholl
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 106 91, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Magalhães ES, Zimmerman JJ, Thomas P, Moura CAA, Trevisan G, Schwartz KJ, Burrough E, Holtkamp DJ, Wang C, Rademacher CJ, Silva GS, Linhares DCL. Utilizing productivity and health breeding-to-market information along with disease diagnostic data to identify pig mortality risk factors in a U.S. swine production system. Front Vet Sci 2024; 10:1301392. [PMID: 38274655 PMCID: PMC10808511 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1301392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Aggregated diagnostic data collected over time from swine production systems is an important data source to investigate swine productivity and health, especially when combined with records concerning the pre-weaning and post-weaning phases of production. The combination of multiple data streams collected over the lifetime of the pigs is the essence of the whole-herd epidemiological investigation. This approach is particularly valuable for investigating the multifaceted and ever-changing factors contributing to wean-to-finish (W2F) swine mortality. The objective of this study was to use a retrospective dataset ("master table") containing information on 1,742 groups of pigs marketed over time to identify the major risk factors associated with W2F mortality. The master table was built by combining historical breed-to-market performance and health data with disease diagnostic records (Dx Codes) from marketed groups of growing pigs. After building the master table, univariate analyses were conducted to screen for risk factors to be included in the initial multivariable model. After a stepwise backward model selection approach, 5 variables and 2 interactions remained in the final model. Notably, the diagnosis variable significantly associated with W2F mortality was porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV). Closeouts with clinical signs suggestive of Salmonella spp. or Escherichia coli infection were also associated with higher W2F mortality. Source sow farm factors that remained significantly associated with W2F mortality were the sow farm PRRS status, average weaning age, and the average pre-weaning mortality. After testing for the possible interactions in the final model, two interactions were significantly associated with wean-to-finish pig mortality: (1) sow farm PRRS status and a laboratory diagnosis of PRRSV and (2) average weaning age and a laboratory diagnosis of PRRS. Closeouts originating from PRRS epidemic or PRRS negative sow farms, when diagnosed with PRRS in the growing phase, had the highest W2F mortality rates. Likewise, PRRS diagnosis in the growing phase was an important factor in mortality, regardless of the average weaning age of the closeouts. Overall, this study demonstrated the utility of a whole-herd approach when analyzing diagnostic information along with breeding-to-market productivity and health information, to measure the major risk factors associated with W2F mortality in specified time frames and pig populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Edison S. Magalhães
- Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Jeff J. Zimmerman
- Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Pete Thomas
- Iowa Select Farms, Iowa Falls, IA, United States
| | | | - Giovani Trevisan
- Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Kent J. Schwartz
- Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Eric Burrough
- Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Derald J. Holtkamp
- Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Chong Wang
- Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
- Department of Statistics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Christopher J. Rademacher
- Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Gustavo S. Silva
- Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Daniel C. L. Linhares
- Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
De Meyer D, Chantziaras I, Amalraj A, Maes D. Effect of Pig Synthetic Pheromones and Positive Handling of Pregnant Sows on the Productivity of Nursery Pigs. Vet Sci 2024; 11:20. [PMID: 38250926 PMCID: PMC10818425 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci11010020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Weaning is one of the most important stress events in the life of pigs, increasing the risk for health problems and reduced performance. The release of pheromones in pig stables can be considered an environmental enrichment and alleviate the negative effects of weaning stress in nursery pigs. The present study investigated the effect of synthetic pheromones on the performance of nursery pigs. The effect of positive handling of sows in the farrowing house on the performance of the offspring in the nursery was also investigated. The study was performed in a commercial pig farm and included 24 batches of weaned piglets (216 piglets per batch). Half of the batches originated from sows exposed to positive handling. This implied that music was played from 6.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. from the moment the sows entered the farrowing house until weaning and that they were subjected to backscratching from the day they entered the farrowing unit the day of farrowing. During the nursery period, half of the batches were treated, and half served as controls. Piglets of treated groups were exposed to a synthetic analog of the maternal pig appeasing pheromone (PAP) (SecurePig®, Signs, Avignon, France). The product consisted of a gel block from which the pheromones were slowly released into the room. Different performance parameters were measured during the nursery period. Neither the sow treatment nor the treatment with pheromones significantly influenced the performance of the piglets during the nursery period (p > 0.05). The median values (95% confidence interval) of average daily gain, namely 318 (282-338) vs. 305 (272-322) g/day, feed conversion ratio, namely 1.64 (1.51-1.71) vs. 1.70 (1.57-1.75), and number of antimicrobial treatment days, namely 16.9 (9.6-25.0) vs. 17.3 (9.5-25.0) days, were numerically better in the nursery pigs exposed to the pheromones compared to the control groups. Mortality however was numerically higher in the treated groups, namely 4.4 (2.8-6.8) vs. 3.2 (0.9-4.2)%. Under the conditions of the present production system, pigs exposed to the pheromone treatment during the nursery did not show a significant performance increase.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dimitri De Meyer
- Unit of Porcine Health Management, Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium; (I.C.); (A.A.); (D.M.)
- Vedanko, Knijffelingstraat 15, 8851 Koolskamp, Belgium
| | - Ilias Chantziaras
- Unit of Porcine Health Management, Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium; (I.C.); (A.A.); (D.M.)
- Unit of Veterinary Epidemiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Arthi Amalraj
- Unit of Porcine Health Management, Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium; (I.C.); (A.A.); (D.M.)
- Unit of Veterinary Epidemiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Dominiek Maes
- Unit of Porcine Health Management, Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium; (I.C.); (A.A.); (D.M.)
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Innamma N, Ngamwongsatit N, Kaeoket K. The effects of using multi-species probiotics in late-pregnant and lactating sows on milk quality and quantity, fecal microflora, and performance of their offspring. Vet World 2023; 16:2055-2062. [PMID: 38023266 PMCID: PMC10668563 DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2023.2055-2062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and Aim The dietary probiotics in sows during gestation to lactation period have gained considerable attention with respect to their beneficial effects on sows and their piglets' performance and health. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of using probiotics in late-pregnant and lactating sows on milk quality, quantity, fecal microflora of sows, and growth performance of their offspring until weaning. Materials and Methods Thirty-four sows were equally divided into two groups (control and treatment). Only those in the treatment group were fed 5 g of probiotics at 12 weeks of pregnancy, once daily for 7 weeks, until their piglets were weaned. Colostrum samples were collected at 3, 6, 12, and 24 h after farrowing and measured for immunoglobulin concentration. Percentages of fat, protein, and lactose in colostrum, colostrum production, total intake of immunoglobulin A (IgA), immunoglobulin G (IgG), fat, protein, and lactose, the change of fecal microflora of sows, and average daily gain of piglets were measured. Results The results showed that there were no significant differences in the concentrations of IgA, IgG, and IgM in colostrum and the percentages of fat, protein, lactose, solid-not-fat, and total solid in colostrum between the groups; however, the colostrum production at 24 h in the treatment group (6,075.29 mL) was higher than in the control group (4,809.54 mL). Higher total intakes of IgA and IgG as well as total intake of fat, protein, and lactose, particularly at 3 h after farrowing, were found in the treatment group. Probiotic supplementation remarkably altered the microbiota community at the phylum level. We found that Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes are the dominant phyla, present in the gut of more than 90% of pregnant and lactating sows. Changes in microbial proportions were observed due to the changes of pig production stage. The weaning weight of the treatment group was higher than in the control group (6.34 ± 1.71 vs. 4.84 ± 1.29 kg, respectively). Conclusion Feeding of multi-species probiotic BACTOSAC-P™ during late pregnancy and lactation in sows positively influenced colostrum production. In this experiment, the use of BACTOSAC-P™ improved the yield of colostrum production. The high immunoglobulin concentration and high yield of the colostrum of sows with a diet supplemented with BACTOSAC-P™ significantly reduced piglet mortality during the suckling period. Furthermore, the probiotic diet induced changes in the fecal microbial population in sows by increasing the number of microorganisms from the Firmicutes phylum, which had positive effects on sow health and their piglets, leading to better piglet growth performance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Narathon Innamma
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, 73170, Thailand
| | - Natharin Ngamwongsatit
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, 73170, Thailand
- Laboratory of Bacteria, Veterinary Diagnostic Center, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, 73170, Thailand
| | - Kampon Kaeoket
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, 73170, Thailand
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Aerts P, Mielke F, Vanden Hole C, Van Gorp MJW, Van Ginneken C. Early Development of Locomotion in the Term Piglet Model: Does Size Matter? Integr Comp Biol 2023; 63:610-624. [PMID: 37309027 PMCID: PMC10503477 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icad054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Intrauterine undernutrition in humans typically results in low birth weight ([small for gestational age] SGA) and delayed postnatal neuromotor maturation. Since SGA and intrauterine growth retardation are also common in domestic pigs, piglets are premised as models to study delayed motor development. Applied to the locomotor paradigm, however, questions emerge: (i) how to map the developmental time scale of the precocial model onto the altricial target species and (ii) how to distinguish size from maturation effects? Gait data were collected at self-selected voluntary walking speed during early development (0-96 hours postpartum; pp) for SGA- and normal ([appropriate for gestational age] AGA) piglets. Dimensionless spatiotemporal gait characteristics (according to dynamic similarity) become invariant already after 4 hours pp, suggesting rapid postnatal neuromotor maturation. Moreover, dimensionless gait data are largely identical for SGA- and AGA-siblings, indicating that primarily size effects explain absolute locomotor differences. This is further supported by (i) normalized force-generating capacity of limb muscles, (ii) joint kinematics (<10 hours pp), and (iii) normalized ground reaction forces (<5 days pp) being indifferent between SGA- and AGA- piglets. Furthermore, predictive modeling based on limb joint kinematics is unable to discern the majority of SGA- from AGA-piglets (<10 hours pp). All this leads to the conclusion that, although smaller than the AGA piglets in absolute terms, SGA-piglets mature (neuromechanically speaking) just like, and equally fast as their AGA littermates. Yet, it remains a fact that early SGA piglets are reported to be less mobile, less vital, and less competitive than their AGA siblings (even often die before day 3 pp). This conspicuous difference likely results from the energy level (blood glucose and glycogen) and its mobilization being considerably different between the piglet categories during early development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter Aerts
- Laboratory of Functional Morphology, Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
- Movement and Sports Sciences, University of Ghent, Watersportlaan 2, Belgium
| | - Falk Mielke
- Laboratory of Functional Morphology, Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
- Laboratory of Comparative Perinatal development, Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Charlotte Vanden Hole
- Laboratory of Comparative Perinatal development, Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Merel J W Van Gorp
- Laboratory of Functional Morphology, Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Chris Van Ginneken
- Laboratory of Comparative Perinatal development, Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Zhang P, Jiang G, Ma C, Wang Y, Yan E, He L, Guo J, Zhang X, Yin J. Dietary supplementation of laminarin improves the reproductive performance of sows and the growth of suckling piglets. J Anim Sci Biotechnol 2023; 14:114. [PMID: 37689725 PMCID: PMC10493022 DOI: 10.1186/s40104-023-00920-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal nutrition is essential in keeping a highly efficient production system in the pig industry. Laminarin has been shown to improve antioxidant capacity, reduce the inflammatory response, and favor the homeostasis of intestinal microbiota. However, the effect of dietary supplementation of laminarin on the reproductive performance of sows and the growth of suckling offspring remains unknown. METHODS A total of 40 Landrace × Yorkshire multiparous sows on d 85 of gestation, similar in age, body weight (BW), parity and reproductive performance, were randomly divided into four dietary treatments with 10 sows per treatment, receiving a control diet (basal pregnancy or lactating diets) and a basal diet supplemented with 0.025%, 0.05% and 0.10% laminarin, respectively. The experiment lasted from d 85 of gestation to d 21 of lactation. RESULTS Laminarin supplementation linearly increased number born alive per litter (P = 0.03), average daily feed intake (ADFI, P < 0.01), and total milk yield of sows during the lactation of 1-21 d (P = 0.02). Furthermore, maternal laminarin supplementation increased the average daily gain (ADG) of piglets while tending to reduce the culling and death rate before weaning. In addition, alterations to the composition of colostrum and milk, as well as to serum inflammatory cytokines and immunoglobulins of sows were observed. The fecal microbiota profile of sows supported the improvement of reproductive performance in sows and the growth performance in suckling offspring. CONCLUSIONS Dietary supplementation of laminarin during late pregnancy and lactation could significantly improve reproductive performance of sows and growth performance of piglets.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pengguang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Guoyuan Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Chenghong Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Yubo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Enfa Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Linjuan He
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Jianxin Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Jingdong Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Schoos A, Muro BBD, Carnevale RF, Chantziaras I, Biebaut E, Janssens GPJ, Maes D. Relationship between piglets' survivability and farrowing kinetics in hyper-prolific sows. Porcine Health Manag 2023; 9:37. [PMID: 37641115 PMCID: PMC10464185 DOI: 10.1186/s40813-023-00332-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prolonged farrowing and more piglets born with low birth weight are undesirable consequences of genetic selection for increased litter size. The objective of the present observational study was to evaluate the relationship between piglets' survivability and farrowing kinetics in hyperprolific sows. A total of 58 sows of different parities and 1190 piglets were included. The entire farrowing process was monitored and the following parameters were recorded: inter-piglet birth interval, birth order, total born, live born, dead born, and mummified piglets, obstetric intervention, weight at birth and 24h, colostrum yield and intake. RESULTS The sows included in this study had on average 20.6 ± 0.6 total piglets born, of which 16.4 ± 0.6 were live born, 3.3 ± 0.4 were stillborn and 0.9 ± 0.2 were mummified piglets. The average farrowing duration and average birth interval were 411.3 ± 31.6 and 20.6 ± 1.7 min, respectively. Farrowing duration was positively associated (p < 0.05) with parity, number of stillborn and mummified piglets. Piglet mortality 24h after birth was negatively affected (p < 0.01) by birth weight and positively affected (p < 0.01) by cumulative birth interval. The last tercile of piglets born (birth order ≥ 17) had the highest (p < 0.01) inter-piglet birth interval (IPBI) (43.4 ± 4.17 min) compared to piglets born in the first (birth order between 2 and 7) (26.5 ± 3.8 min) and second (birth order between 8 and 16) terciles (21.9 ± 3.8 min). Cumulative birth interval, birth weight, occurrence of stillborn piglets and manual intervention were positively associated (p < 0.05) with IPBI. Piglet birth weight was also positively associated (p < 0.01) to individual colostrum intake. Piglets ingesting more colostrum had lower (p < 0.01) mortality from 24h after birth until weaning. Sow's parity and cumulative birth interval were positively associated with the presence of stillborn piglets (p = 0.02 and p < 0.01, respectively). CONCLUSION Reducing farrowing duration may be crucial to decrease stillbirth rate and neonatal mortality in hyperprolific sows. Moreover, special care must be provided to the lighter piglets within a litter to increase their colostrum intake and minimize piglet's mortality throughout lactation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Schoos
- Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Bruno Bracco Donatelli Muro
- Department of Nutrition and Animal Production, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of São Paulo (USP), Campus Pirassununga, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Rafaella Fernandes Carnevale
- Department of Nutrition and Animal Production, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of São Paulo (USP), Campus Pirassununga, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Ilias Chantziaras
- Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Evelien Biebaut
- Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Geert Paul Jules Janssens
- Department of Veterinary and Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Dominiek Maes
- Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Flowers WL. Litter-of-origin traits and their association with lifetime productivity in sows and boars. Mol Reprod Dev 2023; 90:585-593. [PMID: 35338538 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.23565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Litter-of-origin variables refer to unique characteristics of piglets between birth and weaning. They also are associated with reproductive organ development, so it seems plausible that they should influence lifetime productivity. Birthweight exhibited positive relationships with total sperm per ejaculate and total pigs produced over three parities for boars and sows, respectively. There were minimum birthweights below which the likelihood of future reproductive success was low so its use as an early selection criterion to exclude replacements with poor lifetime potential merits consideration. Colostrum is critical for normal adult reproductive physiology, and its intake can be estimated by measuring immunocrit levels after birth. Immunocrit had positive linear relationships with total pigs born alive over four parities in sows and total sperm produced per ejaculate in boars. Consequently, management strategies that enhance both the quality and quantity of colostrum consumed hold considerable potential for improving lifetime productivity. Results from both retrospective and prospective studies demonstrated that preweaning growth and weaning weight were associated positively with the development of reproductive organs, adult reproductive processes, and lifetime productivity. These should be, perhaps, the easiest to improve from a management perspective through the implementation of strategic cross-fostering, split-nursing, or supplemental feeding techniques.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- William L Flowers
- Department of Animal Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Vodolazska D, Feyera T, Lauridsen C. The impact of birth weight, birth order, birth asphyxia, and colostrum intake per se on growth and immunity of the suckling piglets. Sci Rep 2023; 13:8057. [PMID: 37198433 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-35277-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Colostrum is the only source of passive immunity and the major source of nutrients and is crucial for thermoregulation of newborn piglets in their early life. However, the amount of colostrum obtained by each piglet [colostrum intake (CI)] differs considerably in large litters as born by contemporary hyperprolific sow lines. This experiment aimed to investigate the impact of the following individual characteristics of piglets; birth weight, birth order and neonatal asphyxia at birth on CI, and further to determine the relationship between the CI and the passive immunity transfer, and the growth performance of piglets prior to weaning. Twenty-four Danbred sows of the second-parity and their progeny (n = 460) were used. As main inputs in the prediction model to assess individual piglet CI were piglet birth weight, their weight gain, and the duration of colostrum suckling of the piglets. The asphyxia (state of oxygen deprivation) was assessed by measuring blood lactate concentration immediately after birth, and piglets sampled at d 3 of age for determination of blood plasma concentrations of immunoglobulins (Ig) G, A, and M. Piglets' CI was negatively associated with asphyxia (P = 0.003), birth order (P = 0.005) and low birth weight have compromised the individual CI (P < 0.001). Average daily gain during the suckling period was greater among piglets with high CI (P = 0.001) and birth weight (P < 0.001). Body weight at weaning (d 24 of age) was positively associated with CI (P = 0.0004) and birth weight (P < 0.001). The probability of weaning was positively associated with CI and birth weight (P < 0.001) of the piglets. Concentrations of IgG (P = 0.02), IgA (P = 0.0007), and IgM (P = 0.04) in piglets' plasma at d 3 of age were positively associated with CI, and were negatively associated with birth order (P < 0.001). The present study demonstrated that piglets' individual characteristics at birth (birth weight, birth order, state of oxygen deprivation) have considerable effects on their CI. The knowledge gained from the results of this study gives a scientific base for development and implementation of more effective techniques in practice aimed to improve the piglets' robustness during the suckling period.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- D Vodolazska
- Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Aarhus University, Blichers Allé 20, 8830, Tjele, Denmark.
| | - T Feyera
- Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Aarhus University, Blichers Allé 20, 8830, Tjele, Denmark
| | - C Lauridsen
- Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Aarhus University, Blichers Allé 20, 8830, Tjele, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Quesnel H, Resmond R, Merlot E, Père MC, Gondret F, Louveau I. Physiological traits of newborn piglets associated with colostrum intake, neonatal survival and preweaning growth. Animal 2023; 17:100843. [PMID: 37263133 DOI: 10.1016/j.animal.2023.100843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Colostrum intake, which is critical for piglet survival after birth and growth up to weaning, greatly depends on piglet weight and vitality at birth. Our aim was to identify a set of biological variables explaining individual variations in colostrum intake, preweaning growth and risk of dying. Farrowing traits, morphological traits and colostrum intake were determined for 504 piglets born alive from 37 Landrace × Large White sows. A subset of 203 of these piglets was used to measure plasma neonatal concentrations of metabolites and hormones in blood collected from the umbilical cord at birth. From univariate analyses, we established that colostrum intake was positively associated with plasma neonatal concentrations of IGF-I, albumin, thyroid hormones (P < 0.001), and non-esterified fatty acids (P < 0.05), and was negatively associated with concentrations of lactate (P < 0.001). In a multivariable analysis, the variables explaining the variation in colostrum intake were piglet birth weight and rectal temperature 1 h after birth (positive effect, P < 0.001), time of birth after the onset of parturition, and fructose plasma concentrations at birth (negative effects, P < 0.001 and P < 0.05, respectively). Piglets that died within 3 days after birth had lower neonatal concentrations of albumin (P < 0.001), IGF-I and thyroxine (P < 0.01) than surviving piglets. Preweaning growth was positively associated with neonatal concentrations of IGF-I, thyroxine (P < 0.001), albumin and insulin (P < 0.05). Cortisol and glucose concentrations at birth were not related to colostrum intake, neonatal survival or preweaning growth. Multivariable analyses confirmed that colostrum intake was the predominant factor influencing piglet survival within 3 days after birth and preweaning growth. These results provide physiological indicators of piglet colostrum intake, besides birth weight. They also confirm the impact of time of birth during farrowing on colostrum intake and the crucial importance of physiological maturity at birth for postnatal adaptation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- H Quesnel
- PEGASE, INRAE, Institut Agro, 35590 Saint Gilles, France.
| | - R Resmond
- PEGASE, INRAE, Institut Agro, 35590 Saint Gilles, France
| | - E Merlot
- PEGASE, INRAE, Institut Agro, 35590 Saint Gilles, France
| | - M-C Père
- PEGASE, INRAE, Institut Agro, 35590 Saint Gilles, France
| | - F Gondret
- PEGASE, INRAE, Institut Agro, 35590 Saint Gilles, France
| | - I Louveau
- PEGASE, INRAE, Institut Agro, 35590 Saint Gilles, France
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Spörri-Vontobel C, Simmler M, Wechsler B, Scriba MF. Risk factors differ for viable and low viable crushed piglets in free farrowing pens. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1172446. [PMID: 37152692 PMCID: PMC10160680 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1172446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Newborn piglets have a high risk of being crushed by the sow, and this risk implies welfare and economic consequences. The aim of this study was to investigate the importance of differentiating between low viable (secondary crushing losses) and viable crushed (primary crushing losses) piglets for the evaluation of risk factors for crushing related to characteristics of the sow, the litter, and the environment. Eleven Swiss farmers recorded sows' production data (parity class, gestation length, numbers of live-born and stillborn piglets), data (age, sex, weight, cause of death, and signs of weakness) for every live-born piglet that died in the first week after birth (piglet loss), and ambient temperature. Piglet losses were assigned to five categorical events: piglet loss, subdivided into not crushed and crushed, the latter being further subdivided into low viable crushed and viable crushed. Piglets recorded by the farmer as crushed were assigned to the events low viable crushed and viable crushed based on the piglet's body weight and signs of weakness (diseases, malformations). Data of 9,543 live-born piglets from 740 litters were eventually used to statistically model the hazard of dying at any given time in the first week after birth due to one of these events (mixed-effects Cox model). Five potential risk factors were analyzed as co-variates: parity class, gestation length, number of live-born piglets, number of stillborn piglets, and daily number of hours with ambient temperature >30°C. We identified two risk factors for dying from the event viable crushed that were not identified as risk factors for low viable crushed, namely shorter gestation length and higher daily number of hours with ambient temperature > 30°C. Vice-versa, we identified additional live-born piglets in the litter as risk factor for low viable crushed, but not for viable crushed. Our results show the importance of differentiating between low viable and viable crushed piglets for the interpretation of risk factors for crushing losses. Therefore, we suggest that for breeding purposes and in research, this differentiation should be made.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cornelia Spörri-Vontobel
- Centre for Proper Housing of Ruminants and Pigs, Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office, Ettenhausen, Switzerland
- *Correspondence: Cornelia Spörri-Vontobel,
| | - Michael Simmler
- Digital Production Group, Agroscope, Ettenhausen, Switzerland
| | - Beat Wechsler
- Centre for Proper Housing of Ruminants and Pigs, Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office, Ettenhausen, Switzerland
| | - Madeleine F. Scriba
- Centre for Proper Housing of Ruminants and Pigs, Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office, Ettenhausen, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Winters JFM, Foldager L, Pedersen LJ. Postweaning growth and feeding behaviour in pigs: effect of heavier hybrid and weaning intact litters in farrowing pens for loose-housed sows. Animal 2023; 17:100688. [PMID: 36584624 DOI: 10.1016/j.animal.2022.100688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Abrupt weaning of four-week-old pigs is associated with multiple stressors. Housing pigs in intact litters is a way to reduce the stress associated with moving and mixing of unfamiliar pigs. Furthermore, higher weaning weight may improve pigs' robustness against postweaning stressors. In the present study, it was investigated whether: (1) A heavier pig hybrid, and (2) weaning intact litters in the farrowing pen for loose-housed sows could increase postweaning feeding behaviour and growth. Two sow hybrids (DanBred LY (DB) and Topigs Norsvin TN70 (TN)) and two weaning strategies (the litter stayed intact in the farrowing pen after removing the sow (STAY), or two litters were moved and mixed in conventional weaner pens (MOVE)) were compared in a 2 × 2 factorial design. In total, 57 litters from four batches were included in the study. The TN hybrid sows gave birth to heavier piglets but smaller litter sizes and had more functional teats than DB sows. At weaning, TN pigs were heavier than DB. The number of feed trough (FT) visits on the day before weaning was low in both hybrids. On the day after weaning, the number of FT visits was higher in MOVE compared to STAY, and in TN-STAY compared to DB-STAY. The average daily gain the first two days postweaning was negative in both hybrids and weaning strategies but more pronounced in DB than TN, and STAY tended to lose more weight than MOVE. Over the entire 28-day postweaning period, there was an interaction between hybrid and weaning strategy in that TN-STAY (392 g/d) had higher growth than both TN-MOVE (251 g/d) and DB-MOVE (283 g/d), whereas growth of DB-STAY (316 g/d) was intermediate. In addition, higher weaning weight was associated with a lower number of FT visits and greater weight loss the first two days postweaning but higher growth over the 28-day postweaning period. The results show that abrupt weaning at four weeks of age causes weight loss the first days postweaning despite being housedas intact litters, most likely due to low feed consumption. However, the combination of a heavier pig hybrid and housing intact litters in the farrowing pen postweaning resulted in a higher growth performance over the 28-day postweaning period. In conclusion, pigs that are heavier at weaning reach better growth performance in the longer term, despite having the largest acute postweaning growth depression and fewest FT visits on the day before and after weaning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J F M Winters
- Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Aarhus University, Blichers Allé 20, 8830 Tjele, Denmark.
| | - L Foldager
- Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Aarhus University, Blichers Allé 20, 8830 Tjele, Denmark; Bioinformatics Research Centre, Aarhus University, Universitetsbyen 81, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - L J Pedersen
- Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Aarhus University, Blichers Allé 20, 8830 Tjele, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Van Tichelen K, Prims S, Ayuso M, Van Bockstal L, Van Kerschaver C, Vandaele M, Degroote J, Van Cruchten S, Michiels J, Van Ginneken C. The Effect of Drenching (Very) Low Birth Weight Piglets with a Dense, Concentrated Milk Replacer at Farms with Differing Farrowing Management. Animals (Basel) 2022; 13:ani13010063. [PMID: 36611673 PMCID: PMC9817849 DOI: 10.3390/ani13010063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Introducing hyperprolific sows has led to proportionally more (very) low birth weight ((V)LBW) piglets, accompanied by higher mortality. To improve the survival of (V)LBW piglets, drenching a dense milk replacer (DMR) could be applied. A first experiment evaluated the effect of drenching DMR (1 or 3 doses within 24 h after birth) to LBW ((mean litter birth weight - 1*SD) and weighing between 1 kg and 750 g) and VLBW piglets ((mean litter birth weight - 1.5*SD) and weighing less than 750 g). On days 1, 2, 3, 9, and two days post-weaning, body weight, growth, skin lesions, and mortality were monitored. No effect of DMR was observed on any of the parameters. In a second experiment, LBW piglets were supplemented with DMR (similarly to experiment 1) at two farms differing in the level of perinatal care. The same parameters were evaluated, and again none were affected by drenching DMR. Overall survival of the LBW piglets was significantly higher at the farm with high perinatal care. It can be concluded that good perinatal management is more effective in enhancing the survival of LBW piglets than drenching.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Van Tichelen
- Comparative Perinatal Development, Faculty of Biomedical, Pharmaceutical and Veterinary Sciences, Antwerp University, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Sara Prims
- Comparative Perinatal Development, Faculty of Biomedical, Pharmaceutical and Veterinary Sciences, Antwerp University, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Miriam Ayuso
- Comparative Perinatal Development, Faculty of Biomedical, Pharmaceutical and Veterinary Sciences, Antwerp University, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Lieselotte Van Bockstal
- Comparative Perinatal Development, Faculty of Biomedical, Pharmaceutical and Veterinary Sciences, Antwerp University, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Céline Van Kerschaver
- Laboratory for Animal Production and Animal Product Quality, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Mario Vandaele
- Laboratory for Animal Production and Animal Product Quality, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jeroen Degroote
- Laboratory for Animal Production and Animal Product Quality, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Steven Van Cruchten
- Comparative Perinatal Development, Faculty of Biomedical, Pharmaceutical and Veterinary Sciences, Antwerp University, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Joris Michiels
- Laboratory for Animal Production and Animal Product Quality, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Chris Van Ginneken
- Comparative Perinatal Development, Faculty of Biomedical, Pharmaceutical and Veterinary Sciences, Antwerp University, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Dietary β-hydroxy β-methyl butyrate supplementation of sows improves litter performance and colostrum production in a dose-dependent manner. Anim Feed Sci Technol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2022.115486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
|
21
|
Franchi GA, Larsen MLV, Winters JFM, Jensen MB, Pedersen LJ. Investigating the effects of two weaning methods and two genetic hybrids on play behavior in weaner pigs (Sus scrofa). FRONTIERS IN ANIMAL SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fanim.2022.909038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In conventional pig production, suckling pigs are typically weaned between 3 and 5 weeks of age. This involves separation from the sow, dietary change, and regrouping in a novel environment, which challenge the welfare of pigs. We investigated the effects of two weaning methods [conventional weaning: two litters mixed in a weaner pen of different size and design (MOVE) vs. litter staying in the farrowing pen after removing the sow (STAY)] and two genetic hybrids [DanBred Yorkshire × Landrace (approximately 21 total pigs born/litter; DB) vs. Topigs Norsvin TN70 Yorkshire × Landrace (approximately 16 total pigs born/litter with higher individual birth weight and weaning weight than DB; TN)] on play behavior across weaning. Both genetic hybrids were inseminated with semen of DanBred Duroc boars. Litters were reduced to the number of functional teats at birth. The durations of locomotor-rotational play (LOC) and social play (SOC) of 24 indoor-housed litters [pigs/litter: (average ± SD) 13 ± 2; age at the weaning day: 26 ± 2 days] were video-recorded continuously between 14:00 h and 22:00 h on days −1, 1, and 2 relative to weaning and statistically analyzed with mixed-effects modeling at the individual level. Before weaning, TN pigs performed LOC longer than DB pigs. On day 2 post-weaning, STAY pigs engaged in more SOC than MOVE pigs. Moreover, TN pigs and STAY pigs displayed a steeper increase in LOC from days 1 to 2 than DB pigs and MOVE pigs, respectively. We demonstrated that pigs belonging to the genetic hybrid with higher weight at birth and weaning spent more time playing on the day before weaning. Additionally, weaning pigs in the farrowing pen and, hence, avoiding social mixing and relocation to an unfamiliar environment had a positive effect on social play after weaning. Our study illustrates that weaning stress in pigs may be reduced by using a genetic hybrid featuring higher birth and weaning weight and by keeping litters intact in a familiar environment after weaning. This study also supports the use of play behavior as an animal welfare indicator.
Collapse
|
22
|
Manriquez D, Poudevigne G, Roche E, Waret-Szkuta A. Association between Head-to-Chest Circumference Ratio and Intrauterine Growth-Retardation Related Outcomes during Preweaning and Postweaning. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12121562. [PMID: 35739898 PMCID: PMC9219466 DOI: 10.3390/ani12121562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The objective of this study is to evaluate the association between the head-to-chest circumference ratio (HCR) and birth weight (BW), colostrum intake, and average daily weight gain (ADG) at preweaning and postweaning periods. Additionally, associations between HCR and PCV-2 serum antibody titers and the PCV-2 seroconversion ratio (SCR) were assessed. Head and chest circumferences were measured at birth, and HCR was calculated from 110 piglets born from 8 pregnant sows randomly selected from maternity pens. Linear mixed models were used to test whether changes in HCR were associated with fluctuations of BW, colostrum intake, and ADG. In addition, HCR least-square means were compared between piglets classified as lower or greater BW, colostrum intake, and ADG. Finally, receiving operating characteristic curve analyses were performed to estimate HCR thresholds for discriminating between lower and greater performance piglets during preweaning and postweaning periods. Increments in HCR were associated with lower BW, colostrum intake, and ADG. An HCR threshold of 0.82 maximized sensibility and specificity for the classification of lower and greater performance piglets regarding BW, colostrum intake, and ADG during the periods of 0 to 7 and 0 to 69 days of life. When piglets were categorized into HCR ≤ 0.82 and HCR > 0.82 groups, piglets with HCR ≤ 0.82 had lower (log10) PCV-2 serum antibody titers at 26 days of life compared with piglets with HCR > 0.82 (3.30 ± 0.05 vs. 3.47 ± 0.05 g/dL). On the other hand, piglets that showed low SCR between 26 and 69 days of life had greater HCRs compared with piglets with high SCRs (0.83 ± 0.008 vs. 0.8 ± 0.008). The use of HCRs allowed us to identify piglets with lower performance and impaired immune response against PCV-2. The HCR indicator could be used as a selection criterion for preventive management for piglets showing delayed performance potentially associated with IUGR.
Collapse
|
23
|
Faccin JEG, Tokach MD, Goodband RD, DeRouchey JM, Woodworth JC, Gebhardt JT. Gilt development to improve offspring performance and survivability. J Anim Sci 2022; 100:6609152. [PMID: 35708589 DOI: 10.1093/jas/skac128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Methods for developing incoming replacement gilts can indirectly and directly influence survivability of their offspring. Indirectly, having proper gilt development reduces culling rates and mortality, which increases longevity and creates a more mature sow herd. Older sows are more likely to have greater immunity than gilts and therefore can pass this along to their pigs in both quantity and quality of colostrum and milk, thus improving piglet survivability. Directly, proper gilt development will maximize mammary gland development which increases colostrum and milk production leading to large, healthy pig. As for the developing gilt at birth, increasing colostrum intake, reducing nursing pressure, providing adequate space allowance, and good growth rate can increase the likelihood that gilts successfully enter and remain in the herd. Light birth weight gilts (<1 kg) or gilts from litters with low birth weight should be removed early in the selection process. Gilts should be weaned at 24 d of age or older and then can be grown in a variety of ways as long as lifetime growth rate is over 600 g/d. Current genetic lines with exceptional growth rate run the risk of being bred too heavy, reducing longevity. On the other hand, restricting feed intake at specific times could be detrimental to mammary development. In these situations, reducing diet amino acid concentration and allowing ad libitum feed is a possible strategy. Gilts should be bred between 135 and 160 kg and at second estrus or later while in a positive metabolic state to increase lifetime productivity and longevity in the herd. Once bred, gilts should be fed to maintain or build body reserves without becoming over-conditioned at farrowing. Proper body condition at farrowing impacts the percentage of pigs born alive as well as colostrum and milk production, and consequently, offspring performance and survivability. Combined with the benefit in pig immunity conferred by an older sow parity structure, gilt development has lasting impacts on offspring performance and survivability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jamil E G Faccin
- Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, College of Agriculture, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506-0201, USA
| | - Mike D Tokach
- Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, College of Agriculture, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506-0201, USA
| | - Robert D Goodband
- Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, College of Agriculture, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506-0201, USA
| | - Joel M DeRouchey
- Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, College of Agriculture, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506-0201, USA
| | - Jason C Woodworth
- Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, College of Agriculture, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506-0201, USA
| | - Jordan T Gebhardt
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506-0201, USA
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Johnson AK, Rault JL, Marchant JN, Baxter EM, O'Driscoll K. Improving young pig welfare on-farm: The Five Domains Model. J Anim Sci 2022; 100:6583200. [PMID: 35536191 PMCID: PMC9202571 DOI: 10.1093/jas/skac164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Considering welfare through the "neonatal and nursery pig perspective" is an exciting approach, and one that resonates with consumers. Overlaying this with the Five Domains Model, as we suggest in this review, points to practical on-farm improvements that provide each pig the opportunity to experience positive mental states. The Five Domains Model is broken into physical and functional states, that includes Domain 1 Nutrition, Domain 2 Physical Environment, Domain 3 Health and, Domain 4 Behavioral Interaction, and Domain 5 Mental State. The Five Domains Model can build on the breadth and depth of swine welfare science to highlight opportunities to improve welfare on-farm. In Domain 1 management of increasingly large litters is considered, with examples of sow vs. artificial rearing, colostrum quality and quantity, and creep feed management strategies. Efforts can result in positive mental states such as feeling full and content and the ability to experience pleasure of drinking and food tastes/smells. Domain 2 considers space complexity and access to key resources, along with thermal and physical amenities, to promote feelings of physical comfort. Domain 3 considers pig health in three broad, yet inter-linking categories, (a) congenital and hereditary health, (b) environmental pathogen load and, (c) colostrum quality and quantity, and its effect on the microbiome. Improvements can result in a pig that displays vitality and feels healthy. Domain 4 provides the pig opportunities to express its rich behavioral repertoire, specifically positive social interactions, play, and exploration. These efforts can result in pigs feeling calm, safe, comfortable, having companionship, engaged, interested and rewarded. In conclusion, using the Five Domains Model can highlight numerous opportunities to improve current and future housing and management through the "neonatal and nursery pig perspective" with a focus on inducing positive mental states that can result in improved quality of life and welfare state.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A K Johnson
- Department of Animal Science, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50001, USA.,Iowa Pork Industry Center, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50001, USA
| | - J-L Rault
- Institute of Animal Welfare Science, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, A-1210, Austria
| | - J N Marchant
- USDA-ARS Livestock Behavior Research Unit, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - E M Baxter
- Animal Behaviour and Welfare, Animal and Veterinary Sciences Research Group, SRUC, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK
| | - K O'Driscoll
- Pig Development Department, Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Teagasc, Moorepark, Fermoy Co. Cork, P61 C997, Ireland
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Amatucci L, Luise D, Correa F, Bosi P, Trevisi P. Importance of Breed, Parity and Sow Colostrum Components on Litter Performance and Health. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12101230. [PMID: 35625076 PMCID: PMC9137652 DOI: 10.3390/ani12101230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The aims of this study were to investigate the effect of breed and parity on colostrum components, and to associate sow breed, parity, and colostrum components with survival, growth, and the occurrence of diarrhoea of their litters. In Experiment 1, 64 sows (Duroc = 13; Landrace = 17 and Large White = 34) were included. In Experiment 2, 71 sows with different parities (1 = 10; 2 = 16; 3 = 13; 4 = 12; ≥5 = 20) were included. The number (N) of live piglets, litter body weight (Experiment 1), and the occurrence of diarrhoea (Experiment 1) were recorded at farrowing, at 2−3 days of age, and at weaning. Colostrum was analysed for proximate composition, immunoglobulins (Igs), and somatic cell count (SCC). Stepwise regressions and ANOVA models were used to associate breed, parity, and colostrum components with litter performance. The Duroc breed had the highest IgG and IgA (p < 0.005). Gilts had a higher fat% and SCC (p< 0.0001); these compounds were positively correlated (r = 0.45). Increased IgA tended to increase the N of weaned piglets (p = 0.058) and reduce litter diarrhoea (p = 0.021). The SCC increased the N of weaned piglets (p = 0.031). Overall, this study confirmed that breed and parity can influence the colostrum composition and highlighted the key role of Igs and somatic cells in piglet health.
Collapse
|
26
|
Jarosz ŁS, Ciszewski A, Marek A, Hejdysz M, Nowaczewski S, Grądzki Z, Michalak K, Kwiecień M, Rysiak A. The effect of the multi-strain probiotic preparation EM Bokashi® on selected parameters of the cellular immune response in pigs. FOOD AGR IMMUNOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/09540105.2021.2006611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Łukasz S. Jarosz
- Department of Epizootiology and Clinic of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Artur Ciszewski
- Department of Epizootiology and Clinic of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Marek
- Sub-Department of Preventive Veterinary and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Biological Bases of Animal Diseases, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Marcin Hejdysz
- Department of Animal Breeding And Product Quality Assessment, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznań, Poland
| | - Sebastian Nowaczewski
- Department of Animal Breeding And Product Quality Assessment, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznań, Poland
| | - Zbigniew Grądzki
- Department of Epizootiology and Clinic of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Michalak
- Department of Epizootiology and Clinic of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Kwiecień
- Faculty of Biology and Animal Breeding, Institute of Animal Nutrition and Bromatology, Department of Animal Nutrition, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Anna Rysiak
- Department of Botany, Mycology, and Ecology, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Lublin, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Peng W, Li YH, Yang G, Duan JL, Yang LY, Chen LX, Hou SL, Huang XG. Oral administration of Lactobacillus delbrueckii enhances intestinal immunity through inducing dendritic cell activation in suckling piglets. Food Funct 2022; 13:2570-2580. [PMID: 35166282 DOI: 10.1039/d1fo03864h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Lactobacillus delbrueckii (LAB) has been demonstrated to exert versatile beneficial effects on modulating intestinal immunity, increasing gut microbial diversity, promoting growth performance, and even preventing disease onset in pigs. However, the underlying mechanism of LAB-mediated gut immunity regulation in piglets remains unclear. In this study, we found that supplementation of LAB significantly increases serum TNF-α, ileum IL-4, and IL-10 levels compared with the control group. Meanwhile, oral supplementation of LAB-modified gut microbial communities was evidenced by the increased abundance of the Lactobacillus genus in the colon. Mechanistically, LAB induced dendritic cell (DC) maturation and activation, which may be relevant to the activation of NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways. Moreover, we found that oral administration of LAB during the suckling period shows long-lasting immunomodulatory impacts on intestinal immunity after weaning. Collectively, this study uncovers the mechanism of LAB in regulating the intestinal immunity of piglets, suggesting that LAB can be developed as an immunoenhancing biological agent during the suckling period.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Peng
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, Hunan 410128, China. .,Engineering Research Center for Feed Safety and Efficient Utilization of Education, Changsha, Hunan 410128, China
| | - Ying-Hui Li
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, Hunan 410128, China. .,Engineering Research Center for Feed Safety and Efficient Utilization of Education, Changsha, Hunan 410128, China
| | - Guan Yang
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China
| | - Jie-Lin Duan
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, Hunan 410128, China. .,Engineering Research Center for Feed Safety and Efficient Utilization of Education, Changsha, Hunan 410128, China
| | - Ling-Yuan Yang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, Hunan 410128, China. .,Engineering Research Center for Feed Safety and Efficient Utilization of Education, Changsha, Hunan 410128, China
| | - Li-Xiang Chen
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, Hunan 410128, China. .,Engineering Research Center for Feed Safety and Efficient Utilization of Education, Changsha, Hunan 410128, China
| | - Shu-Ling Hou
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, Hunan 410128, China. .,Engineering Research Center for Feed Safety and Efficient Utilization of Education, Changsha, Hunan 410128, China
| | - Xing-Guo Huang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, Hunan 410128, China. .,Engineering Research Center for Feed Safety and Efficient Utilization of Education, Changsha, Hunan 410128, China
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Han L, Azad MAK, Huang P, Wang W, Zhang W, Blachier F, Kong X. Maternal Supplementation With Different Probiotic Mixture From Late Pregnancy to Day 21 Postpartum: Consequences for Litter Size, Plasma and Colostrum Parameters, and Fecal Microbiota and Metabolites in Sows. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:726276. [PMID: 35211537 PMCID: PMC8860973 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.726276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study determined the effects of different probiotic mixture supplementation to sows from late pregnancy to day 21 postpartum on reproductive performance, colostrum composition, plasma biochemical parameters, and fecal microbiota and metabolites. A total of 80 pregnant sows were randomly assigned to one of four groups (20 sows per group). The sows in the control group (CON group) were fed a basal diet, and those in the BS-A+B, BS-A+BL, and BS-B+BL groups were fed basal diets supplemented with 250 g/t of different probiotic mixture containing either 125 g/t of Bacillus subtilis A (BS-A), Bacillus subtilis B (BS-B), and/or Bacillus licheniformis (BL), respectively. The trial period was from day 85 of pregnancy to day 21 postpartum. The results showed that different dietary probiotic mixture supplementation increased (P < 0.05) the average weaning weight and average daily gain of piglets, while dietary BS-A+BL supplementation increased the number of weaned piglets (P < 0.05), litter weight (P = 0.06), litter weight gain (P = 0.06), and litter daily gain (P = 0.06) at weaning compared with the CON group. Different dietary probiotic mixture supplementation improved (P < 0.05) the colostrum quality by increasing the fat and dry matter concentrations, as well as the protein and urea nitrogen concentrations in the BS-A+BL group. Dietary probiotic mixture BS-B+BL increased the plasma total protein on days 1 and 21 postpartum while decreased the plasma albumin on day 1 postpartum (P < 0.05). In addition, the plasma high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol was increased in the BS-A+B and BS-B+BL groups on day 21 postpartum, while plasma ammonia was decreased in the BS-A+B and BS-A+BL groups on day 1 and in the three probiotic mixtures groups on day 21 postpartum (P < 0.05). Dietary supplementation with different probiotic mixture also modified the fecal microbiota composition and metabolic activity in sows during pregnancy and postpartum stages. Collectively, these findings suggest that maternal supplementation with Bacillus subtilis in combination with Bacillus licheniformis are promising strategies for improving the reproductive performance and the overall health indicators in sows, as well as the growth of their offspring.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Li Han
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutritional Physiology and Metabolic Process, National Engineering Laboratory for Pollution Control and Waste Utilization in Livestock and Poultry Production, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha, China
| | - Md. Abul Kalam Azad
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutritional Physiology and Metabolic Process, National Engineering Laboratory for Pollution Control and Waste Utilization in Livestock and Poultry Production, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha, China
| | - Pan Huang
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutritional Physiology and Metabolic Process, National Engineering Laboratory for Pollution Control and Waste Utilization in Livestock and Poultry Production, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha, China
| | - Wei Wang
- The Institute of Cell Transplantion and Gene Therapy, Centra-South University, the Engineering Center for Xenotransplantation, Changsha, China
| | | | - Francois Blachier
- UMR PNCA, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, Paris, France
| | - Xiangfeng Kong
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutritional Physiology and Metabolic Process, National Engineering Laboratory for Pollution Control and Waste Utilization in Livestock and Poultry Production, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha, China
- *Correspondence: Xiangfeng Kong
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Van Tichelen K, Prims S, Ayuso M, Van Kerschaver C, Vandaele M, Degroote J, Van Cruchten S, Michiels J, Van Ginneken C. Drenching Bovine Colostrum, Quercetin or Fructo-Oligosaccharides Has No Effect on Health or Survival of Low Birth Weight Piglets. Animals (Basel) 2021; 12:ani12010055. [PMID: 35011160 PMCID: PMC8749686 DOI: 10.3390/ani12010055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2021] [Revised: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The introduction of hyperprolific sows has resulted in more low birth weight (LBW) piglets, accompanied by higher mortality. A possible strategy to enhance the resilience and survival of LBW piglets is oral supplementation (drenching) of bioactive substances. This study evaluated the supplementation of bovine colostrum, short-chain fructo-oligosaccharides (scFOS) or quercetin that were dissolved separately in a milk replacer. The study was divided into two sub-experiments. First, the milk replacer was compared with a sham drenched group. Secondly, each dissolved compound was compared with the milk replacer. The LBW piglets, defined as weighing between (mean litter birth weight -1*SD) and (mean litter birth weight -2.5*SD), were randomly allocated to the different treatments and drenched once a day for seven days. On day 1, 3, 9, 24 and 38, piglets were weighed and scored for skin lesions. Blood samples were collected on day 9 and 38 and analyzed to determine glucose, non-esterified fatty acids, urea, immunoglobulin G, insulin-like growth factor 1, and a standard blood panel test. There was no difference between sham drenched piglets and piglets that were drenched with milk replacer regarding any of the parameters. No effect was observed between the milk replacer group and any of the bioactive compounds either, except a higher mortality within the scFOS group. In conclusion, this study showed that drenching the evaluated bioactive compounds, in the used dosages, did not improve LBW piglets' resilience or survival and more research is required to determine the effect of scFOS on small piglets.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Van Tichelen
- Comparative Perinatal Development, Faculty of Biomedical, Pharmaceutical and Veterinary Sciences, Antwerp University, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; (K.V.T.); (S.P.); (M.A.); (S.V.C.)
| | - Sara Prims
- Comparative Perinatal Development, Faculty of Biomedical, Pharmaceutical and Veterinary Sciences, Antwerp University, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; (K.V.T.); (S.P.); (M.A.); (S.V.C.)
| | - Miriam Ayuso
- Comparative Perinatal Development, Faculty of Biomedical, Pharmaceutical and Veterinary Sciences, Antwerp University, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; (K.V.T.); (S.P.); (M.A.); (S.V.C.)
| | - Céline Van Kerschaver
- Laboratory for Animal Production and Animal Product Quality, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (C.V.K.); (M.V.); (J.D.); (J.M.)
| | - Mario Vandaele
- Laboratory for Animal Production and Animal Product Quality, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (C.V.K.); (M.V.); (J.D.); (J.M.)
| | - Jeroen Degroote
- Laboratory for Animal Production and Animal Product Quality, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (C.V.K.); (M.V.); (J.D.); (J.M.)
| | - Steven Van Cruchten
- Comparative Perinatal Development, Faculty of Biomedical, Pharmaceutical and Veterinary Sciences, Antwerp University, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; (K.V.T.); (S.P.); (M.A.); (S.V.C.)
| | - Joris Michiels
- Laboratory for Animal Production and Animal Product Quality, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (C.V.K.); (M.V.); (J.D.); (J.M.)
| | - Chris Van Ginneken
- Comparative Perinatal Development, Faculty of Biomedical, Pharmaceutical and Veterinary Sciences, Antwerp University, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; (K.V.T.); (S.P.); (M.A.); (S.V.C.)
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Magalhães ES, Zimmerman JJ, Thomas P, Moura CAA, Trevisan G, Holtkamp DJ, Wang C, Rademacher C, Silva GS, Linhares DCL. Whole-herd risk factors associated with wean-to-finish mortality under the conditions of a Midwestern USA swine production system. Prev Vet Med 2021; 198:105545. [PMID: 34801793 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2021.105545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Swine wean-to-finish (W2F) mortality is a multifactorial, dynamic process and a key performance indicator of commercial swine production. Although swine producers typically capture the relevant data, analysis of W2F mortality risk factors is often hindered by the fact that, even if data is available, they are typically in different formats, non-uniform, and dispersed among multiple unconnected databases. In this study, an automated framework was created to link multiple data streams to specific cohorts of market animals, including sow farm productivity parameters, sow farm and growing pig health factors, facilities, management factors, and closeout data from a Midwestern USA production system. The final dataset (master-table) contained breeding-to-market data for 1,316 cohorts of pigs marketed between July 2018 and June 2019. Following integration into a master-table, continuous explanatory variables were categorized into quartiles averages, and the W2F mortality was log-transformed, reporting geometric mean mortality of 8.69 % for the study population. Further, univariate analyses were performed to identify individual variables associated with W2F mortality (p < 0.10) for further inclusion in a multivariable model, where model selection was applied. The final multivariable model consisted of 13 risk factors and accounted for 68.2 % (R2) of the variability of the W2F mortality, demonstrating that sow farm health and performance are closely linked to downstream W2F mortality. Higher sow farm productivity was associated with lower subsequent W2F mortality and, conversely, lower sow farm productivity with higher W2F mortality e.g., groups weaned in the highest quartiles for pre-weaning mortality and abortion rate had 13.5 %, and 12.5 %, respectively, which was statistically lower than the lowest quartiles for the same variables (10.5 %, and 10.6 %). Moreover, better sow farm health status was also associated with lower subsequent W2F mortality. A significant difference was detected in W2F mortality between epidemic versus negative groups for porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (15.4 % vs 8.7 %), and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae epidemic versus negative groups (13.7 % vs 9.9 %). Overall, this study demonstrated the application of a whole-herd analysis by aggregating information of the pre-weaning phase with the post-weaning phase (breeding-to-market) to identify and measure the major risk factors of W2F mortality.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Edison S Magalhães
- Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Jeffrey J Zimmerman
- Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Pete Thomas
- Iowa Select Farms, Iowa Falls, IA, United States
| | | | - Giovani Trevisan
- Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Derald J Holtkamp
- Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Chong Wang
- Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States; Department of Statistics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Christopher Rademacher
- Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Gustavo S Silva
- Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Daniel C L Linhares
- Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Sun H, de Laguna FB, Wang S, Liu F, Shi L, Jiang H, Hu X, Qin P, Tan J. Effect of Saccharomyces cerevisiae boulardii CNCM I-1079 on sows´
farrowing duration, reproductive performance, and weanling piglets´ performance
and IgG concentration. JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 2021; 64:10-22. [PMID: 35174339 PMCID: PMC8819323 DOI: 10.5187/jast.2021.e106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Revised: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
We studied the effects of Saccharomyces cerevisiae boulardii
CNCM I-1079 (LSB) supplemented to lactating sows on reproductive traits and
farrowing duration and to piglets from day 7 of life on post-weaning performance
and IgG concentration. Ninety-six Landrace × Yorkshire sows started the
trial 5 days before the expected farrowing date. Sows were distributed into 2
groups according to parity number and backfat thickness: control (CON: regular
lactation diet) and LSB (CON + LSB at 2 × 109 colony forming
units [CFU]/kg of feed). Seven days after birth, litters were randomly selected
from each group and supplemented creep feed with or without LSB at 2 ×
109 CFU/kg. At weaning, piglets from CON sows were shifted to a
commercial farm and allocated to 14 pens in groups of 25 piglets/pen according
to the creep feed supplemented during lactation. Piglets followed a 3-phase
feeding program: creep, pre-starter and starter, with or without LSB at 2
× 109 CFU/kg LSB in creep and pre-starter, and 1 ×
109 CFU/kg LSB in starter. The piglets were vaccinated against
classical swine fever on days 41 and 72 of life. One day before each vaccination
and at the end of the trial, blood samples were collected from 15 randomly
selected piglets per treatment and assessed for total IgG. Supplemented sows
with non-supplemented litters displayed the lowest backfat thickness loss during
lactation (p < 0.05). The LSB supplementation shortened
farrowing duration (p < 0.05) and increased feed intake
(p < 0.05) during the first week of lactation. The
LSB-fed piglets were heavier at the end of creep (p <
0.05), pre-starter (p < 0.05), and the trial
(p < 0.05); grew faster during creep
(p < 0.05), starter (p <
0.05), and overall (p < 0.05); and displayed an improved
feed conversion ratio during creep (p < 0.05). Total IgG
content was higher at days 40 (p < 0.05) and 71
(p < 0.05) in LSB-fed piglets. We conclude that
supplementing sows with Saccharomyces cerevisiae boulardii CNCM
I-1079 from late gestation until weaning shortens farrowing duration, increases
feed intake, and minimizes backfat losses during lactation. When supplemented to
piglet diet, post-weaning performance is improved. This improvement observed
could be linked to a better immune status, as suggested by the higher IgG.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Fernando Bravo de Laguna
- Lallemand SAS, Blagnac
31702, France
- Corresponding author: Fernando Bravo de Laguna,
Lallemand SAS, Blagnac 31702, France., Tel: +34-606-434276, E-mail:
| | | | - Fengju Liu
- Beijing Hilink International
Biotechnology, Beijing 100102, China
| | - Liang Shi
- Guangxi Yangxiang, Guangxi
537100, China
| | | | - Xiaoxia Hu
- Guangxi Yangxiang, Guangxi
537100, China
| | - Peng Qin
- Beijing Hilink International
Biotechnology, Beijing 100102, China
| | - Jiajian Tan
- Guangxi Yangxiang, Guangxi
537100, China
- Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed
Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural
University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Corresponding author: Jiajian Tan, Guangxi
Yangxiang, Guangxi 537100, China., Tel: +86-775-6797781, E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Luise D, Correa F, Fusco L, Bosi P, Trevisi P. Productive effects of a colostrum-oriented amino acid dietary supply for sows in transition from gestation to lactation. ITALIAN JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/1828051x.2021.1960210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Diana Luise
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agroalimentari, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Federico Correa
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agroalimentari, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Paolo Bosi
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agroalimentari, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Paolo Trevisi
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agroalimentari, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
|
34
|
Slegers Y, Oolbekkink Y, Roelofs S, van der Staay FJ, Nordquist RE. Effects of Birth Order on Performance and Affective State of Pigs. FRONTIERS IN ANIMAL SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fanim.2021.669692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
In pigs, higher birth order is associated with higher pre-weaning mortality. However, knowledge on the effect of birth order on welfare of surviving piglets is limited. The aim of this study was to explore the possible link between birth order and both newborn piglet performance and later affective state. Firstly, the following data were collected in 393 piglets from 27 litters: stillbirth, intactness of the umbilical cord and birth weight. Subsets of piglets were used to measure suckling latency (n = 67) and teat order (n = 21). Secondly, a subset of first-born (n = 9) and last-born (n = 7) piglets were trained to perform an active-choice judgement bias task (JBT). During discrimination training preceding the JBT, the pigs learned to associate two tone cues with the availability of either a large (4 M&M's® Milk Chocolate candies) or small (1 M&M's) reward, provided at two different locations. After training, ambiguous intermediate tones were introduced and the pig's choice of location was scored as either optimistic or pessimistic. Results showed that last-born piglets had a higher birth weight than middle-born piglets, while first-born piglets did not significantly differ from last- or middle-born piglets. They also latched to more caudal teats than first-born piglets. The last-born and first-born piglets showed a similar learning rate during discrimination training, and a similar latency to approach reward locations, and had a similar optimistic bias in the JBT.
Collapse
|
35
|
Van Tichelen K, Prims S, Ayuso M, Van Kerschaver C, Vandaele M, Degroote J, Van Cruchten S, Michiels J, Van Ginneken C. Handling Associated with Drenching Does Not Impact Survival and General Health of Low Birth Weight Piglets. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11020404. [PMID: 33562568 PMCID: PMC7915206 DOI: 10.3390/ani11020404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The increase in litter sizes in recent years has resulted in more low birth weight (LBW) piglets, accompanied by a higher mortality. A potential intervention to overcome this is drenching bioactive substances. However, if the act of drenching provokes additional stress in LBW piglets, it might counteract the supplement's effect and be detrimental for the piglet's survival. To study the effect of the drenching act, piglets from 67 sows were weighed within 4 h after birth. The mean litter birth weight (MLBW) and standard deviation (SD) were calculated. LBW piglets (n = 76) were defined as weighing between (MLBW-1*SD) and (MLBW-2.5*SD). They were randomly allocated to two treatments: "sham" (conducting the act of drenching by inserting an empty 2.5 mL syringe in the mouth during 20 s, once a day, d1 till d7; n = 37) or "no treatment" (no handling; n = 39). On day 1, 3, 9, 24 and 38, piglets were weighed and scored for skin lesions. Blood samples were collected on day 9 and 38 and analyzed to determine glucose, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), urea, immunoglobulin G (IgG), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and a standard blood panel test. There was no difference between sham drenched and untreated piglets regarding any of the parameters. In conclusion, this study showed that drenching does not impose a significant risk to LBW piglets and can be applied safely during the first 7 days after birth.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Van Tichelen
- Applied Veterinary Morphology, Faculty of Biomedical, Pharmaceutical and Veterinary Sciences, Antwerp University, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; (K.V.T.); (S.P.); (M.A.); (S.V.C.)
| | - Sara Prims
- Applied Veterinary Morphology, Faculty of Biomedical, Pharmaceutical and Veterinary Sciences, Antwerp University, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; (K.V.T.); (S.P.); (M.A.); (S.V.C.)
| | - Miriam Ayuso
- Applied Veterinary Morphology, Faculty of Biomedical, Pharmaceutical and Veterinary Sciences, Antwerp University, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; (K.V.T.); (S.P.); (M.A.); (S.V.C.)
| | - Céline Van Kerschaver
- Laboratory for Animal Production and Animal Product Quality, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (C.V.K.); (M.V.); (J.D.); (J.M.)
| | - Mario Vandaele
- Laboratory for Animal Production and Animal Product Quality, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (C.V.K.); (M.V.); (J.D.); (J.M.)
| | - Jeroen Degroote
- Laboratory for Animal Production and Animal Product Quality, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (C.V.K.); (M.V.); (J.D.); (J.M.)
| | - Steven Van Cruchten
- Applied Veterinary Morphology, Faculty of Biomedical, Pharmaceutical and Veterinary Sciences, Antwerp University, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; (K.V.T.); (S.P.); (M.A.); (S.V.C.)
| | - Joris Michiels
- Laboratory for Animal Production and Animal Product Quality, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (C.V.K.); (M.V.); (J.D.); (J.M.)
| | - Chris Van Ginneken
- Applied Veterinary Morphology, Faculty of Biomedical, Pharmaceutical and Veterinary Sciences, Antwerp University, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; (K.V.T.); (S.P.); (M.A.); (S.V.C.)
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Using Nutritional Strategies to Shape the Gastro-Intestinal Tracts of Suckling and Weaned Piglets. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11020402. [PMID: 33562533 PMCID: PMC7914898 DOI: 10.3390/ani11020402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
This is a comprehensive review on the use of nutritional strategies to shape the functioning of the gastro-intestinal tract in suckling and weaned piglets. The progressive development of a piglet's gut and the associated microbiota and immune system offers a unique window of opportunity for supporting gut health through dietary modulation. This is particularly relevant for large litters, for which sow colostrum and milk are insufficient. The authors have therefore proposed the use of supplemental milk and creep feed with a dual purpose. In addition to providing nutrients to piglets, supplemental milk can also serve as a gut modulator in early life by incorporating functional ingredients with potential long-term benefits. To prepare piglets for weaning, it is important to stimulate the intake of solid feed before weaning, in addition to stimulating the number of piglets eating. The use of functional ingredients in creep feed and a transition diet around the time of weaning helps to habituate piglets to solid feed in general, while also preparing the gut for the digestion and fermentation of specific ingredients. In the first days after weaning (i.e., the acute phase), it is important to maintain high levels of feed intake and focus on nutritional strategies that support good gastric (barrier) function and that avoid overloading the impaired digestion and fermentation capacity of the piglets. In the subsequent maturation phase, the ratio of lysine to energy can be increased gradually in order to stimulate piglet growth. This is because the digestive and fermentation capacity of the piglets is more mature at this stage, thus allowing the inclusion of more fermentable fibres. Taken together, the nutritional strategies addressed in this review provide a structured approach to preparing piglets for success during weaning and the period that follows. The implementation of this approach and the insights to be developed through future research can help to achieve some of the most important goals in pig production: reducing piglet mortality, morbidity and antimicrobial use.
Collapse
|
37
|
Kick AR, Wolfe ZC, Amaral AF, Cortes LM, Almond GW, Crisci E, Gauger PC, Pittman J, Käser T. Maternal Autogenous Inactivated Virus Vaccination Boosts Immunity to PRRSV in Piglets. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:vaccines9020106. [PMID: 33572562 PMCID: PMC7912564 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9020106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal-derived immunity is a critical component for the survival and success of offspring in pigs to protect from circulating pathogens such as Type 2 Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV-2). The purpose of this study is to investigate the transfer of anti-PRRSV immunity to piglets from gilts that received modified-live virus (MLV) alone (treatment (TRT) 0), or in combination with one of two autogenous inactivated vaccines (AIVs, TRT 1+2). Piglets from these gilts were challenged with the autogenous PRRSV-2 strain at two weeks of age and their adaptive immune response (IR) was evaluated until 4 weeks post inoculation (wpi). The systemic humoral and cellular IR was analyzed in the pre-farrow gilts, and in piglets, pre-inoculation, and at 2 and 4 wpi. Both AIVs partially protected the piglets with reduced lung pathology and increased weight gain; TRT 1 also lowered piglet viremia, best explained by the AIV-induced production of neutralizing antibodies in gilts and their transfer to the piglets. In piglets, pre-inoculation, the main systemic IFN-γ producers were CD21α+ B cells. From 0 to 4 wpi, the role of these B cells declined and CD4 T cells became the primary systemic IFN-γ producers. In the lungs, CD8 T cells were the primary and CD4 T cells were the secondary IFN-γ producers, including a novel subset of porcine CD8α−CCR7− CD4 T cells, potentially terminally differentiated CD4 TEMRA cells. In summary, this study demonstrates that maternal AIV vaccination can improve protection of pre-weaning piglets against PRRSV-2; it shows the importance of transferring neutralizing antibodies to piglets, and it introduces two novel immune cell subsets in pigs—IFN-γ producing CD21α+ B cells and CD8α−CCR7− CD4 T cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew R. Kick
- Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA; (A.R.K.); (Z.C.W.); (A.F.A.); (L.M.C.); (G.W.A.); (E.C.)
- Department of Chemistry & Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, USA
| | - Zoe C. Wolfe
- Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA; (A.R.K.); (Z.C.W.); (A.F.A.); (L.M.C.); (G.W.A.); (E.C.)
| | - Amanda F. Amaral
- Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA; (A.R.K.); (Z.C.W.); (A.F.A.); (L.M.C.); (G.W.A.); (E.C.)
| | - Lizette M. Cortes
- Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA; (A.R.K.); (Z.C.W.); (A.F.A.); (L.M.C.); (G.W.A.); (E.C.)
| | - Glen W. Almond
- Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA; (A.R.K.); (Z.C.W.); (A.F.A.); (L.M.C.); (G.W.A.); (E.C.)
| | - Elisa Crisci
- Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA; (A.R.K.); (Z.C.W.); (A.F.A.); (L.M.C.); (G.W.A.); (E.C.)
| | - Phillip C. Gauger
- Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA;
| | | | - Tobias Käser
- Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA; (A.R.K.); (Z.C.W.); (A.F.A.); (L.M.C.); (G.W.A.); (E.C.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-919-513-6352
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Suárez-Trujillo A, Senn LK, Teeple K, Casey TM, Stewart KR. A standardized model to study effects of varying 24-h colostrum dose on postnatal growth and development. Transl Anim Sci 2021; 4:txaa212. [PMID: 33409467 PMCID: PMC7758992 DOI: 10.1093/tas/txaa212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Survival, feed efficiency, growth, and fertility of swine are dependent on colostrum intake in the first 24 h after birth. This study determined the effects of three doses of a homogeneous colostrum sample on 24-h body weight, rectal temperature (RT), immunocrit, and growth and survival to postnatal day (PND) 7. Three female piglets were selected from eight litters (n = 24 piglets) at birth, removed from their litter, and bottle-fed 10% (COL10, n = 8), 15% (COL15, n = 8), or 20% (COL20, n = 8) colostrum based on birth weight over 12 bottle feedings every 2 h. At 24 h, piglets were weighed, RT recorded, and blood was collected to measure immunocrit. Piglets were returned to the litter of origin, and weight was measured daily until PND 7. Colostrum dose had an overall effect on weight gain at 24 h, RT, immunocrit, and growth to PND 7 (P < 0.05). Piglets in the 20% BrW colostrum group had greater weight gain, RT, and immunocrit at 24 h than COL10 piglets (P < 0.05), but these variables were not different between COL15 and the other treatments. Despite no difference in average daily gain after being returned to their litters, the greater weight (P < 0.05) in COL20 compared to COL10 and COL15 was sustained over 7 d. Seven piglets in each treatment survived to PND 7. This model using standardized doses of a homogeneous colostrum sample enables controlled studies aimed at understanding the role of 24-h colostrum intake on piglet development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - L Kirsten Senn
- Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
| | - Kelsey Teeple
- Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
| | - Theresa M Casey
- Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
| | - Kara R Stewart
- Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Koketsu Y, Iida R, Piñeiro C. A 10-year trend in piglet pre-weaning mortality in breeding herds associated with sow herd size and number of piglets born alive. Porcine Health Manag 2021; 7:4. [PMID: 33397499 PMCID: PMC7784010 DOI: 10.1186/s40813-020-00182-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Piglet pre-weaning mortality (PWM) is one of the biggest problems regarding sow performance and piglet welfare. Recently, PWM has increased in some countries, but it is not known if there are similar increases in other countries, nor whether increased PWM is related to either increased numbers of piglets born alive (PBA) or to sow herd size. So, the objectives of the present study were 1) to explore the trend in PWM in Spanish sow herds over a recent 10-year period, along with related measurements such as PBA, stillborn piglets, herd productivity and herd size; and 2) to examine the relationships between PWM and the related measurements. METHODS Herd-level annual data from 2007 to 2016 for 91 herds in Spain were abstracted from a sow database compiled by a veterinary consultancy firm that asked client producers to mail data files on a regular basis. The database software automatically calculated herd-level PWM (%) as follows: the total number of piglets born alive to a sow completely weaned during a year (TPBA) minus the total number of piglets weaned by the completely weaned sow during the year divided by TPBA × 100. All the statistical analyses were performed by using SAS University Edition. A growth curve model was applied to incorporate correlations for all of the observations arising from the same farm. RESULTS Over the 10 years, herd means of PWM (standard deviation) increased from 11.9 (4.1) % to 14.4 (3.2) %, and mean PBA increased by 1.9 pigs. Mean age of piglet death during lactation increased by 3.8 days, and later years were significantly associated with herd size and the number of piglets weaned per sow per year (PSY; P < 0.05). Higher PWM was associated with more PBA, more stillborn piglets and small-to-mid herds (lower than the median size: < 570 sows; P < 0.05). Also, there was a significant interaction between the herd size groups and PBA for PWM (P < 0.05): as PBA increased from 9 to 14 pigs, PWM increased by 9.6% in small-to-mid herds, compared with an increase of only 6.6% in large herds (> 570 sows). Furthermore, as PWM decreased from 18 to 8%, herd productivity measured as PSY increased by 2.2 pigs in large herds, compared with only 0.6 pigs in small-to-mid herds. CONCLUSION Large herds were better than small-to-mid herds at alleviating the association between increased PBA and increased PWM. Also, the relationship between decreased PWM and increased herd productivity was improved more in large herds than in small-to-mid herds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuzo Koketsu
- School of Agriculture, Meiji University, Higashi-mita 1-1-1, Tama-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, 214-8571, Japan.
| | - Ryosuke Iida
- School of Agriculture, Meiji University, Higashi-mita 1-1-1, Tama-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, 214-8571, Japan
| | - Carlos Piñeiro
- PigCHAMP Pro Europa S.L., c/Santa Catalina 10, 40003, Segovia, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Peltoniemi O, Yun J, Björkman S, Han T. Coping with large litters: the management of neonatal piglets and sow reproduction. JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 2021; 63:1-15. [PMID: 33987579 PMCID: PMC7882835 DOI: 10.5187/jast.2021.e3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Revised: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
As a result of intensive breeding, litter size has considerably increased in pig production over the last three decades. This has resulted in an increase in farrowing complications. Prolonged farrowing will shorten the window for suckling colostrum and reduce the chances for high-quality colostrum intake. Studies also agree that increasing litter sizes concomitantly resulted in decreased piglet birth weight and increased within-litter birth weight variations. Birth weight, however, is one of the critical factors affecting the prognosis of colostrum intake, and piglet growth, welfare, and survival. Litters of uneven birth weight distribution will suffer and lead to increased piglet mortality before weaning. The proper management is key to handle the situation. Feeding strategies before farrowing, management routines during parturition (e.g., drying and moving piglets to the udder and cross-fostering) and feeding an energy source to piglets after birth may be beneficial management tools with large litters. Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1)-driven recovery from energy losses during lactation appears critical for supporting follicle development, the viability of oocytes and embryos, and, eventually, litter uniformity. This paper explores certain management routines for neonatal piglets that can lead to the optimization of their colostrum intake and thereby their survival in large litters. In addition, this paper reviews the evidence concerning nutritional factors, particularly lactation feeding that may reduce the loss of sow body reserves, affecting the growth of the next oocyte generation. In conclusion, decreasing birth weight and compromised immunity are subjects warranting investigation in the search for novel management tools. Furthermore, to increase litter uniformity, more focus should be placed on nutritional factors that affect IGF-1-driven follicle development before ovulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Olli Peltoniemi
- Department of Production Animal Medicine,
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki,
Saarentaus 04920, Finland
| | - Jinhyeon Yun
- Department of Animal Science, College of
Agriculture and Life Sciences, Chonnam National University,
Gwangju 61186, Korea
| | - Stefan Björkman
- Department of Production Animal Medicine,
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki,
Saarentaus 04920, Finland
| | - Taehee Han
- Department of Production Animal Medicine,
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki,
Saarentaus 04920, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Schoos A, De Spiegelaere W, Cools A, Pardon B, Van Audenhove E, Bernaerdt E, Janssens GPJ, Maes D. Evaluation of the agreement between Brix refractometry and serum immunoglobulin concentration in neonatal piglets. Animal 2021; 15:100041. [PMID: 33516000 DOI: 10.1016/j.animal.2020.100041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Neonatal piglets lack immunoglobulins at birth. Sufficient colostrum intake (CI) and immunoglobulin absorption are essential for an appropriate passive transfer of immunity via the colostrum. Most methods to measure immunoglobulins in serum of piglets are labour-intensive, expensive or imprecise and not designed for on-farm use. The present diagnostic test study evaluated digital Brix refractometry to measure immunoglobulins in serum of neonatal piglets and to suggest thresholds for different serum immunoglobulin concentration. Additionally, agreements between Brix refractometry and optical refractometer (serum total protein, STP) and between Brix refractometry and ELISA (immunoglobulin G, IgG) were also investigated. Forty-five sows and 269 piglets from three different farms were enrolled in the study. Piglets were weighed at birth and 24 h later to calculate the CI. Serum was collected at 24 h after birth and analysed for STP, γ-globulins (electrophoresis), % Brix and IgG. In piglets, median (interquartile range, IQR) CI was 412 (196) g per piglet. Median (IQR) STP, γ-globulin and % Brix concentrations in piglet serum were 60 (11) g/L, 35 (10) g/L and 8 (2) %, respectively. Average (±SD) IgG concentration was 49 ± 23 g/L. Passing-Bablok regression revealed a strong concordance between % Brix and STP (Kendall's tau (Τ): 0.620, P < 0.0001, n = 267) and % Brix and γ-globulin concentration (Kendall's Τ: 0.575, P < 0.0001, n = 267). The agreement between the Brix refractometer and IgG concentration was poor (Kendall's Τ: 0.267, P < 0.0001, n = 269). Receiver operating characteristic curves were performed to evaluate test characteristics of Brix refractometry for three γ-globulin cut-off values, i.e. 10, 20 and 30 g/L. The % Brix cut-off values resulting in the optimal combination of sensitivity and specificity were 5.4 (100 and 98.5%), 7.0 (100 and 89.3%) and 7.9 (90.1 and 80.6%), respectively. In conclusion, digital Brix refractometry is a sufficiently fast and practical method to assess serum γ-globulin concentrations in neonatal piglets on-farm and to evaluate them by considering the thresholds found in this study. Further studies are needed to validate those thresholds regarding piglet's survival in the pre-weaning period.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A Schoos
- Department of Reproduction, Obstetrics and Herd Health, Unit of Porcine Health Management, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
| | - W De Spiegelaere
- Department of Morphology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - A Cools
- Department of Nutrition, Genetics and Ethology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Heidestraat 19, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - B Pardon
- Department of Large Animal Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - E Van Audenhove
- Department of Reproduction, Obstetrics and Herd Health, Unit of Porcine Health Management, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - E Bernaerdt
- Department of Reproduction, Obstetrics and Herd Health, Unit of Porcine Health Management, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - G P J Janssens
- Department of Nutrition, Genetics and Ethology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Heidestraat 19, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - D Maes
- Department of Reproduction, Obstetrics and Herd Health, Unit of Porcine Health Management, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Wang C, Liu ZX, Wu YH, Wei HK, Peng J. Establishment of a multilevel linear model to analyse the factors affecting piglet litter performance at birth. Reprod Domest Anim 2020; 56:278-286. [PMID: 32939915 DOI: 10.1111/rda.13823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to establish a feasible model for analysing factors affecting piglet litter performance at birth. Data of 61,984 litters were collected from 16 herds, and general linear model (GLM), multilevel Poisson regression model (MPM) and multilevel linear model (MLM) were established to compare their goodness of fit for these data. Influencing factors of piglet litter performance at birth were analysed using the established optimal model. Results showed the intraclass correlation coefficients of total born piglets (TBP), piglets born alive (PBA), low-birth-weight piglets (LBW), and average birth weight of piglets (ABW) reached 27.89%, 23.88%, 24.66% and 22.27%, respectively (p < .05). Akaike's information criterion and Bayesian information criterion in MLM of TBP, PBA, LBW and ABW were lower than those in GLM. Pearson residuals in MPM increased to nearly 1 after introduction of a discrete scale factor, and the p values in MPM were similar to those in MLM. Analyses of MLM indicated crossbred sows with good management supplemented with oregano essential oil and farrowing at warm season had higher TBA, PBA and ABW, but lower LBW than other sows (p < .05). In conclusion, MLM is superior to GLM and can replace MPM in analysing discrete data with hierarchical structure in pig production. More importantly, other potential influencing factors of litter performance at birth can be analysed using the established MLM in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chao Wang
- Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Ze-Xue Liu
- COFCO Wuhan Meat Product Co., Ltd, Wuhan, China
| | - Ying-Hui Wu
- Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Hong-Kui Wei
- Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jian Peng
- Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, China
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Maneetong P, Srisang C, Sunanta N, Muchalintamolee P, Pearodwong P, Suwimonteerabutr J, De Rensis F, Tummaruk P. Postpartum prostaglandin F2α administration affects colostrum yield, immunoglobulin G, and piglet performance. Anim Biosci 2020; 34:833-843. [PMID: 33152228 PMCID: PMC8100477 DOI: 10.5713/ajas.20.0187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective Current study was conducted to determine the effect of postpartum prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) administration on colostrum and milk yield, colostrum immunoglobulin G (IgG) and piglet growth performance. Methods In total, 36 sows were included in the experiment. The sows were classified into two groups: i) control (n = 11) and ii) PGF2α (n = 25). Sows in the PGF2α group received 10 mg of PGF2α within an hour after farrowing. The body weight of piglets was measured at 0 and 24 h after birth to estimate colostrum consumption. Colostrum was collected at 1 and 24 h after farrowing to determine IgG concentrations. For milk yield study, the remaining sows in the PGF2α group (n = 23) were divided into two subgroups: i) single PGF2α (n = 12) and ii) multiple PGF2α (n = 11). In the multiple PGF2α, the sows received repeated doses of PGF2α at seven and 14 days postpartum. The piglets’ body weight was measured at 0, 1, 5, and 20 days of age. The milk yield of the sows was calculated. Results Colostrum yield of sows averaged 5.62±2.25 kg. Sows treated with PGF2α postpartum had a higher colostrum yield than control (7.01 and 5.12 kg, p<0.05). The concentration of IgG in colostrum at 24 h in the PGF2α group was higher than the control (31.6 and 17.4 g/L, p<0.05). For primiparous sows, milk yield was highest in the sows treated with multiple doses of PGF2α during lactation and lowest in control sows (10.25 and 7.61 kg, p<0.05). Colostrum intake was higher in the treatment than the control groups (+56.7 g, p<0.05). Primiparous sows treated with multiple doses of PGF2α had a higher litter weight than controls (p<0.01). Conclusion Postpartum treatment with PGF2α improved colostrum yield and IgG in multiparous sows and increased colostrum intake of piglets. Multiple administration of PGF2α improved the milk yield and increased litter weight of piglets in primiparous sows.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Photcharaphan Maneetong
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Chutikan Srisang
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Naritsara Sunanta
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Praeploy Muchalintamolee
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Pachara Pearodwong
- School of Agricultural Resources, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Junpen Suwimonteerabutr
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.,Swine Reproduction Research Unit, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Fabio De Rensis
- Department of Veterinary Medical Science, University of Parma, Parma 43121, Italy
| | - Padet Tummaruk
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.,Swine Reproduction Research Unit, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Peng X, Yan C, Hu L, Huang Y, Fang Z, Lin Y, Xu S, Feng B, Li J, Zhuo Y, Wu D, Che L. Live yeast supplementation during late gestation and lactation affects reproductive performance, colostrum and milk composition, blood biochemical and immunological parameters of sows. ANIMAL NUTRITION (ZHONGGUO XU MU SHOU YI XUE HUI) 2020; 6:288-292. [PMID: 33005762 PMCID: PMC7503084 DOI: 10.1016/j.aninu.2020.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary live yeast (LY) supplementation during late gestation and lactation on reproductive performance, colostrum and milk composition, blood biochemical and immunological parameters of sows. A total of 40 multiparous sows were randomly fed either the control (CON) diet or the CON diet supplemented with LY at 1 g/kg from d 90 of gestation to weaning. Results showed that the number of stillborn piglets and low BW piglets were significantly decreased in the LY-supplemented sows compared with sows in the CON group (P < 0.05). Moreover, the concentrations of protein, lactose and solids-not-fat were increased in the colostrum of LY-supplemented sows (P < 0.05). Interestingly, the plasma activities of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (γ-GGT) at d 1 of lactation and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) at weaning day were decreased by feeding LY diet (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, sows fed LY diet had higher plasma concentration of immunoglobulin G compared with sows fed CON diet at d 1 of lactation (P < 0.05). In conclusion, LY supplementation in maternal diets decreased the number of stillborn piglets and low BW piglets, improved colostrum quality and health status of sows.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Liang Hu
- Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Resistance Nutrition of the Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Yingyan Huang
- Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Resistance Nutrition of the Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Zhengfeng Fang
- Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Resistance Nutrition of the Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Yan Lin
- Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Resistance Nutrition of the Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Shengyu Xu
- Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Resistance Nutrition of the Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Bin Feng
- Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Resistance Nutrition of the Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Jian Li
- Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Resistance Nutrition of the Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Yong Zhuo
- Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Resistance Nutrition of the Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - De Wu
- Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Resistance Nutrition of the Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Lianqiang Che
- Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Resistance Nutrition of the Ministry of Education, Animal Nutrition Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Maes DGD, Dewulf J, Piñeiro C, Edwards S, Kyriazakis I. A critical reflection on intensive pork production with an emphasis on animal health and welfare. J Anim Sci 2020; 98:S15-S26. [PMID: 31784754 DOI: 10.1093/jas/skz362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2019] [Accepted: 11/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Dominiek G D Maes
- Department of Reproduction, Obstetrics and Herd Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Jeroen Dewulf
- Department of Reproduction, Obstetrics and Herd Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | | | - Sandra Edwards
- Agriculture, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Ilias Kyriazakis
- PigCHAMP Pro Europa S.L., Segovia, Spain.,Agriculture, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Lynegaard JC, Hales J, Nielsen MN, Hansen CF, Amdi C. The Stomach Capacity is Reduced in Intrauterine Growth Restricted Piglets Compared to Normal Piglets. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10081291. [PMID: 32731630 PMCID: PMC7459478 DOI: 10.3390/ani10081291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Large litters have resulted in a higher percentage of piglets suffering from intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). There is a higher mortality in this subset of piglets and a large number die because they do not receive enough nutrients for energy within the critical first 24 h after birth. One source of nutrients for energy could be supplementation with extra colostrum from previously milked sows. However, there is no knowledge on the stomach capacity of IUGR piglets, and therefore, of how much colostrum could potentially be supplemented. This is important information in order to recommend how much supplementary colostrum IUGR piglets need in order to survive. Abstract Selection for increased litter sizes have decreased the average birth weight of piglets and up to 30% of newborn piglets in Danish herds show signs of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). It has been reported that around 48% of liveborn piglets dying between birth and weaning have empty stomachs, and that IUGR piglets do not ingest the recommended amount of colostrum to survive. The aim of this study was to investigate how much colostrum could be administrated depending on whether they were IUGR compared to normal piglets. Seventy-two piglets within 24 h of farrowing were classified as either IUGR or normal based on their head morphology. Stomach weight, length and capacity were measured along with bodyweight (BW). The results displayed a decreased BW, empty stomach weight and capacity in IUGR piglets, as well as a decreased relative stomach capacity in IUGR compared with normal piglets. In conclusion, birth weight is not the only factor influencing stomach capacity, and IUGR piglets have a smaller stomach capacity compared with normal piglets. It is estimated that IUGR piglets have the capacity to be given a bolus of 25 mL per kg/BW, whereas a normal piglet have a higher capacity (30 mL per kg/BW).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julie C. Lynegaard
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark; (J.C.L.); (J.H.); (M.N.N.); (C.F.H.)
| | - Janni Hales
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark; (J.C.L.); (J.H.); (M.N.N.); (C.F.H.)
- SKIOLD JYDEN, Idomvej 2, 7570 Vemb, Denmark
| | - Marlene N. Nielsen
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark; (J.C.L.); (J.H.); (M.N.N.); (C.F.H.)
- Pig Research Centre, Danish Agriculture and Food Council, Axeltorv 3, DK-1609 Copenhagen V, Denmark
| | - Christian F. Hansen
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark; (J.C.L.); (J.H.); (M.N.N.); (C.F.H.)
- Pig Research Centre, Danish Agriculture and Food Council, Axeltorv 3, DK-1609 Copenhagen V, Denmark
| | - Charlotte Amdi
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, DK-1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark; (J.C.L.); (J.H.); (M.N.N.); (C.F.H.)
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Gebhardt JT, Tokach MD, Dritz SS, DeRouchey JM, Woodworth JC, Goodband RD, Henry SC. Postweaning mortality in commercial swine production. I: review of non-infectious contributing factors. Transl Anim Sci 2020; 4:txaa068. [PMID: 32705063 PMCID: PMC7277695 DOI: 10.1093/tas/txaa068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Postweaning mortality is a complex causal matrix involving animal, environment, and infectious etiologic factors. Despite advances in swine productivity such as total pigs born, growth rate, feed intake, and efficiency, there have been modest to no improvements in postweaning mortality rates over the last several years. Industry averages for postweaning mortality range from four to eight percent for each the nursery, grow-finish, or wean-finish stages. Retrospective mortality causal analyses of individual databases have been performed. However, little information derived from meta-analysis, systematic review, or comprehensive literature reviews are available. In order to develop and evaluate strategies to comprehensively manage and reduce postweaning mortality, addressing the complexity and range of impact that factors have on mortality is necessary to identify and prioritize such contributing factors. Our objective is to describe the current state of knowledge regarding non-infectious causes of postweaning mortality, focusing on estimates of frequency and magnitude of effect where available. Postweaning mortality can be generalized into non-infectious and infectious causes, with non-infectious factors further classified into anatomic abnormalities, toxicity, animal factors, facility factors, nutritional inadequacies, season, and management factors. Important non-infectious factors that have been identified through review of literature include birth weight, pre-weaning management, weaning age and weight, and season. Additionally, reasons for mortality with a low incidence but a high magnitude include abdominal organ torsion/volvulus, sodium ion or ionophore toxicosis, or dietary imbalance due to feed formulation or manufacture error. Many interactive effects are present between and among infectious and non-infectious factors, but an important trend is the impact that non-infectious factors have on the incidence, severity, and resolution of infectious disease. Strategies to reduce postweaning mortality must consider the dynamic, complex state that forms the causal web. Control of postweaning mortality through understanding of the complexity, evaluation of mortality reduction strategies through rigorous scientific evaluation, and implementation remains an area of opportunity for continued growth and development in the global swine industry.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jordan T Gebhardt
- Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, College of Agriculture, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
| | - Mike D Tokach
- Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, College of Agriculture, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
| | - Steve S Dritz
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
| | - Joel M DeRouchey
- Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, College of Agriculture, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
| | - Jason C Woodworth
- Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, College of Agriculture, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
| | - Robert D Goodband
- Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, College of Agriculture, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
| | | |
Collapse
|
48
|
Huting AMS, Wellock I, Tuer S, Kyriazakis I. Weaning age and post-weaning nursery feeding regime are important in improving the performance of lightweight pigs. J Anim Sci 2020; 97:4834-4844. [PMID: 31679028 DOI: 10.1093/jas/skz337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim was to investigate the effect of weaning age, weaning weight, and nursery feeding regime on post-weaning performance. The focus was on pigs weaned light, as they may be better off when weaned at a later age and/or offered a specialist nursery feeding regime. Piglets (n = 1,448) from one farrowing batch of 110 sows that farrowed over 2 wk were individually weighed and their morphometric measurements were taken at birth. Pigs were weaned on the same day, but variation in birth date resulted in variable weaning ages (mean age day 34.1, SD = 2.5). The youngest 50% at weaning were classified Y and the oldest 50% as O; within an age class, the lightest 50% were classified L, the heaviest 50% as H, and housed accordingly. Pigs were individually weighed at weaning, 7 and 15 wk post-weaning. At weaning, Y were 6 d younger and 1.4 kg lighter than O pigs, whereas L were 3.2 kg lighter than H pigs. Pigs were randomly allocated to a 3-stage superior (SUP) or control (CON) nursery feeding regime, with SUP pigs having a 65% greater allowance (on a kg/pig basis) of the first and second stage feeds than the CON. Pigs weaned Y had a higher mortality rate from weaning to 7 wk post-weaning than pigs weaned O (9.14% vs. 4.98%; P = 0.046). As expected, age and weight significantly (P < 0.001) affected performance to both 7 and 15 wk post-weaning: at 15-wk pigs weaned Y were 5.5 kg lighter than pigs weaned O; pigs weaned L were 9.0 kg lighter than H pigs. It was estimated that pigs weaned YL needed ~4 d more (P = 0.018) to reach 60 kg BW than pigs weaned OL. Feed intake was not affected by feeding regime, age and weight, or their interactions. Performance was not affected by feeding regime (P > 0.05), but was affected by the weight × feeding regime interaction (P = 0.044) to 7 wk post-weaning: L pigs on SUP were 1.2 kg heavier than L pigs on the CON regime; this was not the case for the H pigs. Performance up to 7 wk post-weaning was positively associated with birth weight to cranial circumference ratio and weaning weight (P < 0.05) for both YL and OL pigs; for the latter, additional performance predictors were weaning age (P = 0.044) and feeding (P = 0.027). Improved growth for L pigs up to 7 wk post-weaning could be obtained by a greater allowance of the nursery diets. However, weaning at a later age benefitted the performance of L pigs to a common BW, suggesting that this might be a strategy with longer term benefits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anne M S Huting
- Agriculture, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK.,Primary Diets, ABAgri, Melmerby, Ripon, North Yorkshire, UK
| | - Ian Wellock
- Primary Diets, ABAgri, Melmerby, Ripon, North Yorkshire, UK
| | - Steve Tuer
- Stephen Tuer Farms Ltd, Northallerton, North Yorkshire, UK
| | - Ilias Kyriazakis
- Agriculture, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Ward SA, Kirkwood RN, Plush KJ. Are Larger Litters a Concern for Piglet Survival or an Effectively Manageable Trait? Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:E309. [PMID: 32079160 PMCID: PMC7070372 DOI: 10.3390/ani10020309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2019] [Revised: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
As sows continue to be selected for greater prolificacy, it is important to review problems that arise in larger litters, and whether these issues can be appropriately managed. Although a proportion of piglets in larger litters can be born underweight, proper supervision around farrowing and adequate colostrum intake has the potential to improve the survival of low-birth-weight piglets and their ongoing growth to weaning. As larger litters can impart greater stress and discomfort on sows, implementing a low-stress environment leading up to parturition may improve sow performance and subsequent survival of piglets. Additionally, treating sows with anti-inflammatory compounds, either dietary or pharmacologically, shows some promise for alleviating sow discomfort and improving piglet survival in larger litters. Understanding that selecting sows for larger litters not only affects piglet survival but the well-being of the sow, the decision to continue selecting for larger litters, regardless of management strategies, remains a topic of ethical concern.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sophia A. Ward
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, SA 5371, Australia;
| | - Roy N. Kirkwood
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, SA 5371, Australia;
| | | |
Collapse
|
50
|
Oliviero C, Junnikkala S, Peltoniemi O. The challenge of large litters on the immune system of the sow and the piglets. Reprod Domest Anim 2020; 54 Suppl 3:12-21. [PMID: 31512316 DOI: 10.1111/rda.13463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2019] [Accepted: 05/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The use of hyperprolific sow lines has increased litter size considerably in the last three decades. Nowadays, in some countries litters can reach up to 18-20 piglets being a major challenge for the sow's physiology during pregnancy, parturition and lactation. The increased number of piglets born per litter prolongs sensibly the duration of farrowing, decreases the piglets' average weight at birth and their vitality, increases the competition for colostrum intake and can affect negatively piglets' survival. This review aims to describe how large litters can affect the immune system of the sow and the piglets and proposes measures to improve this condition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Claudio Oliviero
- Department of Production Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sami Junnikkala
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Olli Peltoniemi
- Department of Production Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| |
Collapse
|