135,412 research outputs found
Alternative farrowing systems: design criteria for farrowing systems based on the biological needs of sows and piglets
No full textThe construction of a suitable farrowing environment is a continuing dilemma: the piglet's needs must be matched with those of the sow and the farmer during the main phases that constitute farrowing: nest building, parturition and lactation. Difficulties exist in resolving the various conflicts of interest between and within these three parties (e. g. sow v. farmer: space needed for nest building v. space needed to maximise the amount of farrowing accommodation, or sow v. sow: ensuring the survival of the current litter v. maintaining condition for future litters). Thus, the challenge is to resolve these conflicts and design a system that maximises sow and piglet welfare while maintaining an economically efficient and sustainable enterprise. In order to successfully design a farrowing and lactation environment, it is necessary to consider the biological needs of both the sow and her litter. The natural behaviour of the sow has been well documented and very little variation exists between reports of peri-parturient behaviour observed in extensively kept domestic sows and their wild counterparts. The failure for domestication to significantly alter these behavioural patterns provides evidence that they are biologically significant and that the commercial farrowing environment should attempt to accommodate this behavioural repertoire. In addition, the behavioural needs of the piglets, as well as the physiological needs of both sows and their offspring should be considered. This article aims to review the considerable body of literature detailing the behavioural repertoire of sows and their offspring during the different phases of farrowing, and the accompanying physiological processes. The focus is on identifying biological needs of the animals involved in order to synthesise the appropriate design criteria for farrowing and lactation systems, which should optimise both welfare and animal production.</p
Effects of Soybean Meal Concentration in Lactating Sow Diets on Sow and Litter Performance
No full textA total of 131 sows (Line 241; DNA, Columbus, NE) were used in a study to evaluate the effect of increasing soybean meal concentration in lactating sow diets on sow and litter performance. Sows were blocked by body weight (BW) and parity on d 112 of gestation, and allotted to 1 of 3 treatments of increasing soybean meal (25%, 30%, or 35% of total diet). Diets were formulated to 1.05% standardized ileal digestible (SID) lysine with L-lysine HCl decreasing as soybean meal increased. All other amino acids and nutrients were formulated to meet nutrient requirement recommendations.2 Diets were fed from d 112 of gestation until weaning (d 20 ± 2). Litters were cross-fostered up to 48 h after farrowing to equalize litter size. Increasing soybean meal concentration increased (linear,P= 0.017) sow BW loss and tended to increase (quadratic,P= 0.052) sow backfat loss from farrowing to weaning. Sow average daily feed intake from d 0 to 7 was similar (P\u3e0.10) across dietary treatments. However, from d 7 to 14, d 14 to weaning, and overall, average daily feed intake decreased (linear,P= 0.01) as soybean meal concentration increased. There was no evidence for difference (P\u3e0.10) in wean to estrus interval, litter size, litter weight, or litter weight gain between dietary treatments. Sow serum urea nitrogen concentrations taken on d 14 of lactation increased (linear,P= 0.001) as soybean meal concentration increased. However, there was no difference (P\u3e0.05) for sow creatinine concentration, regardless of dietary treatment, suggesting the increased urea nitrogen was a reflection of the increased dietary crude protein (CP) as opposed to increased protein catabolism. In summary, sow feed intake was decreased and weight loss increased with increasing soybean meal concentration from 25 to 35%, with no difference in litter performance observed
Survival analysis of culling reasons and economic examination of production period in sow culling
No full textThe culling of the sows is an important task of the breeders and farmers, besides it is a determining factor of profitable pork production. During our research we have surveyed the data of 1969 sows in a Hungarian large-scale pig farm. For the calculation of our results we used one of the non-parametric forms of survival analysis, the Kaplan-Meier analysis. For the quantification of death intensity we applied another survival analysis model, the log-rate exponential model. We have found out the risk values of various culling reasons form the point of view of culling. Besides, we tried to quantify by an economic model how the production period of sows influences the average costs of piglets and the average costs of piglets per kilo at 2006 prices. We calculated that the 5th farrowing is the minimum cost place.Sow culling, Risk analysis, Sow productivity, Average costs of piglets, Livestock Production/Industries,
Effects of branched chain amino acids on sow and litter performance
No full textThree hundred-six sows were used to evaluate effects of the interrelationship among valine, isoleucine, and leucine on sow and litter performance. Eight dietary treatments
were arranged as a 2x2x2 factorial with two levels of valine (.80 and 1.20%), isoleucine (.68 and 1.08%), and leucine (1.57 and 1.97%). Litter weaning weight, litter
weight gain from d 2 to weaning, and sow
backfat loss increased as dietary valine increased but were not affected by dietary
isoleucine or leucine. Increasing dietary
valine, isoleucine, or leucine did not affect
milk fat, DM, CP, or lactose. These results
confirm the importance of dietary valine for
increased litter weaning weight, independent
of either additional dietary isoleucine or
leucine
Overview of current sow housing systems
No full textHesse, D.; Blaha, T.. (1999). Overview of current sow housing systems. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/148174
Evaluating the impact of maternal vitamin D supplementation: I. Sow performance, serum vitamin metabolites, and neonatal muscle characteristics
No full textCitation: Flohr, J. R., Woodworth, J. C., Bergstrom, J. R., Tokach, M. D., Dritz, S. S., Goodband, R. D., & DeRouchey, J. M. (2016). Evaluating the impact of maternal vitamin D supplementation: I. Sow performance, serum vitamin metabolites, and neonatal muscle characteristics. Journal of Animal Science, 94(11), 4629-4642. doi:10.2527/jas2016-0409In Exp. 1, 56 gestating sows (PIC 1050; 35 d postinsemination) were used in a 30-d trial to determine serum 25(OH)D-3 response to increasing concentrations of dietary vitamin D3. Sows were randomly allotted to 1 of 7 dietary D3 treatments (200, 800, 1,600, 3,200, 6,400, 12,800, or 25,600 IU of added D3 per kilogram of complete diet) with 8 sows per treatment. Increasing D-3 increased (quadratic; P < 0.001) serum 25(OH)D-3 with the response depicted by the prediction equation: serum 25(OH) D3, ng/mL = 35.1746 + (0.002353 x dietary D-3, IU/d)- (0.0000000156 x dietary D3, IU/d(2)). In Exp. 2, 112 sows and their litters were used to determine the effects of dietary vitamin D regimen on sow performance, subsequent preweaning pig performance, neonatal bone and muscle characteristics, and serum vitamin metabolites. Sows were allotted to 1 of 4 dietary treatments 3 to 5 d following breeding: 800, 2,000, or 9,600 IU of D-3 per kilogram of the diet or 50 mu g of 25(OH) D-3 (2,000 IU of D-3 equivalent from Hy- D, DSM Nutritional Products, Parsippany, NJ) per kilogram of diet. There were 25 to 27 sows per treatment. Increasing dietary D-3 increased (linear, P = 0.001) serum 25(OH) D-3 of sows on d 100 of gestation, at farrowing, and at weaning. Increasing D-3 in sow diets increased piglet serum 25(OH)D-3 at birth (linear, P = 0.001) and weaning (quadratic, P = 0.033). Sows fed 50 mu g of 25(OH)D-3/kg had intermediate (P < 0.004) serum 25(OH)D-3 concentrations on d 100 of gestation, at farrowing, and at weaning compared with sows fed 2,000 IU of D-3/kg and sows fed 9,600 IU of D3/kg. Pigs from sows fed 50 mu g of 25(OH) D3/ kg had greater serum 25(OH)D-3 compared with pigs from sows fed 2,000 IU of D-3/kg, but at weaning, serum 25(OH)D-3 concentrations were similar. Also, pigs from sows fed 9,600 IU of D-3/kg had greater (P = 0.011) serum 25(OH) D3 at birth and weaning compared with pigs from sows fed 50 mu g of 25(OH) D-3/kg. Maternal performance, litter characteristics, neonatal bone ash content, and neonatal muscle fiber characteristics were largely unaffected by the dietary vitamin D treatments. Overall, D3 and 25(OH) D3 are both useful at increasing serum 25(OH)D-3 concentrations, but more D3 (on an equivalent IU basis) is needed to achieve similar serum 25(OH)D-3 responses compared with feeding 25(OH)D-3. Concentration of maternal vitamin D supplementation in lactation impacted milk transfer of the vitamin more so than the form of the vitamin, as evidence by the weaned pig serum 25(OH)D-3 concentrations
Post weaning altrenogest use in sows: follicle growth, endocrine profiles and subsequent fertility
No full text A severe negative energy balance during first lactation may result in poor reproductive performance in the second litter. Allowing the sow recovery time after weaning by inseminating the sow the second estrus after weaning (skip a heat) improves reproductive performance. Postponing estrus for a shorter period after weaning using daily altrenogest administration has also been found to influence reproductive performance. The aim of this thesis was to develop a better understanding of consequences of altrenogest after weaning for follicle development and subsequent reproductive performance. Therefore, a first experiment investigated follicle development during and after post weaning altrenogest treatments and related this to subsequent fertility. It showed that follicle size increased during altrenogest treatment (independent of dose and duration), but no effects were found on fertility parameters on day 5 of gestation. Therefore, a second experiment studiedthe effect of duration of treatment on follicle development and subsequent farrowing rate and litter size. This experiment showed again an increase in follicle size and also showed that long altrenogest treatments (15 d) improve fertility, but that shorter treatments (8 d) reduce farrowing rates in sows with large follicles at weaning. So, to prevent outgrowth of follicles before weaning a third experiment started altrenogest treatment 3 d before weaning. This did not suppress follicle growth, but fertility was improved after altrenogest treatment in primiparous sows with compromised body condition at weaning. A fourth experiment attempted to stimulate follicle growth before weaning using split-weaning (reducing litter size to the 6 smallest piglets 3 d before complete weaning) and found that split-weaning resulted in lower embryonic survival, especially in sows with large follicles at weaning or high follicle growth during treatment. Because in all experiments sows showed follicle growth during altrenogest treatment, it was suspected that LH release was not completely suppressed during altrenogest treatment. Therefore, a fifth experiment investigated LH pulsatility during the last day of altrenogest treatment and indeed showed that LH release was suppressed during only a part of the 24 h between altrenogest administrations. Finally a last experiment showed a release pattern of both FSH and estradiol that varied over the day related with the moment of daily altrenogest administration. Further, a decrease of estrogenic activity was found during the second week of post weaning altrenogest treatment, probably as a result of reduced LH responsiveness. The level of estrogenic activity was related to weight loss during lactation. Therefore, it is assumed that LH and FSH release during altrenogest treatment stimulate follicle growth, but that levels are not high enough to sustain outgrowth of the follicles to pre-ovulatory sizes and, as a result, follicles go into atresia after on average 5-8 d of treatment. This may explain why long altrenogest treatments (12-15 d) result in improved fertility, short altrenogest treatments (3-4 d) have little effect on fertility and intermediate altrenogest treatments (5-8 d) may reduce fertility. As there is large variation between sows (parity, lactational burden, follicle size), this may also affect their response to altrenogest treatment. In general, to improve reproductive performance, it is recommended to start altrenogest treatment 3-6 h before weaning and to apply intermediate treatments (5-8 d) only in primiparous sows that suffered a severe lactational burden and are in low body condition at weaning. </p
Sow lifetime productivity: Importance of monitoring in commercial pork production
No full textPollmann, D. S.. (2012). Sow lifetime productivity: Importance of monitoring in commercial pork production. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/139636
Adding fat to sow lactation diets: effect on sow and litter performance
No full textAn on-farm experiment was conducted utilizing 189 sows to evaluate the effect of adding 396 soybean oil to the lactational diet on subsequent pig performance and sow weight loss. Feeding sows a diet containing 3% soybean oil during lactation did not significantly decrease sow weight loss or improve litter performance. However, the oil addition tended to increase individual pig weaning weight (.5 Ib), litter weaning weight (3 lb), and sow feed intake (.5 lb/day) compared to feeding a 14% crude protein milo-soybean meal diet. Also, sow
lactational weight loss was slightly reduced wit h the diet containing oil. Calculated metabolizable energy intake was increased (P<.01) for sows fed the diet with soybean oil compared to sows fed the control diet. We postulate that the increased calorie intake from adding soybean oil to sow lactation diets during the summer months may increase litter weaning weight
The fragile-to-strong dynamical crossover and the system viscoelasticity in attractive glass forming colloids
No full textThis paper is dedicated to Professor Heinz Hoffmann on the occasion of his 80th birthday in celebration of his long-time friendship with both of us (Professors Sow-Hsin Chen and Francesco Mallamace).The dynamical arrest phenomena of an adhesive hard-sphere (AHS) colloid, L64-D 2O system has been studied by using calorimetry and the complex shear modulus. This system is characterized by a rich temperature (T) and volume fraction (ϕ) phase diagram with a percolation line (PT). According to the mode-coupling theory (MCT), a cusp-like singularity and two glassy phases, one attractive (AG) and one repulsive (RG), are supposed to coexist in the phase diagram. The MCT scaling laws used to study the shear viscosity with ϕ and T as control parameters propose the existence of fragile-to-strong dynamic crossover (FSDC) analogous to that observed in molecular supercooled liquid glass formers. The measured critical values of the control parameters, coincident with the PT line, where the clustering process generates the AG phase, define the FSDC locus. This is in agreement with the extended mode-coupling theory that takes into account both cage and inter-cluster hopping effects. In this work, we demonstrate, by considering the frequency dependence of the complex moduli, that there is the onset of a system viscoelasticity as an effect of the clustering accompanying the FSDC. We will show as the measured frequency-dependent complex moduli satisfy the scaling relations predicted by the scalar elasticity percolation theory and well account for the system evolution toward the glass transition process.United States. Dept. of Energy (DOE Grant No. DE-FG02-90ER45429
- …
