Journal of animal science最新文献

{"title":"PSIV-14 Effect of water nipple size on nursery pig performance","authors":"Paulo Azevedo, Mark Knauer","doi":"10.1093/jas/skaf102.388","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf102.388","url":null,"abstract":"The objective of the current study was to evaluate nipple drinker size on nursery pig performance. In lactation, all piglets had access to a baby piglet water nipple placed near the sow feeder. At weaning, piglets were placed into one of four nursery rooms with supplemental heating, mechanical ventilation and tri-bar flooring. Pigs (n=756) were randomly allocated to 84 pens (9 pigs per pen, 0.23 m2 per pig) where they were watered with a standard nursery nipple drinker (Aqua Series 1/2“ X 3/8” Nursery Nipple, Hog Slat, Newton Grove, NC) or a standard grow-finish nipple drinker (Aqua Series 1/2” Finish Water Nipple, Hog Slat, Newton Grove, NC). All pens had ad libitum access to feed and water for the 42 day trial. Data was analyzed in SAS using PROC GLM. Fixed effects included nursery room and nipple drinker size. Results are shown in Table 1. No differences were detected between nipple drinker sizes for body weight (P≥0.90), average daily gain (P≥0.68), average daily feed intake (P≥0.56), or feed-to-gain ratio (P≥0.28). These results suggest either a nursery nipple drinker or a grow-finish nipple drinker could be successfully used in the nursery to water pigs. Further piglet water research in lactation and early nursery is warranted.","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"127 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144104617","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"294 Award Talk: Longitudinal assessment of Fusobacterium necrophorum and Salmonella enterica concentration and prevalence in relation to feedlot cattle health and management","authors":"Colten W Dornbach","doi":"10.1093/jas/skaf102.011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf102.011","url":null,"abstract":"Our objective was to longitudinally assess the prevalence of Fusobacterium and Salmonella in relation to feedlot cattle health and management. In Exp. 1, crossbred steers (n = 227; BW = 353 ± 39.6 kg) were transported to a research feedlot and fed a high-concentrate diet. Nasal, ruminal fluid, and fecal samples were aseptically collected following feedlot arrival (d 5), 1 wk after adaptation to a finishing diet (d 35), and the day before harvest (study end). Livers were collected at harvest, and cattle were assigned into either control or liver abscess (LA) groups based on liver abscess prevalence. Overall LA prevalence was 18.7%. The concentration and prevalence of Salmonella decreased in ruminal fluid and increased in feces with days on feed (P < 0.01). Conversely, ruminal fluid prevalence of F. necrophorum subsp. necrophorum and F. varium increased with days on feed (P < 0.01). Fusobacterium abundance in ruminal fluid and feces was not indicative of LA development, except for F. varium being more abundant (P < 0.01) in the ruminal fluid of steers with LA. Abundance of subsp. necrophorum was greater in abscessed liver tissue than in healthy tissue (P = 0.03), but no other differences in bacterial abundance or prevalence were observed in livers. These data suggest Fusobacterium and Salmonella were prevalent throughout the gastrointestinal tract and affected by days on feed, but their prevalence and abundance were generally not indicative of LA formation. In Exp. 2, crossbred beef steers (n = 232; BW = 213 kg ± 6.3 kg) from 2 sources were used in a generalized complete block design. Experimental treatments and steers were randomly assigned to pen within source block. Treatments included a negative control (s.c. injection with sterile saline; 0M); metaphylaxis with tulathromycin applied at random to 33 or 66% of steers (33M and 66M), respectively; and conventional metaphylaxis applied to 100% of the steers (100M; positive control). Body weights, whole blood samples, and fecal samples were collected on d 0, 14, and 35. The percentage of steers treated for bovine respiratory disease (BRD) once was 108% and 62% greater on average for 0M and 33M, respectively, than for 66M and 100M steers (P = 0.01). Growth performance from d 0 to 35 did not differ among treatments (P ≥ 0.63). Eosinophil percentage was greatest for 100M and least for 0M and 66M (P = 0.01), while day affected most complete blood cell count variables (P < 0.01). Fecal Salmonella concentrations and prevalence (P ≥ 0.40) did not differ among treatments but increased from d 0 to 14 (P < 0.01). These data suggest that metaphylaxis can be administered to 66% of high-risk beef steers without increasing BRD morbidity, total antimicrobial use, or pathogen shedding.","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"56 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144104644","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"287 The role of Intestinal health on overall growth performance and the influence of nutrients","authors":"Sung Woo Kim, Yesid R Garavito-Duarte, Alexa R Gormley, Hyunjun Choi, Jung Sung","doi":"10.1093/jas/skaf102.216","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf102.216","url":null,"abstract":"Dramatic changes to the external environment during the post-weaning period impose significant stress upon the gastrointestinal tract of pigs. This effect is most evident in the small intestine, where antinutritional, allergenic, antigenic, and pathogenic components from dietary sources cause alteration of the bacterial populations in the lumen, as well as in the mucosal tissue. The mucosal microbiota is in direct contact with host enterocytes in the small intestine whereas the luminal microbiota interacts with host enterocytes indirectly via their metabolites. Host enterocytes recognize changes of the mucosal microbiota through various receptors that initiate a response from intestinal immune cells, resulting in changes in inflammatory, oxidative stress, and humoral immune status. Immune reactions in the small intestine may further affect the status of villus damage and repair that would eventually affect the efficiency of feed digestion, nutrient absorption, and growth. It has been shown that post-weaning intestinal challenges can be attenuated through the use of dietary interventions altering feed composition or supplementation of bioactive compounds. Positive modulation of mucosa-associated microbiota through dietary intervention is essential for alleviating post-weaning intestinal challenges and maximizing pig growth because of their direct interaction with immune cells. For example, when under challenge with an enteric pathogen, yeast-based postbiotics could favorably modulate the populations of the mucosa-associated microbiota in pigs, resulting in positive interactions with pattern recognition receptors of host immune cells, reducing inflammatory responses. The use of phytobiotics, including phenolics, aldehydes, and terpenes, play a crucial role in regulating inflammatory cytokines, humoral immunity, and neutralizing reactive oxygen species by indirectly stimulating antioxidant enzymes, contributing to reduced oxidative damages and improving the intestinal health in pigs. Processed soy products, characterized by reduced antinutritional compounds and increased concentrations of bioactive compounds, improve intestinal morphology by promoting increased villus height, decreased crypt depth, and strengthened intestinal barrier function, effects that result from the stimulation of epithelial cell proliferation. Targeting of non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) using NSPase, reduces jejunal digesta viscosity that is often increased by soluble NSP, and enhances the efficiency of endogenous enzymes in the digesta, thereby improving nutrient digestion and absorption in pigs. Overall, weaning stress severely influences the small intestine, negatively modulates the mucosa- associated microbiota, induces intestinal inflammation including immune responses and oxidative stress, and increases tissue damage and intestinal repair, which consequently affects the growth performance of pigs. To mitigate these negative impacts, various dietary interventions can b","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144104655","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Technical note: Optimizing sample size for broiler chicken and pig intestinal histomorphometry and prediction equations.","authors":"Emmanuel O Alagbe,Jung Yeol Sung,Kylee Lindsey,Jonathan A Pasternak,Olayiwola Adeola","doi":"10.1093/jas/skaf160","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf160","url":null,"abstract":"Intestinal villi are subject to natural variation within the same sample, and there is no established standard for the number of unique measurements needed for reliable histomorphometry in broiler chickens and pigs. Furthermore, intestinal morphology assessment in monogastric animals typically focuses on villus height, crypt depth, and the villus height to crypt depth ratio. However, limited attention has been given to additional morphology indices such as villus perimeter and area, largely due to the time and resources required for consistent estimates. Therefore, the objectives of this experiment were: 1) to estimate the minimum number of villi required to minimize the intra-sample coefficient of variation (CV) for each intestinal morphology index, and 2) to determine whether more complex metrics, such as villus perimeter and area, can be accurately predicted from linear measurements. A set of 1,283 intestinal morphology data points from 68 intestinal tissues of 4 animal experiments were used for the analysis in broiler chickens. For pigs, a set of 1,368 intestinal morphology data points was used from a single experiment involving 98 nursery-age animals. The NLIN, CORR, and REG procedures of SAS were used for broken-line analysis, correlation coefficients, and prediction equations, respectively. The analysis indicates that measurements from 11 villi per sample in broiler chickens and 10 villi per sample in pigs are necessary to minimize intra-sample variation. In jejunum and ileum respectively, the villus height was highly correlated (P < 0.05) with villus perimeter (r = 0.95 and 0.87) and villus area (r = 0.77 and 0.63). Additionally, the coefficient of determination (R2) for predicting villus area in the jejunum and ileum using villus height, villus base width, and villus mid width values were significant for broiler chickens (P < 0.01). The best-fit equation generated for predicting villus area in the jejunum was villus area = -0.136 + 0.195 × villus height + 0.123 × villus base width + 0.532 × villus mid width (R2 = 0.92; RMSE = 0.01), while in the ileum, it was villus area = -0.069 + 0.136 × villus height + 0.122 × villus base width + 0.337 × villus mid width (R2 = 0.86; RMSE = 0.02). In conclusion, this study provides the minimum number of intestinal villi required for consistent morphological assessment, relationships among intestinal histomorphometric indices, and equations for predicting villus perimeter and area from villi linear measurements.","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144103746","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"246 Maternal resilience to gestational social stress impacts offspring cortisol response at weaning but not post-weaning growth or aggression","authors":"Andrea M Luttman, Janice M Siegford, Nancy E Raney, Catherine W Ernst","doi":"10.1093/jas/skaf102.269","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf102.269","url":null,"abstract":"Exposure to social stress during gestation has been demonstrated to influence offspring health, growth, and behavior. This study aimed to characterize differences in weaned pigs previously selected from sows classified as exhibiting resilience or vulnerability to gestational social stress using salivary cortisol. In short, purebred Yorkshire litters born to first or second parity sows were selected based on the sow’s salivary cortisol pattern at an acute mixing event at 30d of gestation. Saliva was collected at 1200h each day at -1, 0, +1, +2, +3, +7d relative to social mixing. Salivary cortisol pattern was used to identify 8 females whose salivary cortisol concentrations returned to baseline as stress resilient (SR) and 8 females whose salivary cortisol concentrations remained increased as stress vulnerable (SV). We previously observed reduced average daily gain (ADG) leading to reduced weaning weight in the piglets born to SV sows. To investigate if differences exist post-weaning, we characterized the stress response to weaning, aggression at two mixing events using skin lesions as a proxy, and growth performance up to 12wk of the pigs in these 16 litters (n=85 SR, n=73 SV, n=158 total). Stress response at weaning (26 +/- 3d) was assessed by measuring serum cortisol at -2, 0, +4d surrounding weaning. Skin lesions were counted at -1, +1, +5d surrounding social mixing at weaning and again at 8wk when pigs were transitioned to grow-finish rooms. Growth performance was assessed using body weight at 8wk and 12wk, as well as ADG calculated during the nursery stage (4wk-8wk) and early grow-finish stage (8wk-12wk). Variables were treated as repeated measures and analyzed using a Gaussian linear mixed model. The base model included dam stress group, day, the interaction between stress group and day, and piglet sex as fixed effects; additionally, each model included individual animal, litter, sire, and farrowing group as random effects. Piglets born to SR sows had a greater response to weaning demonstrated by significantly higher cortisol on the day of weaning compared to piglets born to SV sows (SR: 183 +/- 22nmol/L, SV: 140 +/- 23nmol/L, P&amp;lt; 0.001). Piglets did not differ in cortisol concentration pre-weaning (P=0.439) or 4d post-weaning (P=0.764). At 8wk, pigs born to SR sows did not differ in body weight from those born to SV sows (P=0.843), but they tended to weigh more at 12wk (SR: 43.5 +/- 0.9kg, SV: 41.8 +/- 0.9kg, P=0.085). Pigs did not differ in ADG during the nursery or early grow-finish stages. No significant differences in skin lesions were detected at weaning or 8wk social mixing events. These results suggest that exposure to prenatal social stress and maternal resilience may alter acute stress response but not post-weaning performance.","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"31 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144104550","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"PSIV-11 Effect of a Bentonite on performance of finishing pigs in a commercial farm in Mexico","authors":"Jose Lopez, Alfonso Echave","doi":"10.1093/jas/skaf102.381","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf102.381","url":null,"abstract":"This study evaluated the effect of incorporating a Bentonite (Proteck a bioactive mineral-based feed additive, manufactured by Elanco, Greenfield, IN) into the finisher diet and its impact on pig performance in a commercial farm setting. Previous research has demonstrated that Proteck can enhance both performance and gut microbiota in pigs (Rong et al., 2019, 2021). In this study, Bentonite was added to the finisher diet at a concentration of 0.4 kg per metric ton during the final six weeks before marketing. The evaluation took place at a Site III farm in northwestern Mexico (Sonora State) with a capacity for 8,000 pigs, featuring eight identical buildings with uniform facilities and equipment. Pigs from four buildings received the Bentonite-enhanced diet, while pigs in the remaining four buildings were fed a standard Control diet. Daily feed delivery was monitored, and feed remaining was measured at the experiment’s conclusion. Individual pi g weights were recorded at the start of the finisher diet and prior to marketing. Statistical analyses were conducted using t-tests and Chi-square tests with JMP 18.1.0; differences were considered significant at P &amp;lt; 0.05 and trends at P &amp;lt; 0.10. Results (Table 1) indicated a 4.8% improvement in Feed Conversion for pigs receiving Bentonite, although this difference was not statistically significant (P &amp;gt; 0.05). Average daily gain (ADG) showed a tendency to increase in Bentonite group (1.019 kg vs. 1.112 kg ± 0.057; P = 0.059). Additionally, there was a trend towards reduced days in the pen for pigs fed Bentonite (40.5 vs. 36.7 days ± 2.5; P = 0.076). Under the conditions of this field study, this Bentonite demonstrated a potential to enhance finishing pig performance, warranting further evaluations in commercial settings to confirm its benefits.","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144104559","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"172 Utilization of golden pennycress meal in broiler diets with a flavor additive","authors":"Marley M Knowles, Nicholas Heller, Justin W Rickard, Drew W Lugar","doi":"10.1093/jas/skaf102.195","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf102.195","url":null,"abstract":"The objective of this pilot study is to evaluate performance in broiler chickens fed diets containing golden pennycress (GPC) meal, with and without a flavor additive. Cornish Cross three-day-old chicks (n=12) were randomly assigned one of three diets. Golden pennycress (Thlaspi arvense) is a winter cover crop grown in the Midwest that is rising in popularity as a cash crop used for biofuel production. After oil is pressed out of the seeds, a meal remains that is usually discarded. Incorporation of this meal (23% protein, 15% fat) into feedstuffs for broilers would be an efficient way to make biofuel production more sustainable. Diet one served as the control with no flavor additive or GPC meal, diet two contained 10% GPC meal, and diet three contained 10% GPC meal with 3% dried molasses. Each diet was administered for five days, a washout period of three days consisted of the same diet offered pre-study, after which a different diet was administered for the same time period. A washout between each diet change was to negate effects of sudden diet change. Applications of diets continued until all units had received all the treatments, or that the chicks had reached four weeks of age. Effectiveness of the diet and performance of the chickens was assessed through metrics like feed intake, water intake, body weight (BW), and feed conversion. A premeasured amount of feed and water was allotted each day and the amounts remaining were measured to assess feed and water intake. BW was recorded every day to track growth and to calculate feed conversion. Data were analyzed using the PROC MIXED procedure of SAS 9.4. No significant differences in weight gain were found between sequences of diets (P=0.8085). Carryover effects had no significant difference, meaning previous order of diet received did not impact the broiler’s performance (PX1= 0.5598, PX2=0.0.2497). Period yielded significant results, which was to be expected as the broilers were at different ages whilst receiving treatments (P=&amp;lt; 0.0001). However, all animals within a sequence were not different (P=0.6390) and contributed effectively zero variance. Results of this study indicate that golden pennycress can be included in broiler diets as there was no difference in performance and growth compared to the control diet (P=0.8118). The successful integration of golden pennycress meal into broiler diets promotes sustainable agricultural practices by utilizing a potentially unused product from a cover crop. As an alternative protein source, golden pennycress inclusion into broiler diets could reduce feed costs for poultry producers, while reducing waste from biofuel production. Further studies could assess long term effects of golden pennycress consumption on broiler carcass quality and performance at increased inclusion rates.","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"11 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144104575","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"224 Comparing the in vitro fermentation characteristics of ruminal and cecal contents from feedlot cattle","authors":"Payton Block, Paige Berkmeyer, Joshua C McCann","doi":"10.1093/jas/skaf102.291","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf102.291","url":null,"abstract":"The objective was to compare the in vitro fermentation characteristics of ruminal and cecal contents from feedlot cattle after slaughter. Evaluating ruminal and cecal fermentation can further develop an understanding of nutrient digestibility and microbial activity that are critical to cattle health and nutrition. Historically, ruminal fermentation has been studied more in depth compared with the cecum. Ruminal and cecal contents were collected from eight cattle within thirty minutes of slaughter at the University of Illinois Meat Science Laboratory. Ruminal and cecal contents were strained through two layers of cheesecloth and stored in a pre-warmed thermos for transportation to the laboratory. Four flasks (2 ruminal and 2 cecal) for each animal contained 1.5 g DM substrate (70% dry corn, 15% corn silage, and 15% modified wet distillers grains with solubles) and 150 mL of inoculum (2 McDougall’s buffer: 1 fluid ratio). Four sealed F57 Ankom bags containing 0.25 g DM substrate were added to an individual flask to measure in vitro dry matter disappearance (IVDMD). Flasks were placed in a 39°C water bath to stimulate the ruminal environment for 30 hours. Sample aliquots were collected at hours 0, 4, 8, 16, and 30 to determine pH, volatile fatty acids, and ammonia. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS 9.4. No interactions between collection site and time were observed (P &amp;gt; 0.10). There were no differences between ruminal and cecal pH (P = 0.15); however, there was a time effect (P &amp;lt; 0.01) as pH peaked at hour 4 and then decreased over time. Ammonia levels of cecal contents were greater (P &amp;lt; 0.01) compared with ruminal contents. Ammonia levels also increased (P &amp;lt; 0.01) over time. A greater IVDMD was observed (P &amp;lt; 0.01) for the ruminal contents compared with cecal contents (55.0 versus 51.7%, respectively). Cecal contents had a greater (P &amp;lt; 0.01) concentration of total volatile fatty acids, a greater (P &amp;lt; 0.01) molar proportion of acetate, a lesser (P &amp;lt; 0.01) molar proportion of propionate, and a greater (P &amp;lt; 0.01) molar proportion of butyrate. In conclusion, there were important differences observed in the in vitro fermentation characteristics of ruminal and cecal contents from feedlot cattle collected after slaughter.","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144104626","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"242 Evaluation of Vacasan® administered to sows pre-farrowing on sow mortality and litter performance","authors":"Jared A Harshman, Thomas J Fangman, David Nolan, Peter Schneider","doi":"10.1093/jas/skaf102.260","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf102.260","url":null,"abstract":"Sow mortality continues to increase across the swine industry and remains an area of interest. Most of the sow mortality occurs during parturition and lactation. This is not only an animal well-being concern but also has a negative impact on profitability and employee morale. This has led the swine industry to look for viable solutions to reduce sow mortality. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine if the administration of Vacasan® (Tulathromycin) 1-day prior to farrowing would reduce sow mortality and improve litter performance. The study was conducted on a commercial farm that was Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) and mycoplasma hyopneumoniae free. The study utilized 1,377 control sows and 1,367 sow receiving Vacasan® (1.1 ml of 100mg/ml per 45kg). Sows were monitored from time of injection and for 30 days after farrowing. Treatment groups were randomly assigned across farrowing groups for each week. Neither group of offspring in this study received any treatment during the study. Total born, born alive, stillborn, mummies, pigs weaned, lactation days, and sow mortality was reported. Data was analyzed using the Welch t-test in R. Parity was balanced between control and treatment sows (1.96 vs. 1.97, P = 0.959) thus was not used as covariant in the model. The Vacasan® treated sows had significantly greater number of pigs weaned (P = 0.001), as well as in lactation for a significantly longer time (P = 0.014). The treated sows also had a significant reduction in sow mortality (P = 0.030). However, no differences were observed in total born, born alive, stillborn, or mummies among the treatment groups (P &amp;gt; 0.10). This study suggests that the administration of Vacasan® 1-day prior to farrowing is a viable solution to reduce sow mortality and improve the number of pigs weaned.","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"18 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144104647","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"76 Lactation feed intake and seasonal effects on reproductive performance and downstream impact on lifetime performance","authors":"Gregory Krahn, Grant I Petersen, Michael E Johnston, Katherine A McCormick, Michelle N McCallum, Christopher L Puls","doi":"10.1093/jas/skaf102.117","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf102.117","url":null,"abstract":"Improved genetics in commercial pig production have resulted in larger litter sizes that require increased milk production and increased energy requirements for the sow to raise the litter. Individual sow (n=10,797) data collected from June 2018-December 2023 at United Animal Health’s Research Farms were analyzed to examine potential factors impacting sow and progeny performance. Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) tags were applied to all pigs, and the LeeO individual animal identification system was used to collect individual sow and piglet data. Research farrowing rooms (216 total farrowing crates) were equipped with computerized feed system which recorded individual daily lactation feed intake and was used to calculate lactation average daily feed intake (ADFI). Sows were ad libitum fed a 1.10% SID Lys commercial lactation diet. During analysis, sows were divided by parity into lactation feed intake levels or season. The objective of this retrospective study was to evaluate the impact of lactation ADFI and seasonal effects on sow and litter performance. Sows with increased lactation ADFI, regardless of parity, weaned heavier pigs (Table 1), that were also heavier at the end of nursery and the sows better maintained BW during lactation (P &amp;lt; 0.001). Post-weaning, a larger percentage of high feed intake females returned to heat by day 5, compared to low feed intake females (P &amp;lt; 0.05). Higher lactation ADFI females had improved conception rates, along with higher total born in subsequent litters (P &amp;lt; 0.05). Parity 1 females weaned during summer months, compared to all other seasons, had lower lactation ADFI (Table 2) and weaned lighter litters (P &amp;lt; 0.001). Compared to all other seasons, when parity 1 females were weaned during summer months, a lower percentage of females returned to heat by day 5 and conception rates had reduced (P &amp;lt; 0.05). Parity 1 females weaned during the summer lost more BW during lactation and had smaller subsequent litters in compared to being weaned in Winter or Fall (P &amp;lt; 0.05). Similar to parity 1 females, parity 2-5 females weaned during summer months had decreased lactation ADFI, weaned lighter litters and lost the most weight during lactation (P &amp;lt; 0.001). These data confirm the importance of strategies to improve sow lactation feed intake, resulting in improved sow reproduction and downstream progeny performance. Seasonal differences play a significant role in U.S. sow herds so implementing management practices that improve lactation feed intake during summer months will help reduce negative seasonal effects.","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"129 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144104657","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}