Short communication: Preweaning socialization and environmental enrichment affect short-term performance after regrouping in commercially reared pigs.

On-farm practices like premature weaning and frequent regrouping induce stress to pigs. Early socialization or environmental enrichment in piglets reduce weaning stress, as suggested in previous studies. Little research with both effects and in commercial settings was found. The aim was to investigate the effects of preweaning socialization and environmental enrichment on life-long performance in 661 Danbred pigs. Two treatments were distinguished during the suckling period: control (CON, 24 litters) and enriched (ENR, 24 litters). Control piglets were raised in barren farrowing pens; ENR piglets were provided with six enrichment objects from birth, and two neighboring litters were socialized from Day (D) 14. Pigs were regrouped on D25 (weaning) and D71 (fattening), while keeping the same treatment. Individual body weight was recorded on D1, 14, 23, 27, 31, 38, 69, 79, and after slaughter (carcass weight, CW). Pigs were slaughtered in six batches. Estimated slaughter weight (ESW) was calculated by CW × 1.25. Body weight, CW, and average daily gain (ADG) were analyzed by linear mixed models. Slaughter age was analyzed by Wilcox Rank-Sum test. Body weight and ESW were adjusted to non-linear models to obtain the predicted growth curves of CON and ENR, from birth to the targeted market weight (TMW, 105 kg). Average daily gain during the suckling, nursery, and fattening periods, and from birth to slaughter, did not differ between treatments. However, ADG of ENR when moving pigs from farrowing to nursery (4-day period) and from nursery to fattening (10-day period), revealed a better performance than CON (+20.6 g/day, P = 0.02; +53 g/day, P = 0.03, respectively). Enriched pigs tended to be slaughtered 2.8 days earlier than CON (P = 0.08). On the other hand, the predicted growth curves showed a non-significant 2-day window of reaching TMW between treatments (P = 0.23). Results suggested that enriching the neonatal environment improved the short-term performance after regrouping, and may benefit the life-long performance by reducing time to reach TMW.

Effect of different levels of calcium and phosphorus and their interaction on the performance of young broilers.

A study was conducted to evaluate the interaction among 3 levels of Ca and 4 levels of nonphytate phosphorus (NPP) on broiler performance, bone ash, and whole-body fractional retention of Ca and P. Ross male broiler-chicks (n=420) were sorted by BW at d 1 posthatch and assigned to 5 cages/diet with 7 birds/cage. Twelve diets were arranged in a 3×4 factorial of 3 levels Ca (at 0.5, 0.7, or 0.9%) and 4 levels NPP (at 0.25, 0.31, 0.38, or 0.45%) with a high dose of phytase (1,150 U/kg) in all diets. On d 14, chickens were euthanized and the right tibia was collected from 3 birds/replicate; the rest of the animals were used to measure whole-body Ca and P retention. An interaction was observed between the level of Ca and NPP on feed intake (FI), tibia weight, and bone-ash content (P<0.05). Increasing the level of NPP from 0.25 to 0.38% increased FI (P<0.05) on chickens fed the high-Ca diet (0.9%), but not with Ca at 0.5 or 0.7%. Broilers achieved their greatest weight gain (WG) and bone formation with 0.7% Ca and 0.38% NPP. Increasing the dietary Ca decreased its fractional retention from 74% with dietary Ca at 0.5 to 46% with Ca at 0.9%. The increase in the levels of dietary P steadily increased the fractional retention of Ca from 53 to 61%, and increased the whole-body Ca content (g/kg BW). It can be concluded that a dietary level of 0.38% NPP/kg in diets containing a high dose of phytase (1,150 U/kg) and 0.7% Ca are adequate to ensure broiler performance and bone ash of broilers from d 0 to d 14 posthatch.