The Effect of Reduced Crude Protein on Growth Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, and Meat Quality in Weaning to Finishing Pigs.

This study aimed to evaluate optimal crude protein (CP) levels based on the National Research Council guidelines from 1998 and 2012 and their impacts on growth performance, fecal score, blood profiles, nutrient digestibility, and carcass characteristics of weaning to finishing pigs. Four diets were established in this experiment: high-protein (HP), medium-high-protein (MHP), medium-low-protein (MLP), and low-protein (LP). The HP diet followed the NRC (1998) guidelines, while the MHP diet reduced the CP content by 1%. The MLP diet had 1.5% lower CP content than the HP diet. The LP diet followed the NRC guideline of 2012, which suggests less protein than the NRC guideline of 1998. There were no significant differences in body weight, average daily feed intake, or nutrient digestibility. However, the average daily gain (ADG) of pigs fed the LP diet at 7-10 weeks was lower than in the other treatments, whereas the ADG of the pigs fed the LP diet was higher compared with that of pigs fed the other diets, showing compensatory growth in finishing periods (p < 0.05). The blood urea nitrogen of pigs fed the LP diet showed the lowest value, whereas the highest value was found in pigs fed the HP diet, and the other two diets were similar to the HP diet or positioned between the HP and LP diets (p < 0.05). Water holding capacity, cooking loss, shear force, and pH in the longissimus muscle were not influenced by varying dietary CP levels (p > 0.05), but the hunter values L and b were increased in pigs fed the LP diet (p < 0.05). Conclusively, a low-protein diet did not negatively affect growth performance, nutrient digestibility, or meat quality.

Effect of Particle Size of Wheat and Barley Grain on the Digestibility and Fermentation of Carbohydrates in the Small and Large Intestines of Growing Pigs.

The objective of this investigation was to study the effects of different cereal types, barley and wheat, with different particle sizes (PS) on the recovery of ileal digesta and fecal excretion, digestion of nutrients and fiber components, mean transit time (MTT), and short-chain fatty acid content and composition in growing pigs studied in two experiments. Five barrows with ileal cannulas (initial BW 35.9 ± 1.5 kg) in Experiment 1 and thirty-two castrated pigs (30.8 ± 1.3 kg) in Experiment 2 were fed four different diets: barley fine, barley coarse, wheat fine and wheat coarse diets. The cereal type and PS did not influence the relative weight of the small and large intestines and pH of digesta, whereas MTT in the large intestine of pigs fed the coarse barley diet was lower compared to pigs fed other diets (p < 0.05). Pigs fed the coarse barley diet had lower apparent ileal digestibility (AID) and apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of nutrients and fiber (p < 0.05), whereas pigs fed the fine barley diet had similar AID and ATTD to pigs fed wheat fine and coarse diets (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the barley diet was more influenced by PS in comparison to wheat, thereby inducing lower AID and ATTD of nutrient.

The Role of Dietary Fiber in Improving Pig Welfare.

This review aims to discuss the effects of dietary fiber sources with various levels on stereotypic behaviors in sows. There are a variety of dietary fiber sources that are supplemented to feeds for sows. However, dietary fiber sources have different physio-chemical properties, leading to controversial results in feed motivation, nutrient digestibility, and behaviors in sows fed fiber-rich diets. Findings from previous studies indicated that soluble fiber delays nutrient absorption and decreases physical activity after feeding. In addition to this, it increases volatile fatty acid production, provides energy, and prolongs the feeling of satiety. It also prevents certain stereotypies and thus is paramount to sow welfare.

Influence of infection with Brachyspira hyodysenteriae on clinical expression, growth performance, and digestibility in growing pigs fed diets varying in type and level of fiber.

Research on the effects of different fiber types and levels on infection with Brachyspira hyodysenteriae on growth performance and nutrients digestibility in pigs is scarce. The objective of the current study was to investigate the effects of infection with B. hyodysenteriae when feeding diets varying in soluble and insoluble dietary fiber (DF) on the expression of swine dysentery, growth performance, and digestibility of organic matter (OM) nutrients. A total of 96 growing pigs (26.9 ± 2.5 kg) were used for the experiment and divided into six blocks. The growing pigs were fed one of four diets for 12 wk: low fiber (LF), high fiber (HF), high soluble fiber (HS), and high insoluble fiber (HI). After 2 wk, half of the pigs were inoculated with B. hyodysenteriae. Half of the pigs in each group were euthanized at week 6 for the measurement of the apparent digestibility at the ileum, cecum, colon, and total tract. The remaining pigs were maintained to observe and analyze the clinical expression of fecal score and excretion of B. hyodysenteriae, growth performance, and total tract digestibility up to 12 wk. In the current study, the experimental diets did not influence the expression of infection in the pigs. The body weight and average daily gain (ADG) were in line with the results of clinical expression from week 4 to 6. However, the ADG of the infected pigs started to recover from week 6 (P < 0.05) and then recovered from week 8 to 12 (P < 0.05). The infection with B. hyodysenteriae did not impair apparent ileal digestibility (AID; P > 0.05), whereas the apparent digestibility of OM, total non-starch polysaccharide, non-cellulosic polysaccharide, and cellulose in the cecum of the infected pigs was higher than non-infected pigs (P < 0.05). The apparent colonic digestibility of ash and nitrogen was higher in non-infected pigs than in infected pigs (P < 0.05). The pigs fed the LF diet had a higher digestibility in all segments of the intestinal tract, whereas the HS diet had the lowest AID but higher or similar to the LF diet in the cecum, colon, and the total tract (P < 0.05). The pigs fed the HF and HI diets, with a high proportion of insoluble fiber, had a lower digestibility in the hindgut than the other two diets (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the infection with B. hyodysenteriae negatively influenced clinical signs of swine dysentery and growth performance but did not impair AID, and neither soluble nor insoluble DF influenced the expression of the infection.

Swine dysentery is a severe disease that can cause increased mortality and poor feed efficiency with bloody diarrhea. This disease can be treated with antibiotics, but there is a limitation of using antibiotics due to governmental policy, thereby the incidence of swine dysentery has been increased. We, therefore, try to find alternatives with diverse fiber sources and understand the mechanism of swine dysentery in growing pigs. In this study, infection of Brachyspira hyodysenteriae showed a negative influence on growth performance, but compensatory growth and recovery were observed in pigs after 6 wk of the infection. The apparent ileal digestibility was not affected by the infection, and the digestibility of non-starch polysaccharides in the cecum was rather increased than decreased probably because of interaction between B. hyodysenteriae and specific bacteria, which can stimulate fiber degradation in the cecum. However, fiber type and level did not influence the prevention and alleviation of the infection.

Evaluation of barley to replace milk by-product in weaning pig's diet.

The supplementation level of barley was limited because of high contents of fiber in monogastric animals. Barley contained high soluble fiber, thus it could prevent to diarrhea of weaning pigs. Moreover, as the barley break down by enzymes, free sugars come out from the barley, which could be used as an energy source in weaning pigs and replace milk by-products in weaning pig's diet. Therefore, present study was conducted to investigate the influence of barley to replace milk by-product in weaning pig's diet on growth performance, blood profile, nutrient digestibility, diarrhea incidence, and economic analysis in weaning pigs. A total of 112 crossbred ([York-shire × Landrace] × Duroc, weaned at 28 days of age) piglets were allotted to 4 treatments in a randomized complete block (RCB) design. Each treatment has 7 replications with 4 pigs per pen. Pigs were fed each treatment diet which containing different levels of barley (0%, 10%, 20%, and 30%) at the expense of whey powder and lactose. Three phase feeding programs were used for 6 weeks of growth trial (phase 1: 0-2 weeks; phase 2: 3-4 weeks; phase 3: 5-6 weeks). During 0-2 week, body weight (BW), average daily gain (ADG) and G:F ratio were decreased as barley level increased in the diet (linear response, p < 0.01). In blood profile, blood urea nitrogen was decreased as the barley level increased in the diet (linear, p < 0.01). However, no significant differences were observed in blood glucose level. In nutrient digestibility, crude fat digestibility was linearly increased as barley increased (linear, p < 0.01). The incidence of diarrhea was improved as increasing barley contents in all phases (linear, p < 0.01). These results demonstrated that supplementation of barley to replace milk by-product influenced negatively on growth performance during 0-2 week. However, the incidence of diarrhea and later growth performance from 3 week postweaning were improved as dietary barley level increased.

V-shaped pits in regions of ancient Baekje kingdom paleoparasitologically confirmed as likely human-waste reservoirs.

In a paleo-parasitological analysis of soil samples obtained from V-shaped pits dating to the ancient Baekje period in Korean history, we discovered Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, and Clonorchis sinensis eggs. In light of the samples' seriously contaminated state, the V-shaped pits might have served as toilets, cesspits, or dung heaps. For a long period of time, researchers scouring archaeological sites in Korea have had difficulties locating such structures. In this context then, the present report is unique because similar kind of the ancient ruins must become an ideal resource for successful sampling in our forthcoming paleoparasitological studies.