[Laryngeal spasm as a symptom of ventricular volvulus]. / Larynxspasme som symptom på volvulus ventriculi.

A male patient with laryngeal spasm as the only initial symptom of gastric volvulus is described. After gastric surgery the laryngeal spasms disappeared. A possible connection between laryngeal spasm and gastroesophageal acid reflux is discussed.

Effects of induced or delayed parturition and supplemental dietary fat on colostrum and milk composition in sows.

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of inducing premature parturition on the composition of colostrum and milk and the effects of dietary fat supplementation on colostrum and milk composition from premature and delayed farrowing sows. In Trial 1, eight sows were allowed to farrow naturally (d 114, NF sows) and eight sows were induced to farrow (IF sows) prematurely by injection of prostaglandin F2 alpha on d 112 of gestation. Average fat content of sow's milk during the first 12 h postpartum was lower for IF than for NF sows (P < .05), as was overall mean fat percentage (P < .05). In Trial 2, 53 sows were randomly assigned in a 2 (diets) x 5 (parturition treatments) factorial experiment. Dietary treatments fed during the last 2 wk of gestation and throughout lactation were control diet and added fat diet (control diet plus 10% corn oil). Parturition treatments included 1) natural farrowing (d 114), induction of parturition with prostaglandin F2 alpha on 2) d 110, 3) d 111, or 4) d 112 of gestation, and 5) delay of parturition with progesterone followed by injection of prostaglandin on d 115. The added fat diet increased milk fat percentage compared with the control diet (P < .01). Colostral fat percentage was reduced by induction of premature farrowing (d 110 or 111) in sows fed the control diet but was unaffected in sows fed added dietary fat (interaction, P < .05). Mean fat content of colostrum was not reduced in groups receiving the added fat diet that were induced to farrow prematurely.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effects of sow-crate design on health and performance of sows and piglets.

The effects of sow-crate design on certain health and performance traits of 211 sows and their piglets were evaluated with a 2 X 2 X 4 factorial arrangement of crate width (narrow [N = 55 cm] or wide [W = 64] between lowest horizontal pipes), length (short [S = 183 cm] or long [L = 198] from rump stop to front gate) and side type (lower side of sow crate "fingered" [F], "bowed" bottom bar--marking the sow zone 19.3 cm wider at the bottom--20 cm above the floor [B], or straight bottom bar 20 cm [S20] or 25 cm above the floor [S25]). Between d 107 to 110 postcoitum and d 21 postpartum, no crate design variable affected the sow's body-weight change, but side type tended to affect the most prominent head-neck and leg integumentary lesions. Number of stillborn piglets/litter was greater with W crates than with N, except with crates having S20 sides, and was greater with L crates than with S. More piglets were crushed to death in W crates than N crates, and stillbirth frequency was greater in L crates than in S, but overall preweaning piglet mortality was affected by no crate-design feature. At both 7 and 21 d of age, piglets' knee lesions were most severe with S20 crates and least with S25, whereas face-lesion score was unaffected by crate design. Piglet body weight at age 21 d was least with S20 crates and greatest with F and S25. No crate-design variable affected within-litter variation in piglet growth rate. Sow-crate design affected important health and performance traits of piglets through postnatal d 21.

Effects of sow-crate design on sow and piglet behavior.

The effects of sow-crate design on certain behaviors of sows and piglets at farrowing and again approximately 3 wk later were evaluated with a 2 x 2 x 4 factorial arrangement of crate width (narrow [N = 55 cm] or wide [W = 64] between lowest horizontal pipes), length (short [S = 183 cm] or long [L = 198] from rump stop to front gate) and side type (lower side of sow crate "fingered" [F], "bowed" bottom bar 20 cm above the floor [B], or straight bottom bar 20 cm [S20] or 25 cm above the floor [S25]). Farrowing-crate design influenced both sow and piglet behaviors both during and immediately after parturition and during nursing-suckling bouts approximately 3 wk later. Activities of 51 sows and their piglets were videorecorded during and immediately following parturition. Sow-crate design affected neither the interval between births of successive piglets in a litter nor the frequency of standing by the sow during parturition. Latency from birth to first mammary contact (LMC) was greater with S25-sided and S sow crates, and especially with S, W crates. A significant interaction occurred between sow-crate side type and dimensions; LMC was longer when S25 sides were combined with S or W crates. Data on suckling behavior were collected from 113 litters over three successive sucklings approximately 3 wk after farrowing. Sow-crate design had no effect either on the consistency with which a piglet suckled a particular teat or teat pair or on the frequency of multiple-teat use. Piglets maintained fewer functional teats with S, S20 crates. The distribution of functional teats between rows was less symmetric with S crates. Piglets nursed with their bodies over a side bar more frequently with B- and S20-sided crates. The sow permitted her piglets to suckle while she was in a vertical stance more frequently with S and N crates, and especially with S, N crates. Sow-crate design affected important behaviors of sows and piglets both during and immediately after parturition as well as during nursing-suckling bouts about 3 wk later.

Utilization by growing and finishing pigs of raw soybeans of low Kunitz trypsin inhibitor content.

Three trials were conducted to compare acceptance and utilization by growing and finishing pigs of diets containing supplemental protein from either heated, solvent-extracted soybean meal (SBM), raw low-Kunitz trypsin inhibitor soybean (LT) or raw commercially grown Williams cultivar soybean with high Kunitz trypsin inhibitor content (HT). In Trial 1, 36 crossbred pigs, averaging 7 kg in weight, were fed 1) corn-SBM, 2)corn-LT or 3) corn-HT diets for 28 d. Diets were formulated to be isolysinic and to have similar calorie:lysine ratios. Average daily gain and gain/feed were higher (P less than .01) for pigs fed the corn-SBM diet than for pigs fed the corn-LT diet; average daily gain and gain/feed were higher (P less than .01) for the corn-LT diet than for the corn-HT. Average daily feed intake did not differ (P greater than .05) among diets. In Trial 2, 48 crossbred pigs averaging 67 kg were fed diets similar to those in Trial 1 but with lower lysine values. The daily gain (.95 kg) of pigs fed the corn-SBM diet was greater (P less than .05) than for pigs fed the corn-LT diet (.87 kg), which in turn was greater (P less than .05) than for the pigs fed the corn-HT diet (.83 kg). Daily feed intake (kg) and gain/feed were 3.27 and .291, 2.97 and .293, and 3.07 and .270, respectively, for pigs fed the corn-SBM, corn-LT and corn-HT diets. In Trial 3, 18 castrate male pigs averaging 12.4 kg were fed cornstarch-based diets with either SBM, LT or HT as the source of protein.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

An evaluation of a dry-fat product as a source of supplemental energy in pig diets.

Three feeding trials (278 pigs) and one balance trial (14 pigs) were conducted to evaluate acceptance and utilization of diets containing a dry-fat product containing 90% fat. The fat was a mixture of equal parts vegetable and animal fats. In Trial 1, 4-wk-old pigs fed diets with 5% dry-fat added had average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI) and gain/feed (G/F) values equal to pigs fed the diet containing 4.5% liquid fat, the unprocessed equivalent to the dry-fat. Values for G/F with both diets were higher (P less than .05) than for pigs fed the unsupplemented control diet. In Trial 2, dry-fat and roasted soybeans were compared as sources of supplemental fat in diets for finishing pigs. Both were efficiently utilized, with no differences (P greater than .05) among diets. In Trial 3, diets with 0, 5 and 10% levels of added dry-fat were fed to pigs from 34 to 100 kg. Rates of gain were not affected, but ADFI decreased (P less than .05) and G/F increased (P less than .05) with increased fat level. Carcass measurements were not affected by dietary treatment, but iodine number of backfat increased (P less than .05) with dietary fat level. In Trial 4, values for grams of N absorbed and retained and megacalories of energy absorbed and metabolized did not differ (P greater than .05) between diets with 0 and 5% added dry-fat. These results show that the dry-fat product was efficiently utilized by growing and finishing pigs.

Effects of a dietary antimicrobial (carbadox) on liver cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase activity and bile acid patterns in the young pig.

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of the antimicrobial carbadox (CX) on bile acid metabolism in the young pig. The pigs were fed a fortified, 19.5% crude protein, corn-soybean meal diet without or with 55 ppm CX. In Exp. I pigs were fed the diets for 28 d, then the level of activity of hepatic cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase (CH-7 alpha), the rate-limiting enzyme of bile acid metabolism, was measured. The CX-fed pigs gained faster (P less than .05) and more efficiently (P less than .05) and had lower (P less than .02) CH-7 alpha activity than the control pigs. In Exp. II, pigs ranging in weight from 12 to 15 kg were fitted with indwelling catheters in the hepatic portal (HP) and anterior vena cava (VC) veins. Radiolabeled chenodeoxycholic acid (CDC) was infused into the HP and blood samples from both veins were taken at meal time and hourly for 6 h following six meals over 3 d. Bile was collected 14 d after infusion. Concentrations of lithocholic acid (LC) in the bile and hyodeoxycholic acid (HDC) in the plasma were reduced by dietary CX. Dietary CX did not significantly affect metabolism of plasma CDC or hyocholic acid (HC) as measured by radioactivity. Meal time (0800 vs 1600) affected (P less than .05) plasma CDC radioactivity at all times and the level of HDC radioactivity 2 h post-prandial. There was a meal time X dietary treatment interaction (P less than .02) on plasma HC radioactivity 2 h post-prandial. These data suggest that dietary CX inhibited intestinal microbial degradation of CDC and HC.

Effects of dietary alfalfa-orchardgrass hay and lasalocid on sow reproductive performance.

Forty-eight second, third and fourth parity crossbred sows were randomly allotted to four dietary treatments: corn:alfalfa-orchardgrass hay (46%; CH); CH plus lasalocid (CHL); corn-soybean meal (CS) or CS plus lasalocid (CSL). Sows were fed these diets through two successive gestations with dietary treatment initiated at 35 d post-coitum and continued until parturition. To equalize daily metabolizable energy intake (6.6 Mcal/sow), 2.64 kg of CH and CHL diets and 1.86 kg of CS and CSL diets were fed. Lasalocid intake was 130 mg X sow-1 X d-1. Sows were weighed and backfat measurements were taken at 35 and 109 d of gestation. Sows also were weighed 14 d postpartum. A 14% crude protein corn-soybean meal diet was fed ad libitum to all sows during lactation and feed intake was recorded. Colostrum samples were obtained within 4 h of farrowing. All live piglets were weighed at birth and 14 d of age. There were no significant differences among dietary treatments in number of live piglets born, piglet birth weight, piglet weight at 14 d of age or sow rebreeding efficiency. Sows fed CHL and CSL diets had more (P less than .12) live piglets at 14 d postpartum and lower (P less than .03) total fat in colostrum than did CH- and CS-fed sows. Alfalfa-orchardgrass hay feeding resulted in less (P less than .04) backfat deposition during gestation, more (P less than .04) weight loss from 109 d postcoitum to 14 d postpartum and increased (P less than .002) feed consumption during lactation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The effects of a dietary antimicrobial on the biological half-life of chenodeoxycholic acid and plasma bile acid concentration patterns in the young pig.

Carbodox (CX), an antimicrobial agent, was fed at 0 or 58 ppm in a 19.5% crude protein corn-soybean metal diet to young pigs (12 to 15 kg). Radiolabeled chenodeoxycholic acid (CDC) was infused into the hepatic portal vein; after each of the subsequent six meals, blood samples were collected from the anterior vena cava (VC) and the hepatic portal (HP) veins. For the first 5 min after CDC infusion, the level of radioactivity in the CX pigs was significantly lower in the HP plasma and the slopes of the two curves of the plasma activity for the first hours were significantly different. The plasma bile acid concentrations (as measured by radioactivity) were significantly higher in the CX-treated animals following all meals. The biological half-life of CDC was 6.4 d in the controls and 5.7 d in the CX pigs. The increased rate of excretion was significant. These data indicate that bile acid metabolism in the young pig was significantly affected by feeding a subtherapeutic level of the antimicrobial CX.

Bile acid metabolism in the pig.

To study bile acid metabolism in the pig, indwelling catheters were surgically placed in the hepatic portal vein and the anterior vena cava of 12-17 kg crossbred pigs. The pigs were fed ad libitum for one hr at 0800 and 1600 hrs daily. Two weeks after the surgery, 50 microCi of 24[14C] chenodeoxycholic acid were infused into the hepatic portal vein. The radioactivity in plasma from the two veins was monitored hourly for six hrs following each of six consecutive meals over a 3-day period. Fecal and urine radioactivity were determined for 14 days. It was found that the peak levels of radioactivity in the plasma of both veins were reached within two hrs post-feeding. The biological half-life of chenodeoxycholic acid was determined to be 6.4 days.

Effects of dietary alfalfa:orchardgrass hay and lasalocid on nutrient utilization by gravid sows.

Twenty-four third- and fourth-parity crossbred gravid sows were housed in metabolism stalls and randomly allotted to four dietary treatments: corn-alfalfa:orchardgrass hay (46%; CH), CH plus lasalocid (CHL), corn-soybean meal (CS) or CS plus lasalocid (CSL). Daily feed intake was 2.36 kg for CH- and CHL-fed sows and 1.66 kg for CS- and CSL-fed sows. Lasalocid intake was 110 mg X sow-1 X d-1. Total feces and urine were collected during two 5-d collection periods, 40 and 80 d postcoitum. Digestible energy (DE), metabolizable energy (ME), nitrogen (N) retention, dry matter (DM), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) digestibilities, and retention of calcium (Ca), total phosphorus (P), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na) and potassium (K) were determined. Percentage DE and ME were greater (P less than .0001) for CS- and CSL-fed sows (88.3 and 83.4%) than for CH- and CHL-fed sows (65.2 and 61.3%). Lasalocid did not influence (P greater than .05) DE and ME values but decreased (P less than .01) the ME:DE ratio. Percentage N digestibility was greater (P less than .0001) for CS- and CSL-fed sows (85.7%) than for CH- and CHL-fed sows (60.8%), but there was no significant difference in N retention, expressed as a percentage of N intake. Lasalocid increased (P less than .03) percentage N digestibility; however, the diet X additive interaction decreased (P less than .005) grams N retained X sow-1 X d-1 for CSL-fed sows. The CH- and CHL-fed sows digested more grams of DM, NDF and ADF but had lower percentage digestibilities of DM and fiber fractions than did CS- and CSL-fed sows. The diet X additive interaction decreased (P less than .05) percentages of Ca, P and K digested and decreased (P less than .05) grams mineral retained (Ca, P, Mg and K) and mineral retained expressed as a percentage of intake for CSL-fed sows. Results indicate that alfalfa:orchardgrass hay and lasalocid influenced energy, fiber, nitrogen and mineral utilization by gravid sows.

Influence of dietary alfalfa:orchardgrass hay and lasalocid on in vitro estimates of dry matter digestibility and volatile fatty acid concentrations of cecal contents and rate of digesta passage in sows.

Four mature crossbred sows were fistulated in the cecum, with two sows fed a corn-alfalfa:orchardgrass hay (46%) diet (CH) and two fed a corn-soybean meal diet (CS). Four experiments were conducted to evaluate buffers, incubation times, buffer pH and substrate and inocula sources in an in vitro, anaerobic, mixed-culture system. In vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) and substrate solubility in buffer (SS) were determined. In Exp. 1, substrates were CH and CS diets with cecal inocula obtained from CH- and CS-fed sows. The bicarbonate (B) buffer resulted in lower (P less than .01) and less variable SS for all treatments. In vitro dry matter digestibility was higher (P less than .01) for the CS diet at both 24 and 48 h incubation. Use of the B buffer also resulted in higher (P less than .001) IVDMD values. In Exp. 2, substrates were either as in Exp. 1 or were freeze-dried cecal contents (CC) from CH- or CS-fed sows. In vitro dry matter digestibility of CC was lower (P less than .006) than IVDMD of diet, while IVDMD was higher (P less than .02) with cecal inocula than fecal inocula. In Exp. 3, substrate-inocula treatments were CH-CH, CH-CS, CS-CH and CS-CS. Substrate solubility was lower (P less than .05) at pH 5.8 than at pH 6.8. In vitro dry matter digestibility was higher when substrate and inocula were from the same source and at pH 5.8. In Exp. 4, CC and inocula were from sows fed CH and CS diets with or without lasalocid. In vitro dry matter digestibility was higher with CC from lasalocid-fed sows and inocula from sows fed no lasalocid. The CH diet resulted in higher acetate (Ac) and lower propionate (Pr) molar proportions than did the CS diet, while lasalocid increased molar proportion Pr and decreased molar proportion Ac in cecal contents from sows fed either diet. Corn-alfalfa:orchardgrass hay-fed sows had a faster rate of digesta passage and shorter cecal retention time than did CS-fed sows.

Efficacy of thiopeptin as a growth promotant for growing barrows and gilts--a cooperative study.

A cooperative study involving 280 crossbred pigs was conducted at three experiment stations (Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky) to evaluate the efficacy of the antibiotic, thiopeptin, as a growth promotant for growing pigs. At each station, two replications of barrows and two replications of gilts (four or five/pen), initially averaging 9.3 kg, were fed a fortified corn-soybean meal basal diet with 0, 5.5, 11, 22 or 44 ppm thiopeptin. The pigs averaged 41.4 kg at the end of the 56- to 57-d experimental period. Daily gain increased quandratically (505, 550, 565, 585, 590 g/d; P less than .001) and feed required per unit of gain decreased quadratically (2.32, 2.26, 2.29, 2.22, 2.22; P less than .15) with increasing levels of thiopeptin. Breakpoint analysis indicated that rate and efficiency of growth were maximized at the 14- and 22-ppm levels of thiopeptin, respectively. Averaged across all levels of thiopeptin, gain was increased by 13.4% and feed/gain by 3.2% in pigs fed the antibiotic. Responses to dietary treatment were similar at each station, with no evidence of a treatment X station interaction for gain (P = .35) or feed/gain (P = .80). Barrows and gilts performed similarly (558 vs 560 g/d, 2.26 vs 2.26 feed/gain) and there was no evidence of a sex X treatment interaction. From the results of this experiment, we conclude that thiopeptin is an effective growth promoting agent for growing swine.

A study of the relationship between performance and dietary component digestibilities by swine fed different levels of dietary fiber.

A 49-d feeding trial, using 192 growing-finishing pigs (avg initial wt, 32 kg), was conducted to identify pigs of widely differing average daily gains (ADG) when fed 16% crude protein diets containing either 0, 7.5 or 15% corn cobs. There were linear decreases in both ADG (P less than .01) and gain/feed (P less than .001) with increasing levels of dietary corn cobs. Average daily feed intake increased linearly (P less than .001), but average daily digestible energy (DE) intake tended to decrease (P less than .08) with increasing dietary fiber level. Gain/DE was not apparently affected by dietary treatment. At the end of the feeding trial, 27 pigs, nine from each dietary treatment, were selected on the basis of ADG to represent pigs of above average, average and below average performance during the feeding trial. Previous ADG of the pigs selected for these were .93, .81 and .69 kg, respectively. In these pigs, plasma levels of glucose decreased (P less than .01) linearly, but urea N tended to increase (P less than .08) linearly with increasing level of dietary corn cobs. A digestion trial was conducted to determine if previous performance of the selected pigs could be related to the digestibilities of dietary components and the retention of N by these pigs. Nitrogen and dry matter (DM) digestibilities and dietary DE decreased linearly with increasing level of dietary corn cobs. The digestibilities of dietary neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) decreased both linearly and quadratically with increasing level of corn cobs. Regardless of dietary treatment, no significant differences in any of these criteria were observed among pigs selected on the basis of widely differing ADG during the feeding trial.

Estrus and fertility in lactating sows and piglet performance as influenced by limited nursing.

Seven trials were conducted with 126 sows and their litters to determine the influence of limited nursing (LN), starting on day 21 of lactation, on estrous activity and conception rate during lactation and on piglet performance. One-half of the sows in each of the first three trials were allowed to nurse their piglets four times daily for 30-min periods for 12 days. In the last four trials, half of the sows nursed their piglets four times daily for the first 3 days and then three times daily for 4 days (7-day limited nursing). The remaining sows in each trial were allowed to nurse their piglets in a normal manner. All piglets were weaned at the end of the LN period. Piglets were weighed at the start of the study, at weaning and at 14 days postweaning. Creep intake was measured during the LN period. In the first three trials, eight of the 26 LN sows were in estrus before weaning, whereas no control (C) sows were in estrus during lactation (P greater than .01). The average interval from weaning to breeding was 1.7 and 6.6 days for LN and C sows, respectively (P greater than .01). In the last four trials, five of 37 LN sows were in estrus before weaning, whereas no C sows were in estrus during lactation (P greater than .07). The average interval from weaning to estrus was 3.3 and 4.3 days for LN and C sows, respectively, (P greater than .05). Conception rate did not differ between trials or between treatment groups. Weight gain during the treatment period was lower and creep feed intake greater (both P greater than .01) for pigs reared by LN sows than for piglets reared by C sows. Weight gained after weaning was greater (P greater than .05) for piglets reared by LN sows than for those reared by C sows in the first three trials, but was similar for the two groups in the following four trials. Piglet death loss was similar for the two groups throughout the experiment.

Effect of a synthetic antimicrobial agent on the rates of synthesis and degradation of liver and skeletal muscle proteins in growing rats.

A double isotope technique was used to evaluate the effects of a synthetic antimicrobial compound (carbadox) upon the synthesis and degradation of rat liver and muscle proteins. Trials 1 and 2 used, respectively, 20 and 12 male Sprague-Dawley rats with average initial weights of 75 and 81 g. A 16% crude protein corn-soybean diet without or with carbadox (55 ppm) was fed. Rats were randomly assigned to diets which were fed 10 days prior to the initial isotope (14C-lysine) injection. The second isotope injection (3H-lysine) was made 3 days after the 14C-lysine injection in trial 1, 6 days in trial 2. Four hours after the second injection, the rats were killed and the right and left quadriceps and a sample of liver were removed. Total protein from the right quadriceps was prepared via a boiling trichloroacetic acid (TCA) extraction procedure. The left quadriceps was separated into myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic protein fractions via a KCl salt gradient. In both trials, gains were similar across treatments, but markedly reduced during the injection periods. Gain/feed prior to injection was greater (P less than 0.05) for carbadox-fed rats. In both trials right quadriceps 3H-incorporation (expressed as 3H cpm/mg protein) and relative degradation (3H cpm/14C cpm) were not affected by dietary carbadox. The sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar protein fractions were also not significantly affected. However, in both trials liver protein 3H-incorporation was enhanced (P less than 0.025) by carbadox, while liver protein degradation was affected (P less than 0.001) only in trial 2.

A technique for monitoring nutrient absorption in the conscious, unrestrained pig.

A surgical preparation allowing for the determination of apparent absorption in the conscious, unrestrained pig is described. The technique allows the collection of blood from the hepatic portal vein and vena cava, as well as the simultaneous determination of rate of flow through the portal vessel. A chronic electromagnetic blood flow probe is placed around, and a mechanical, hydraulically activated sampling needle attached to, the hepatic portal vein. An indwelling catheter is placed within the vena cava. By simultaneously determining nutrient concentration of hepatic portal and vena cava blood and then multiplying their difference by the rate of blood flow through the hepatic portal vein, one can make a point-in-time estimate of apparent absorption from the gastrointestinal tract.

Effect of supplemental heat for nursing piglets.

The effect of absence or presence of supplemental heat for nursing piglets (a 250-watt lamp suspended 45 cm above the sleeping area for each litter) was studied from October to April in each of three successive winter seasons. Ambient room temperature was 21 C. Sows were fed a fortified corn-soybean meal diet and piglets did not have access to creep feed. Floors were constructed of either wood and expanded metal or steel slats and expanded metal combinations. In Exp. 1, piglets were given either no supplemental heat or a heat lamp from birth to 21 days. Percentages of piglets that died within the first 3 days were 13.4 and 4.4%, respectively. Total losses for the 21-day period were 18.5 and 11.0%, respectively. Average body weight gains were 3.50 kg for the unsupplemented piglets and 3.69 kg for the heat-supplemented piglets. In Exp. 2, 133 litters were used to evaluate the effects of the absence or presence of supplemental heat from day 3 postpartum. Supplemental heat was provided either from day 3 to day 6 or from day 3 to day 21. The control litters had no supplemental heat from day 3 to day 21. Neither sow feed consumption nor body weight change was significantly affected by treatment. Percentage death loss was not significantly affected by treatment, but piglet body weight gain was greater (p less than .01) when the heat lamp was used, for the total period.

Response of young chicks to raw, defatted, Kunitz trypsin inhibitor variant soybeans as sources of dietary protein.

Two trials, using 264 8-day-old male crossbred chicks, were conducted to evaluate the nutritional value of two trypsin-inhibitor (Kunitz) variant soybeans. These two variants, designated PI 157440 (PI) and number 661, have lower trypsin-inhibitor activities than do US commercially grown soybean cultivars such as Amsoy 71. Raw PI, 661, and Amsoy 71 soybeans were defatted and then compared to a commercially processed solvent extracted soybean meal (SBM) using purified diets with soybeans or SBM as the sole source of protein. Trials 1 and 2, respectively, were of 6 and 7 days duration. SBM was superior to each of the raw meals. In Trial 1, gain/feed was higher from PI than from Amsoy 71. In Trial 2, gain and gain/feed were higher (P < .05) from PI and 661 than from Amsoy 71. Pancreas weight as a percent of body weight reflected the trypsin-inhibitor intake. The addition of .3% DL-methionine to each diet improved (P < .05) gain and gain/feed. In Trial 2 gain and gain/feed from PI plus methionine was greater (P < .05) than from 661 plus methionine. In both trials, raw PI plus 3% methionine produced gain and gain/feed comparable to SBM without added methionine.