Impact of water flow rate on finishing pig performance.

A survey of 23 South Dakota pork producers in 2019 reported that 68% of the waterers in finishing barns had water flow rates above the recommended rate of 500-1,000 mL/min. The objective of the two studies was to determine the impact of water flow rate on finishing pig performance in the summer months. Study 1 used a total of 396 pigs in two groups in a 77-day trial (35.0 to 104.3 kg BW) with 6 pigs/pen and 1 cup waterer/pen. Study 2, conducted in a commercial style barn, used a total of 1,227 pigs in an 84-day trial (60.9 to 117.4 kg BW) with 26 pigs/pen and 2 cup waters/pen. Pens were assigned to one of three water flow rates (high, medium, low) based on the 3-hole settings of the water nipples (2.0, 1.0, and 0.8 mm; n = 22 and 16 pens/treatment for Study 1 and 2, respectively). Room temperature, outside temperature and relative humidity were recorded daily for both studies. In Study 1, water disappearance was recorded daily, and individual pen water flow rates were recorded every two weeks. At every diet phase change (26 ±â€…2.6 days), feed disappearance and individual pig body weights were recorded. Water flow rates averaged 1856 ±â€…188, 906 ±â€…214, 508 ±â€…100 mL/min for high, medium, and low flow settings, respectively. In Study 2, individual pen water flow rate, water disappearance, BW, and feed disappearance were recorded every two weeks. Water flow rates averaged 1115 ±â€…98, 906 ±â€…209, and 605 ±â€…203 mL/min for high, medium, and low flow settings, respectively. In both studies, there were no differences in final BW, cumulative ADG, or G:F. Due to the variability of water flow rate within a setting, data was further analyzed using regression with flow rate as the independent variable. Apart from average daily water disappearance (adj. R 2 = 0.87), there was a low relationship between pig performance and water flow rate (adj. R 2 < 0.09). The low R 2 values associated with pig performance and the high association with water disappearance suggests that water flow rate above current recommendations has little impact on finishing pig performance but does contribute to water wastage and its associated costs.

Efficiency of utilizing standardized ileal digestible lysine and threonine for whole-body protein retention in pregnant gilts during early, mid-, and late gestation1.

Two experiments were conducted to determine the efficiency of utilizing SID Lys and Thr for whole-body protein retention (kSIDLys and kSIDThr) in pregnant gilts. In Exp. 1, 45 gilts (158.0 ± 8.0 kg at day 39.4 ± 1 of gestation) in 2 groups were used in a 3-period nitrogen (N)-balance study. Gilts were assigned to 1 of 4 diets set to provide 60, 70, 80, and 90% of predicted daily SID Lys requirement for protein retention (NRC, 2012) in each of early (day 41 to 52, 10.44 g/d), mid- (day 68 to 79, 9.60 g/d), and late gestation (day 96 to 107, 16.04 g/d). Diets contained 3,300 kcal ME/kg and 11.6% CP; given at a rate of 2.13 kg/d in early and mid-gestation and at 2.53 kg/d during late gestation. The 12-d balance period (7-d adaptation; 5-d urine and fecal collection) was based on total urine collection using urinary catheters and determination of fecal N digestibility using indigestible marker. The SID Lys required for whole-body protein retention was estimated using the NRC (2012) model and the predicted Lys content of each gestation pool. Lysine efficiency at each diet Lys level was calculated as the ratio of daily Lys retention and SID Lys intake. The linear and quadratic response in whole-body N and Lys retention and Lys efficiency for each balance period was determined. The kSIDLys was determined from the slope generated by regressing whole-body Lys retention vs. SID Lys intake, with y-intercept set to 0. In Exp. 2, 45 gilts (165.7 ± 13.6 kg at day 39.1 ± 2 of gestation) were assigned to 1 of 4 diets set to provide 60, 70, 80, and 90% of the predicted daily SID Thr requirement for protein retention in each of early (6.46 g/d), mid- (6.05 g/d), and late gestation (9.75 g/d). Animal management, N-balance procedure, data collection and calculation, and statistical analyses were patterned from Exp. 1. In early and mid-gestation, whole-body N retention, as well as Lys and Thr retention, was not affected by the dietary SID Lys and Thr. In late gestation, there was a linear increase (P < 0.001) in whole-body N, Lys and Thr retention. The kSIDLys and kSIDThr in late gestation were determined to be 0.54. The lack of response in whole-body protein retention in early and mid-gestation may in partly reflect excess Lys and Thr intake. Lysine and Thr efficiency calculated at the lowest dietary Lys and Thr was 0.49 and 0.32 in early gestation and 0.61 and 0.52 in mid-gestation, respectively. Based on the available evidence, kSIDLys and kSIDThr do not appear to be constant throughout gestation.

Characterization of energy and performance of swine fed a novel corn-soybean extruded product.

BACKGROUND: A novel extruded product was characterized with a metabolism and lactation trial to establish the product's energy content, and its effects on lactating sow performance. The product was composed of a 60:40 corn-soybean blend, which was then extruded. This product containing the co-extruded 60:40 corn-soybean blend was commercially developed and is used extensively in swine diets in southwest Minnesota. GE of dietary treatments were determined by isoperibol bomb calorimetry. Twelve barrows (59.9 ± 1.4 kg), were used to determine the digestible and metabolizable energy of the extruded product. DE of treatments was determined by subtracting fecal energy from GE provided to barrows by each respective treatment. ME was determined by subtracting urinary energy from calculated digestible energy. Sixty-three sows were used for the lactation trial. Three dietary treatments were utilized: CONTROL (an industry standard diet); PRODUCT (contained the product, vitamins and minerals); OIL (matched the lysine:ME ratio of PRODUCT by addition of soy oil). Sow weight, backfat thickness at the right and left last ribs, body condition score, number of piglets, and litter weights were recorded on the date of farrowing (d 0), (d 9), and at weaning. Blood and milk samples were obtained at weaning, and blood was analyzed for plasma urea nitrogen (PUN), milk was analyzed for total protein and fat content. RESULTS: On a dry-matter basis, the test diet provided 3,908 kcal/kg DE and 3,833 kcal/kg ME, which was significantly greater than the basal diet, which provided 3,633 kcal/kg DE and 3,567 kcal/kg ME (P < 0.0001). These data were used to establish the DE and ME of the product, which were 3,882 kcal/kg and 3,798 kcal/kg, respectively, on an as-fed basis. No effect of diet was observed for changes in sow backfat (RBF P = 0.24; LBF P = 0.07) or body condition score (P = 0.12) during lactation. Milk total protein (P = 0.69), fat (P = 0.66), PUN, average piglet gain (P = 0.55) and piglet mortality (P = 0.70) did not differ between treatments. CONCLUSIONS: While the novel extruded product was higher in energy content than traditional feedstuffs, it resulted in the same lactational sow performance. Thus, the co-extruded corn-soybean product is a reasonable inclusion in sow lactation diets.