ABSTRACT The present study evaluated the optimal duration of creep feeding that improves the growth performance and fecal score of piglets and the performance and estrus interval of sows. Sixteen sows (Yorkshire × Landrace) and their litters were used in this 24-day trial. Dietary treatments were: Treatment 1, in which creep feed was not provided; treatment 2, in which creep feed was provided at the 7th day of life (day 7 to weaning); treatment 3, in which creep feed was provided at the 14th day of life (day 14 to weaning); and treatment 4, in which creep feed was provided at the 21st day of life (day 21 to weaning). There was no difference in body weight or loss, backfat thickness or loss, or estrus interval among treatments in the sows. Piglets in treatment 2 had higher body weight (BW) than pigs of treatments 1, 3, and 4. In addition, piglets in treatment 3 had higher BW than those of treatments 1 and 4. From birth to weaning, piglets of treatments 2 and 3 had higher average daily gain than those of treatments 1 and 4. There was no difference in fecal score of piglets among treatments. Piglets fed creep feed initiated from the first week have higher BW and average daily gain at weaning compared with those initiated from the second and third weeks, indicating that a longer duration of creep feeding improves the growth performance of piglets.

ABSTRACT The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of molasses as a substitute for corn in diet on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood characteristics, fecal noxious gas emission, and meat quality in finishing pigs. A total of 120 [(Landrace × Yorkshire) × Duroc] pigs with an average initial body weight (BW) of 54.21±2.62 kg were used in this experiment. Pigs were randomly assigned to 1 of the 3 dietary treatments on the basis of BW and sex (10 replicate pens per treatment with four pigs per pen: two gilts and two barrows in each pen). The experiment was divided into two phases: 0-5 weeks and 6-10 weeks. Dietary treatments were as follows: control, basal diet; control + 2.5% cane molasses; and control + 5% cane molasses. No significant differences were observed in terms of growth performance, nutrient digestibility, red blood cells, and white blood cells in blood characteristics, fecal noxious gas emission, and meat quality in this study. However, blood lymphocytes were higher with control + 2.5% cane molasses than with control at the end of the 10th week. Molasses can be considered an alternative for corn at the level of 2.5% without any negative influence in finishing pigs.

ABSTRACT Seventy five pigs [(Landrace × Yorkshire) × Duroc] with an initial body weight of 23.3±1.40 kg were used in the present study to investigate the influence of supplementation of a Bacillus spp. combination as probiotic (0%, 0.01%, and 0.02% with basal diet) in growing-finishing pig diets on performance parameters with a feeding trial period of 16 weeks. Growth performance was analyzed at the start and at weeks 6, 12, and 16 of the experimental period. The entire experiment using probiotic supplementation in the diet revealed significant differences in average daily gain and gain:feed, but no effects on average daily feed intake. The result showed significant effects on digestibility of dry matter (0.002), nitrogen (0.069), and energy (0.099) at week 16; and number of fecal Lactobacillus (0.082, 0.041), E. coli (0.097, 0.052), and blood glucose (0.001, 0.049) at weeks 6 and 16. Dietary supplementation with Bacillus spp. probiotic resulted in a significant linear effect on sensory evaluation of meat color, drip loss at day 3, and carcass weight in pigs. In contrast, there was no significant difference in blood metabolic profiles and noxious gas emissions in this experiment. Dietary combination of Bacillus spp. can be used as a probiotic for enhancing the growth performances and carcass quality of growing-finishing pigs.

ABSTRACT The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of blends of dietary protected organic acid supplementation on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood profiles, faecal microflora, and gas emission on sows and piglets with emphasis on their modes of action to improve pig performance. A total of 12 sows with an average initial body weight (BW) of 252.40±11.7 kg were used in this trial. Growth performance, blood profiles, and nutrient digestibility of sows and piglets fed protected organic acid were evaluated. The dietary treatments included a basal diet (CON); CON + 0.1% protected organic acid; and CON + 0.2% protected organic acid. The BW and back fat of sows was checked four days prior to farrowing and at the weaning day to calculate BW loss and back fat loss during that period. Inclusion of 0.2% protected organic acid provided a greater digestibility than CON diets throughout the experimental period in lactating sows. Dietary supplementation with 0.2% protected organic acid led to a higher white blood cell and lymphocyte concentration than CON treatment in sucking piglets. Immunoglobulin G concentration observed was greater in protected organic acid groups in lactating sow and sucking piglets. Increased faecal Lactobacillus counts with decreased E. coli concentrations were observed with the diets of protected organic acid fed to lactating sows. The E. coli counts were decreased in weaning piglets. The faecal H2S contents were decreased in 0.2% protected organic acid diets during farrowing on day 1. Dietary supplementation with protected organic acid blends beneficially affects the nutrient digestibility, ileal noxious gas (NH3 and H2S) emission, as well as intestinal microbial balance in lactating sows.

ABSTRACT Eighteen sows were used to determine the effect of dietary valine:lysine (val:lys) ratios on lactation performance in primiparous sows and litter performance. Sows, raised in individual pens, were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 experimental diets containing different standardized ileal digestibility (SID) val:lys ratios of 0.80 or 0.85. Corn-soybean-wheat-based diets were formulated to achieve the dietary treatments (0.86% or 0.87% SID lysine, and 0.69% or 0.74% SID valine). All diets were formulated to have 3,450 kcal metabolizable energy/kg. The experiment lasted 24 d. At the end of the experiment, body weight loss, backfat loss, average daily feed intake, and days to return to estrus were not affected by the different dietary val:lys ratios. Furthermore, no difference was observed in number of piglets weaned, piglet survival rate, weaning litter weight, litter weight gain, piglet weaning body weight, piglet gain, or piglet daily gain between the two dietary treatments. However, increasing the dietary val:lys ratio increased arginine and threonine concentrations in the milk. Dietary val:lys ratios of 0.80 and 0.85 do not affect the lactation performance of primiparous sows nursing large litters, but increase the arginine and threonine concentrations in milk as the dietary val:lys ratio are increased.

ABSTRACTThe objective of the present study is to evaluate the effects of plant extracts on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and immune blood characteristics in growing pigs. A total of 80 [(Landrace × Yorkshire) × Duroc] pigs with an initial body weight (BW) of 27.31±2.15 kg were used in a 6-wk experiment. Pigs were allotted to one of four treatments (1 - Control (CON) (basal diet); 2 - PE1 (CON + 0.05% plant extracts); 3 - PE2 (CON + 0.10% plant extracts); and 4 - PE3 (CON + 0.15% plant extracts)) in a randomized complete block design according to sex and initial BW. The PE1 and PE2 treatments provided a greater average daily gain than the CON treatment. From weeks 0 to 6 the pigs fed diets PE2 and PE3 showed greater apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter than those fed the CON diet. Pigs fed the plant-extract treatments had a reduction in total mercaptan emission on day 3 compared with control treatment. On day 5, fecal acetic acid content was decreased with increased blood WBC (white blood cells) and lymphocyte counts and serum IGF-1concentration by plant extract supplementation compared with the control treatment. All the results showed a 95% significance level. Supplementation of plant extracts can improve growth performance and nutrient digestibility in growing pigs, decrease fecal gas emission, and increase immune components such as WBC and lymphocytes, and serum IGF-1 concentration in growing pigs.

Antecedentes: los efectos positivos de los ácidos orgánicos y aceites esenciales (MOE) en el ganado han sido documentados. La microencapsulación permite la liberación lenta del material de núcleo en un período o medio ambiente particulares. Objetivo: evaluar el efecto de suplementar cerdos de engorde con mezclas microencapsuladas de ácidos orgánicos y aceites esenciales (MOE) sobre el rendimiento productivo, la digestibilidad de nutrientes, las emisiones de gases fecales, y la calidad de la carne. Métodos: 75 cerdos cruzados [(Yorkshire × Landrace) x Duroc), 56,15 ± 3,77 kg] se utilizaron en las 10 semanas que duró el ensayo. Los cerdos se distribuyeron aleatoriamente en 1 de 3 tratamientos dietarios, de acuerdo con su peso corporal (BW) y género. Cada tratamiento tuvo 5 réplicas (corrales) con 5 cerdos por corral (2 hembras y 3 machos castrados). Los tratamientos fueron: CON (dieta basal); MOE1 (CON + 0,025% MOE); MOE2 (CON + 0,050% MOE). Resultados: los cerdos alimentados con la dieta MOE2 tuvieron mayor BW final en las semanas 5ª y 10ª que los alimentados con la dieta CON (p<0,05). Durante la semana 0 a la 5 los grupos MOE1 y MOE2 tuvieron mayor ganancia media diaria (ADG) que el grupo CON (p<0,05). En general, la ADG de MOE2 fue mayor que en el tratamiento CON (p<0,05). El grupo MOE2 tuvo mayor digestibilidad de la materia seca (DM) y de la energía que el grupo CON (p<0,05). Conclusión: los resultados indican que la suplementación de la dieta con 0,05% MOE mejora el crecimiento y la digestibilidad de nutrientes en cerdos de ceba.

Background: positive effects of organic acids and essential oils (MOE) on livestock are well documented. Microencapsulation allows the slow release of core materials in a specific moment or environment. Objective: to evaluate the effect of supplementing finishing pigs with microencapsulated blends of organic acids and essential oils (MOE) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, fecal noxious gas emissions, and meat quality. Methods: 75 crossbred pigs [(Yorkshire × Landrace) × Duroc, 56.15 ± 3.77 kg] were used in this 10-week trial. Pigs were randomly distributed into 1 of 3 dietary treatments on the basis of body weight (BW) and gender. Each treatment had 5 replicate pens with 5 pigs (2 gilts, 3 barrows) per pen. Treatments were as follows: CON (a basal diet); MOE1 (CON + 0.025% MOE); MOE2 (CON + 0.050% MOE). Results: pigs fed the MOE2 diet had higher final BW at 5th and 10th week than those fed the CON diet (p<0.05). During weeks 0 to 5, MOE1 and MOE2 groups had greater average daily gain (ADG) than the CON group (p<0.05). Overall, ADG in MOE2 was greater than that in CON treatment (p<0.05). MOE2 group had higher dry matter (DM) and energy digestibility than the CON group (p<0.05). Conclusion: the present results indicate that dietary supplementation with 0.05% MOE improves growth performance and nutrient digestibility in finishing pigs.

Antecedentes: os efeitos positivos de ácidos orgânicos e óleos essenciais (MOE) para o gado estão bem documentados na literatura. A microencapsulação permite a liberação lenta de materiais centrais num momento ou ambiente específico. Objetivos: avaliar os efeitos de suplementação de suínos em terminação com misturas microencapsuladas de ácidos orgânicos e óleos essenciais (MOE) em pontos como desempenho produtivo, digestibilidade dos nutrientes, emissões de gases nocivos fecais e qualidade da carne. Metodologia: 75 suínos mestiços [(Yorkshire × Landrace) x Duroc), 56,15 ± 3,77 kg] foram utilizados neste teste de 10 semanas. Os animais foram selecionados aleatoriamente em 1 de 3 currais de tratamento dietético, com base no peso corporal (BW) e sexo. Cada curral teve 5 réplicas e cada curral, 5 suínos (2 fêmeas, 3 machos castrados). Os tratamentos foram os seguintes: CON (dieta basal); MOE1 (CON + 0,025% MOE); MOE2 (CON + 0,050% MOE). Resultados: os animais que receberam a dieta MOE2 apresentaram significativamente maior PV final em 5 e 10 semanas do que aqueles alimentados com a dieta CON (p<0,05). Durante 0-5 semanas, os grupos MOE1 e MOE2 tiveram maior GMD que o grupo CON (p<0,05). De um modo geral, ADG de MOE2 foi maior do que no grupo CON (p<0,05). O grupo MOE2 teve a matéria seca (DM) e a digestibilidade de energia maiores do que o grupo CON (p<0,05). Conclusão: os resultados indicam que a suplementação dietética com 0.05% de MOE melhora o desempenho do crescimento e digestibilidade de nutrientes em suínos em terminação.