Indicators of piglet survival in an outdoor farrowing system

Pre-weaning piglet mortality continues to be a major welfare and economic concern. In outdoor farrowing systems, there is a particular need to broaden breeding goals by incorporating selection for piglet survival to improve both productivity and welfare. This study aimed to identify behavioural and physiological survival indicators that are influential in outdoor systems and that could provide additional information for use when selecting for piglet survival. Data were collected from 511 piglets from Large White × Landrace × Duroc sows and Generalised Linear Mixed Models determined which indicators were most important for piglet survival in an outdoor system. With respect to prenatal mortality (surviving vs. stillborn piglets) high ponderal index (P < 0.001) or body mass index (P < 0.001) in conjunction with being born earlier in the farrowing birth order (P < 0.001) were the most important survival indicators. Birth weight (P < 0.001) and rectal temperature 1 h after birth (P = 0.032) were the most significant postnatal survival indicators. However survival indicators identified as important in indoor, conventional farrowing crates, such as landmark behaviours (latency to reach the udder, a teat and to suckle colostrum), were not influential in this system. These results highlight the importance of studying potential indicators of survival in alternative farrowing systems to the farrowing crate.     

母猪铁代谢与仔猪铁代谢之间的关系与影响

母猪铁代谢与仔猪铁代谢之间有很紧密的关联,近年来关于是否能通过在母猪饲料添加铁来给仔猪补铁做过很多相关研究,得出的结论不尽相同。母猪铁代谢对仔猪的铁代谢有很大的影响,下面就母猪铁代谢与仔猪铁代谢之间的关系和影响进行相关综述讨论,为弄清母猪铁代谢和仔猪铁代谢之间的关系和影响提供一定的参考。     

Risks associated with preweaning mortality in 855 litters on 39 commercial outdoor pig farms in England

A prospective longitudinal study was carried out on 39 outdoor breeding pig farms in England in 2003 and 2004 to investigate the risks associated with mortality in liveborn preweaning piglets. Researchers visited each farm and completed a questionnaire with the farmer and made observations of the paddocks, huts and pigs. The farmer recorded the number of piglets born alive and stillborn, fostered on and off and the number of piglets that died before weaning for 20 litters born after the visit. Data were analysed from a cohort of 9424 liveborn piglets from 855 litters. Overall 1274 liveborn piglets (13.5%) died before weaning. A mixed effect binomial model was used to investigate the associations between preweaning mortality and farm and litter level factors, controlling for litter size and number of piglets stillborn and fostered. Increased risk of mortality was associated with fostering piglets over 24 h of age, organic certification or membership of an assurance scheme with higher welfare standards, farmer's perception that there was a problem with pest birds, use of medication to treat coccidiosis and presence of lame sows on the farm. Reduced mortality was associated with insulated farrowing huts and door flaps, women working on the farm and the farmer reporting a problem with foxes.     

Genetic analyses of piglet survival and individual birth weight on first generation data of a selection experiment for piglet survival under outdoor conditions

Genetic parameters of piglet survival traits and birth weight were estimated on the first generation data of a selection experiment aimed at improving piglet survival using a multiple trait linear and threshold model. Data on 5293 piglets for survival at birth, at day one after birth and during the entire nursing period, as well as individual birth weight and litter size, were recorded in an outdoor production system. Genetic effects of piglet survival traits and birth weight were estimated based on threshold and Gaussian models, respectively, using a Bayesian approach. The statistical model included as fixed effects selection group, parity, gender, fostering, gestation length and month of farrowing and, alternatively, an adjustment for litter size. Direct genetic effects (i.e. the piglet's genetic potential) for piglet survival and birth weight were estimated separately, whereas maternal genetic and environmental effects could only be estimated for the given data structure in a combined litter effect. Posterior means of heritabilities for direct genetic effects of survival at birth, at first day after birth and the entire nursing period, as well as birth weight, were 0.08, 0.07, 0.08 and 0.20, respectively. Genetic correlations among survival traits were in the range of 0.29 to 0.40 and indicate that these traits were mainly attributable to different genetic effects. Genetic correlations between direct effects of survival traits and birth weight ranged between 0.18 and 0.23 and were reduced when weights of stillborn piglets were omitted in the analysis or the traits were adjusted for litter size. The magnitudes of direct genetic effects of survival traits are substantially higher than estimates in the literature, which may indicate that these traits have a higher genetic influence under outdoor conditions. The use of birth weight in the multiple trait estimation provided important information for the estimation of survival traits due to its favourable genetic correlations with survival, its high heritability and its high information content as a continuously measured trait.     

地塞米松对仔猪十二指肠黏膜免疫的影响

为了探讨地塞米松对仔猪肠道黏膜的影响,选用福州周边某猪场30日龄仔猪30头,随机分为6组,3组为试验组,3组为对照组,试验Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ组分别肌肉注射1 mL、2 mL、3 m L地塞米松,对照组Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ组分别肌肉注射1 mL、2 m L、3 mL生理盐水;药物试验7 d后,取十二指肠固定、脱水、包埋、切片,经HE染色、阿利新蓝-过碘雪夫(AB-PAS)染色,检测地塞米松对肠道绒毛高度、隐窝深度、绒毛高度和隐窝深度比值、黏液细胞、上皮内淋巴细胞数量的影响。结果表明:长时间过量注射地塞米松抑制肠绒毛生长,显著降低肠绒毛长度和隐窝深度比值,显著性降低仔猪十二指肠上皮酸性黏多糖阳性细胞和上皮内淋巴细胞数量。可见,持续过量注射地塞米松将影响十二指肠黏膜免疫功能。     

山梨醇铁注射液预防仔猪缺铁性贫血和促进生长的研究

采用四种补铁制剂于仔省3日龄时分别一次肌肉注射,测定血红点白含量、增重等指标,研究山梨醇铁及其它类似制剂对预防仔猪贫血及促进生长的影响。试验结果表明:①各用药组仔猪各项指标均高于对照组;②福铁维组和100mg Fe/ml山梨醇铁组仔猪的血红蛋白含量升高及增重都极显著地高于对照组(P<0.01),期末增重比值分别达到135.04％与119.02％;③100mg Fe/ml山梨醇铁注射液吸收良好,无毒副作用,对预防仔猪缺铁性贫血及促进生长有较明显的效果,优于国内同类产品。     

东营某规模猪场仔猪的初乳管理试验

在现代规模化猪场中,高产母猪每胎所产仔猪数往往超过其有效哺乳头数目,而初乳对于新生仔猪来说又非常重要,仔猪能否及时吃上初乳决定着仔猪能否健康生长,因此做好仔猪的初乳管理尤为重要。文章做了人工灌服初乳和仔猪随机获取初乳的对比试验。试验结果表明进行初乳管理对于提高仔猪的断奶重,降低仔猪死亡率以及增加仔猪体内的抗体等方面都具有实际意义。初乳管理可使所有新生仔猪均可得到足够的初乳,增加仔猪断奶重量,提高仔猪福利水平。     

生猪养殖场中户外运动场规划建设的必要性

自20世纪以来,随着限位栏等技术的引入,我国生猪养殖朝着集约化、规模化趋势日益发展,甚至有些地区在楼房里养起了猪,同时也有相配套的工程公司和智能化设备,这些技术的发展也充分缓解了生猪养殖用地和管理等问题,并且也大大提高了土地使用效率和人工效率,但是在另一方面却降低了养猪场的PSY,同时也损害了生猪的福利。因此,建设与之相连的运动场所,对于猪场而言将提高母猪福利和母猪的使用年限,同时打造绿色、无公害的品牌效应,对消费者而言将提高品牌认知度和接受度。     

仔猪咬尾症的原因及其防治方法

仔猪咬尾症是仔猪常见的异食癖,常由于营养机能紊乱及饲养管理不当导致的该应激反应发生。常见于仔猪12~14周龄,在每年1-3月份及8-12月份发病率较高,母仔猪较公仔猪发病率高。其特征症状是咬尾仔猪的行动敏捷,被咬仔猪一阵尖叫挣扎,猪尾断节,鲜血淋漓。轻者猪尾被咬掉半截,重者全部被咬掉。被咬仔猪,因失血而发生贫血,生长发育受阻,个别仔猪因失血过多而死亡。如果没有及时处理并采取治疗措施,会导致伤口发生感染,引发局部发炎和组织脓肿、坏死,使肉质下降、减产。文章通过分析仔猪咬尾症的症状、发病原因,并根据病因提出应对的防治措施。阐释仔猪咬尾症在养殖生产过程中的危害及在现代化养殖中如何科学合理地避免因咬尾造成的经济损失。     

Maternal behaviour and performance in first-parity outdoor sows

When sows and their litters are kept outdoors, much of the responsibility for the litter is shifted from the herdsman to the sow compared to when the sows are kept indoors. Therefore, the maternal ability, including maternal behaviour, is believed to be important in outdoor piglet production. The aim of this study was to describe maternal traits in conventionally bred first-parity sows kept outdoors. Nursing behaviour, sow activity, sow body reserves, litter size and piglet growth were studied in 40 first-parity sows during a seven week long lactation. The sows were kept in groups outdoors. Sow activity (lying down or active) and nursing behaviour (nursing frequency, nursing duration and nursing terminator) were recorded on videotapes at four days post partum (pp) and directly observed at four and six weeks pp. Cross suckling was observed at four and six weeks pp. Sows were weighed and measured for backfat depth five days before farrowing, two weeks pp and at weaning seven weeks pp. Piglets were weighed at four days pp, at two weeks pp and at weaning. We concluded that sow nursing behaviour and activity are individual characteristics repeatable within sows' late lactation. Less active sows are more available for suckling. Light and thin sows have an earlier and more progressed weaning process than heavier, fatter sows. A significant positive relation was found between sow appetite in early lactation and piglet growth until weaning. Sow nursing behaviour is not important for piglet growth when sows and piglets are held in groups, piglets have access to sow feed and piglets are weaned as late as at seven weeks of age.     

Effects of tail docking and/or teeth clipping on behavior,lesions, and physiological indicators of sows and their piglets

To evaluate effects of tail docking and/or teeth clipping on sows and their piglets, a total of 24 sows and their 302 piglets at 3 days of age were randomly allocated to one of four treatments: teeth clipping and tail docking (TCTD), teeth clipping (TC), tail docking (TD), or intact teeth and tail (Intact). Behavior of piglets and sows, lesions on the body and tail of piglets and sows' teats were inspected. Heart rates of processed piglets were increased (p < .01) during the procedures. Teeth clipping decreased body surface temperature (p < .01) of piglets during and after the procedures but tail docking did not (p > .01). Processed piglets spent more (p < .05) time lying alone and playing/fighting than sham‐processed piglets. Tail docked piglets spent less (p < .01) time standing than tail sham‐docked piglets. Intact teeth increased (p < .05) the avoidance behaviors of sows. Teeth clipping decreased (p < .05) the lesion scores on the anterior, middle, and posterior teats. Taken together, piglet teeth clipping had more impact on sows and their piglets than tail docking did in the lactation period based on our findings.     

Genetic study of individual preweaning mortality and birth weight in Large White piglets using threshold-linear models

Individual records from 49,788 Large White piglets were used to evaluate preweaning mortality and its relationship with birth weight (BW). Preweaning mortality included farrowing mortality (TM) was also divided into stillbirth (SB), early (EM), late (LM) and total (ELM) preweaning mortality. Farrowing mortality was also studied as a sow's trait as number of piglets born dead (NBD). Threshold-linear models were used via MCMC. Traits included (1) TM-BW, (2) SB-ELM-BW, (3) SB-EM-LM and (4) NBD-ELM-BW. Model for BW included parity number, litter size, sex, contemporary group (farm-farrowing year-month), litter, and direct and maternal additive genetic effects. For mortality traits, litter effect was of the nursing litter for cross-fostered piglets (4.9%). Models for SB (2, 3) and NBD (4) excluded the effect of sex. In Model 3, BW was fitted as covariable for EM and LM. Estimates of direct and maternal heritability for BW were 0.03–0.06 and 0.14–0.19; and for mortality traits 0.03–0.12 and 0.08–0.12. Direct-maternal correlations were negative for all traits. Genetic correlations between all mortality traits were positive. Results confirmed the importance of BW for the genetic evaluation of piglet mortality. Early mortality is a good candidate for improvement of TM because of larger heritability and high genetic correlations with other mortality traits. It is most efficient to treat SB at sow level and preweaning mortality at the piglet level.     

中兽药防治大肠杆菌性仔猪腹泻研究

仔猪腹泻是严重的仔猪疾病之一,常用抗生素进行治疗,但细菌耐药性导致药物的治疗效果下降。目前,有很多研究报道中草药防治仔猪腹泻取得了良好的疗效。本文从中药抗动物腹泻的作用机理、仔猪大肠杆菌性腹泻的中兽医辨证、中药抗仔猪大肠杆菌性腹泻的作用机理三个方面展开论述中药防治仔猪腹泻的研究进展,为防治仔猪腹泻的中兽药开发提供理论基础。     

Xylooligosaccharide attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced intestinal injury in piglets via suppressing inflammation and modulating cecal microbial communities

Xylooligosaccharide (XOS) has been considered to be an effective prebiotic, but its exact mechanisms remain unknown. This research was conducted to evaluate the effects of XOS on pig intestinal bacterial community and mucosal barrier using a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-caused gut damage model. Twenty-four weaned pigs were assigned to 4 treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial design involving diet (with or without XOS) and immunological challenge (saline or LPS). After 21 d of feeding 0% or 0.02% commercial XOS product, piglets were treated with saline or LPS. After that, blood, small intestinal mucosa and cecal digesta were obtained. Dietary XOS enhanced intestinal mucosal integrity demonstrated by higher villus height, villus height-to-crypt depth ratio, disaccharidase activities and claudin-1 protein expression and lower crypt depth. XOS also caused down-regulation of the gene expression of toll-like receptor 4 and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain protein signaling, accompanied with decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines and cyclooxygenase 2 contents or mRNA expression and increased heat shock protein 70 mRNA and protein expression. Additionally, increased Bacteroidetes and decreased Firmicutes relative abundance were observed in the piglets fed with XOS. At the genus level, XOS enriched the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria, e.g., Faecalibacterium, Lactobacillus, and Prevotella. Moreover, XOS enhanced short chain fatty acids contents and inhibited histone deacetylases. The correlation analysis of the combined datasets implied some potential connections between the intestinal microbiota and pro-inflammatory cytokines or cecal metabolites. These results suggest that XOS inhibits inflammatory response and beneficially modifies microbes and metabolites of the hindgut to protect the intestine from inflammation-related injury.     

氯化胆碱中三甲胺超标对断奶仔猪采食量的影响

在断奶仔猪日粮中添加三甲胺盐酸盐,探讨氯化胆碱中三甲胺超标对断奶仔猪采食量的影响。试验分为两组,对照日粮和试验日粮的氯化胆碱中三甲胺含量分别为220 mg/kg和22 g/kg,同时进行组内比较和组间比较2个试验。组间比较试验采用断奶后5～9 d的杜×(大.长)三元杂交仔猪90头,随机分为对照组及试验组,每组5个重复,每重复9头猪,每栏一个料槽,饲喂对照日粮或试验日粮,试验期8 d。试验结果表明,试验组平均日采食量明显低于对照组(291 g/头vs 382 g/头),其中第0～3天的日采食量差异显著(213 g/头vs 313 g/头,P<0.05)。组内比较试验采用断奶后4～13 d的杜×(大.长)三元杂交仔猪24头,随机分为6组,每组4头猪,每栏设两个料槽,同时饲喂对照日粮和试验日粮,试验期10 d。试验结果表明,仔猪对高三甲胺日粮的采食量明显低于对照日粮,在试验第5～10天和整个试验期日采食量均存在显著差异(202 g/头vs 305 g/头;179 g/头vs 287 g/头,P<0.05)。说明氯化胆碱中三甲胺严重超标对仔猪的采食量会产生不良影响。     

Effect of xylanase supplementation to a cereal-based diet on the apparent faecal digestibility in weanling piglets

The effect of supplementing a cereal-based diet with xylanase on the apparent faecal digestibility was investigated in weanling piglets (9.7 kg body weight). Xylanase supplementation increased the apparent faecal digestibility coefficients of crude protein, crude fat, crude fibre, organic matter, nitrogen free extract (NFE) and nonstarch polysaccharides (NSP). The increased apparent faecal digestibility coefficients resulted in a higher energy value of the cereal-based diet supplemented with the xylanase.     

Body composition and muscle glycogen contents of piglets of sows fed diets differing in fatty acids profile and contents

To study the influence of sow dietary fat on piglet body characteristics, multiparous sows were allocated to one of four different dietary treatments: a conventional low fat (3%) diet (LF) and three high fat (6%) diets; high fat saturated (HFS), high fat oats (HFO), and high fat linseed (HFL). All sows were fed the allocated diet from weaning of the preceding litter until the day after farrowing. At farrowing, one liveborn piglet per litter (NB), was sacrificed and dissected immediately after birth. The heaviest (H) and the lightest (L) piglets in the litter were killed and dissected in the same manner at one day of age. Measurement of body length and circumference, organ weight, body chemical composition and muscle glycogen content were determined. Body measurements were adjusted to the mean body weight (1.67 kg). Dietary treatment did not have any significant influence on body components or carcass traits except for lung weight, being lower in HFO and HFL than in LF piglets. Piglet category affected almost all parameters considered, showing the lowest values for NB piglets, except for lung and circumference that were higher in NB than in L and H piglets; and length which was lower in NB than in L piglets. NB piglets had the highest amount of muscle glycogen content, no difference was found between H and L piglets. Dietary treatments influenced piglet chemical composition, showing the highest overall values of dry matter (DM), protein, and fat for the HFL piglets' carcasses. The present data provide additional information on the depletion of energy reserves; it would appear that sow dietary fat has relatively little effect on progeny since only body chemical composition was significantly influenced by HFL diet.     

Effect of bovine colostrum supplementation on cytokine mRNA expression in weaned piglets

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of bovine colostrum supplementation on the immune Th1/Th2 response in weaned piglets. After weaning at 21 d, 3 groups of 7 piglets were fed ad libitum with a starter diet and received daily 0, 1 or 5 g of spray-dried bovine colostrum. Spleen and gut-associated lymphoid tissues (GALT): ileal Peyer's patch (iPP), jejunum wall (JW) and mesenteric lymph node (MLN)) biopsies were collected on each piglet after 3 wk of treatment and analysed for their cytokine mRNA expression (IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, IL-12 and IFNγ) by RT-PCR. The supplementation with bovine colostrum induced an increase (P < 0.05) in IL-12 in the JW, in IL-2, IL-10 and IL-12 in the MLN and in IL-4, IL-10 and IL-12 in the iPP. In the latter, bovine colostrum also decreased IFN-γ production (P < 0.01). Finally, no effect of the treatments was recorded in the spleen. These results suggest an immunomodulatory effect of bovine colostrum on the GALT, which responded by producing at different levels both Th1 pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-2, IFN-γ and IL-12) and Th2 anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-4 and IL-10). This Th1/Th2 bipolar response protects the weaned piglets from both allergic (food) and infectious (pathogens) diseases.     

Performance,carcass and technological meat quality of pigs in indoor and outdoor production systems

Abstract

This study aimed to compare different production systems, i.e., the combined effect of outdoor and indoor rearing of pigs and organic diets fed ad libitum or restrictively. Furthermore, the suitability of two breed crosses for outdoor rearing was studied. The effects on performance, carcass and technological quality traits were investigated. During two years, 240 pigs of Duroc x Large White (D*LW) and Swedish Landrace x Large White (L*LW) were allocated to three production systems: 1) Pigs kept outdoors, fed an organic diluted diet (20% alfalfa roughage) ad libitum; 2) Pigs kept outdoors, strategically fed a diluted organic diet up to a live weight of approximately 80 kg and thereafter an undiluted organic diet ad libitum; 3) Pigs kept indoors, fed an undiluted organic diet restrictively. For outdoor pigs, strategic feeding increased daily weight gain and backfat thickness, compared with feeding a diluted diet throughout (p≤0.01). L*LW pigs in both outdoor systems grew slower than in the indoor system (p≤0.001), whereas for D*LW pigs only outdoor pigs fed the diluted diet had a slower growth rate. Outdoor pigs had lower dressing percentage than indoor pigs. Glycogen content and L* values in M. longissimus dorsi were higher, whereas b* values were lower in meat from pigs in the indoor system. D*LW pigs had higher water-holding capacity (lower drip, thawing and cooking losses), lower shear force and higher intramuscular fat content compared with L*LW pigs.