Nutritional approaches to slow late finishing pig growth: implications on carcass composition and pork quality

Although pork producers typically aim to optimize growth rates, occasionally it is necessary to slow growth, such as when harvest facility capacity is limited. In finishing pigs, numerous dietary strategies can be used to slow growth so pigs are at optimal slaughter body weights when harvest facility capacity and/or access is restored. However, the impact of these diets on pork carcass quality is largely unknown. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of dietary strategies to slow growth in late finishing pigs and evaluate their effects on carcass composition and pork quality. Mixed-sex pigs (n = 897; 125 ± 2 kg BW) were randomly allotted across 48 pens and assigned to 1 of 6 dietary treatments (n = 8 pens/treatment): (1) Control diet representative of a typical finisher diet (CON); (2) diet containing 3% calcium chloride (CaCl₂); (3) diet containing 97% corn and no soybean meal (Corn); (4) diet deficient in isoleucine (LowIle); (5) diet containing 15% neutral detergent fiber (NDF) from soybean hulls (15% NDF); and (6) diet containing 20% NDF from soybean hulls (20% NDF). Over 42 d, pen body weights and feed disappearance were collected. Pigs were harvested in 3 groups (14, 28, and 42 d on feed) and carcass data collected. From the harvest group, 1 loin was collected from 120 randomly selected carcasses (20 loins/treatment) to evaluate pork quality traits. Overall, ADG was reduced in CaCl₂, Corn, and 20% NDF pigs compared with CON pigs (P < 0.001). However, ADFI was only reduced in CaCl₂ and 20% NDF pigs compared with CON (P < 0.001). Feed efficiency was reduced in CaCl₂ and Corn pigs compared with CON (P < 0.001). Hot carcass weights were reduced in CaCl₂ pigs at all harvest dates (P < 0.001) and were reduced in Corn and 20% NDF pigs at days 28 and 42 compared with CON pigs (P < 0.001). In general, CaCl₂ and 20% NDF diets resulted in leaner carcasses, whereas the Corn diet increased backfat by 42 d on test (P < 0.05). Loin pH was reduced and star probe increased in CaCl₂ pigs compared with CON pigs (P < 0.05); no treatments differed from CON pigs regarding drip loss, cook loss, color, firmness, or marbling (P ≥ 0.117). Overall, these data indicate that several dietary strategies can slow finishing pig growth without evidence of behavioral vices. However, changes to carcass composition and quality were also observed, indicating quality should be taken into consideration when choosing diets to slow growth.     

柑橘渣对奶牛泌乳性能、养分消化率及乳成分的影响

试验评估不同水平柑橘渣对奶牛泌乳性能、养分消化及乳成分的影响。将32头泌乳性能一致的奶牛随机分为4个组,每组4个重复,每个重复2头。对照组饲喂粗脂肪水平为3%的日粮,处理组分别饲喂粗脂肪水平为5.5%的日粮同时添加0(T1)、5%(T2)和10%(T3)柑橘渣。结果显示,与对照组相比,处理组奶牛的粗脂肪摄入量、干物质和粗脂肪表观消化率显著提高(P<0.05),T2和T3组奶牛粗蛋白表观消化率显著高于对照组和T1组(P<0.05)。与对照组相比,处理组乳中粗脂肪含量显著降低(P<0.05),总固形物含量显著降低(P<0.05),乳中粗脂肪产量显著降低(P<0.05)。对照组乳中C10∶0脂肪酸含量最高,而T3组乳中C8∶0脂肪酸和单不饱和脂肪酸浓度最高,饱和脂肪酸浓度表现最低。处理组乳中n-3/n-6脂肪酸显著高于对照组(P<0.05)。研究表明,在高脂肪(5.5%粗脂肪)日粮中添加5%或10%柑橘渣可以提高奶牛粗蛋白表观消化率,且对奶牛的泌乳量和乳品质无负面影响。     

过瘤胃氨基酸对泌乳早期奶牛生产性能、乳成分和血液生化指标的影响

为研究日粮添加过瘤胃氨基酸对泌乳早期奶牛生产性能、乳成分、血液生化指标和经济效益的影响,选择96 头体况良好、健康的泌乳早期荷斯坦牛,泌乳天数为（65±15）天。采用单因素随机区组试验设计,按照年龄、胎次和产奶量相近的原则,将96 头奶牛随机分为对照组和试验组,每组48 头。对照组为基础日粮,试验组在对照组日粮的基础上添加过瘤胃蛋氨酸（RPMet）和过瘤胃赖氨酸（RPLys）,添加量分别为18 g/头·天和35 g/头·天。结果表明,与对照组相比,添加RPMet和RPLys显著提高产奶量（P=0.034）,对干物质采食量和饲料转化率无显著影响（P>0.050）;添加RPMet和RPLys显著降低乳尿素氮含量（P=0.015）,对乳脂率有增加的趋势（P=0.096）,对乳蛋白率、乳体细胞数、乳糖率和总固形物含量无显著影响（P>0.050）;添加RPMet和RPLys显著提高血清总蛋白（TP）、白蛋白（ALB）和血糖（GLU）含量,显著降低尿素氮（BUN）含量（P=0.049）,对谷丙转氨酶（ALT）、谷草转氨酶（AST）、球蛋白（GLOB）、碱性磷酸酶（ALP）、甘油三酯（TG）和总胆固醇（TC）含量无显著影响（P>0.050）;添加RPMet和RPLys可提高经济效益3.60 元/头·天。综上所述,日粮添加RPMet和RPLys可提高泌乳早期奶牛的产奶量,增加经济效益。     

A review of okara (soybean curd residue) utilization as animal feed: Nutritive value and animal performance aspects

Year by year, huge quantities of by-products are generated during the manufacturing process of soybean-based products. Okara is one of the by-products, and it is an insoluble portion of the soybean. It consists of high moisture (8.4–22.9%); on dry matter basis, it contains high metabolizable energy (9.0–14.2 MJ/kg) and other components that include crude protein (20.9–39.1%), crude fiber (12.2–61.3%), crude fat (4.9–21.5%), and ash (3.4–5.3%). Fermentation of okara improves its nutritional quality and reduces its anti-nutrient contents. Due to animals' palatability, okara can be used to replace the soybean meal/concentrate feed partially or completely in ruminant's diet and partially in nonruminant's diet. Okara feeding does not depress the intake, digestibility, growth, milk production, blood metabolic profiles, and meat quality of animals. However, this by-product decays quickly due to its high moisture content, and its heavy weight and sticky nature make it difficult to process and expensive to dry using conventional methods. This paper thoroughly summarizes the utilization of okara as animal feed in the cause of developing a general guideline with favorable levels of inclusion in the diets of animals for its exploitation and valorization. This review will encourage further research to develop eco-friendly and value added feed for animals.     

Socio-spatial organization reveals paternity and low kinship in the Honduran white bat (Ectophylla alba) in Costa Rica

Ectophylla alba is a tent-making bat that roosts in mixed-sex clusters comprising adults and offspring. Our goal was to determine the genetic identity of individuals belonging to different roosting groups. We tested the hypothesis of kin selection as a major force structuring group composition. We used 9 microsatellites designed for E. alba to determine the genetic identity and probability of parentage of individuals. We analyzed parentage and kinship using the software ML-Relate, GenAIEx, and Cervus. The obtained relationship probabilities (0.5) revealed a clear maternal relationship between female adults and offspring with allele compatibility, and at least 5 relationships between male adults and pups. We found a low degree of relatedness within roosting groups. Between roosting groups at different sites, the mean probability of a half-sibling relationship ranged from 0.214 to 0.244 and, for full-sibling relationship, from 0.383 to 0.553. Genetically, adult individuals were poorly related within clusters, and kinship as an evolutionary force could not explain group membership.     

制种玉米密度对土壤水分及产量构成的影响研究

通过田间试验,就制种玉米密度对土壤水分、农艺性状、产量构成及产量的影响进行了研究分析。结果表明:1在拔节期以前,低密组的土壤含水量比高密组的高;在拔节期到灌浆期,高密组的比低密组的高。在整个生育期,拔节期前土壤含水量比较高,而后逐渐降低,吐丝期达到最低,然后又逐步上升。2在一定密度范围内,制种玉米株高、亩产量随着密度的增大而增加单株产量产量相反;叶长、穗粗、穗粒数先随着密度的增大而减小,后随着密度的增大而增大;叶宽、穗长、百粒重、出籽率先随着密度的增大而增加,后随着密度的增大而减小;叶面积、茎粗、穗位先随着密度的增大而减小,后随着密度的增大而增加,然后又随着密度的增大而减小,秃顶变化规律相反。     

Growth performance,carcass traits,physiochemical characteristics and intramuscular fatty acid composition of finishing Japanese black steers fed soybean curd residue and soy sauce cake

This study was conducted to determine the effects of dietary soybean curd residue (SCR) and soy sauce cake (SSC) on the growth performance, carcass traits and physiochemical and intramuscular fatty acid (FA) characteristics in Japanese Black steers. Ten steers (29.7 ± 0.3 months old, 856.6 ± 24.4 kg body weight) were assigned to either treatment C, fed a conventional concentrate or T, fed the test diet including dried SCR and SSC for 3 months. In growth performance, dry matter (DM) intake and average daily gain, and carcass traits did not differ significantly between the treatments. Color of beef was affected by the dietary treatments and meat samples from T showed higher a^* value and chroma than those in C. On FA composition, there was no significant difference between the treatments in neutral lipids, whereas in polar lipids, meat samples from T had higher C16:1 (P < 0.05) and tended to have higher C16:0 (P = 0.05) and C18:1 (P = 0.08), but lower C17:0 (P = 0.098), C18:2 (P = 0.06) and C20:4 (P = 0.07) than those from C. The study suggested that SCR and SSC could be used as a substitute for conventional concentrate and would influence meat color and intramuscular FA composition of polar lipids.     

贮藏时间与蒙药黄芩对紫花苜蓿草颗粒维生素和化学成分的影响

为有效保全苜蓿草颗粒贮藏过程中维生素及营养品质,本研究以紫花苜蓿草颗粒为研究材料,研究贮藏时间(0,60,120,180,240 d,冷冻240 d)与蒙药黄芩(0%,0.5%,1.0%,1.5%)对其维生素含量和营养品质的影响。结果表明：在贮藏过程中,与其他添加量相比,添加1.5%黄芩有利于保存苜蓿草颗粒维生素B5、维生素C和α-维生素E含量。贮藏60 d及以上显著降低了苜蓿草颗粒维生素B1、维生素B3、维生素C和维生素E含量;贮藏120 d时苜蓿草颗粒DM含量趋于稳定;苜蓿草颗粒贮藏180 d后其CP含量显著降低;贮藏0～180 d期间,随着贮藏时间的延长,苜蓿草颗粒NDF和ADF含量显著升高。与常温贮藏240 d相比,冷冻贮藏相同时间有利于保存苜蓿草颗粒中维生素B1、维生素B5、α-维生素E和OM含量,显著降低DM、NDF和ADF含量。因此,1.5%黄芩添加剂有利于保存苜蓿草颗粒维生素含量,且常温贮藏时间不宜超过60天。     

Effects of Compound Plant Nutrients on Rumen Fermentation Parameters,Rumen Microbiota and Fatty Acid Composition of Longissimus dorsi Muscle in Finishing Small Tail Han Sheep北大核心CSCD

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of compound p1ant nutrients (CPN) on rumen fermentation parameters, rumen microbiota and fatty acid composition of longissimus dorsi musc1e in finishing sma11 tai1 Han sheep. Sixteen 4-month-o1d finishing sma11 tai1 Han sheep with an initia1 body weight (BW) of (24.18±0.31) kg were random1y divided into two groups, name1y, with 8 rep1icates per group and 1 sheep per rep1icate. The sheep in the contro1 group were fed a basa1 diet, whereas the sheep of the contro1 group (CPN group) was fed the basa1 diet supp1ementation with 3‰ CPN. The experiment 1asted for 97 days after 7 days adaption. The resu1ts showed as fo11ows: compared with the contro1 group, 1) adding CPN decreased the concentration of ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) (P<0.05); 2) CPN supp1ementation affected beta diversity of rumen microbiota; 3) the re1ative abundance of Acidobacteriota, Erysipe1otrichaceae_UCG-002, Lactobacillus, and Megasphaera were enhanced by adding CPN (P<0.05), whereas, the re1ative abundance of Bacteroidetes and Prevotella was 1ower (P<0.05); 4) the supp1ementation of CPN had no significant effect on fatty acid composition of longissimus dorsi musc1e of fattening sma11-tai1ed Han sheep (P>0.05); 5) the contents of tota1 MUFA, C18:1n9c, C14:1, C16:1, C18:2n6c, C18:3n3 and n-3PUFA in the longissimus dorsi musc1e were corre1ated with the re1ative abundance of Megasphaera, Erysipe1otrichaceae_UCG-002, Succiniclasticum and Ruminococcus (P<0.05). In conc1usion, CPN can regu1ate the rumen microbiota structure and reduce the rumen NH3-N concentration of fattening sma11-tai1ed Han sheep. In production practice, CPN can be used as a rumen eco1ogica1 regu1ator. © 2023 Authors. All rights reserved.