Effect of trace mineral proteinates on growth and skeletal and hoof development in yearling horses

Fifteen yearlings, nine Thoroughbreds and six Quarter Horses, were used in a feeding trial to determine whether proteinated trace minerals were utilized advantageously over inorganic trace minerals for growth and development when included in the diet at normal supplementation levels. The animals were assigned randomly within breed and gender subgroups to one of two treatments. Group A received a 12% protein (as fed) concentrate containing a trace mineral premix providing inorganic trace minerals at concentrations appropriate to supplement Coastal Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon) hay and provide NRC¹ or higher trace mineral intakes. Group B was provided the same concentrations of trace minerals but the Cu, Mn, and Zn were provided via a commercial proteinate. The concentrates were fed to appetite individually, twice daily during a 1.5-hour feeding period. The hay was group-fed in drylot paddocks at 1.0 kg/100 kg BW daily. The animals were housed three or four animals per paddock. Weight and body and hoof growth measurements were taken at the start of the experiment and at 28-day intervals for 112 days. Radiographs of the third metacarpal were made for estimating bone mineral and hoof samples were collected at the start and completion of the experiment. The yearlings gained 0.77±0.03 and 0.79±0.03 kg/d for the inorganic and proteinate groups, respectively. None of the body measurements were affected by diet (P > 0.10) except hip height gain which was higher for the animals receiving the proteinated minerals (7.0 vs 4.7 cm, P = 0.023). Hoof growth was greater for yearlings fed the mineral proteinate than for those fed the inorganic minerals (4.98 vs 4.78 cm, P = 0.016), and colts had greater hoof growth than did fillies (5.00 vs 4.72 cm, P = 0.003). Diet and gender did not affect hoof strength (P > 0.10), but Quarter Horses had greater hoof strength than Thoroughbreds (98.2 vs 88.8 kg, P = 0.046). No differences in bone mineral content or bone mineral deposition were detected (P > 0.10).     

Effect of biotin supplementation on hoof health and ceramide composition in dairy cattle

The effect of biotin supplementation on various foot lesions and hoof ceramide composition of toe (wall) and sole portions of hooves was studied in crossbred dairy cattle. Biotin supplementation was done for five months in 14 cattle at a farm and the other 14 animals kept as control. A significant decline was observed in heel erosions and sole avulsions along with total disappearance of white line fissures and double soles in the biotin supplemented cattle resulting in decrease in the overall disease score. Thin layer chromatographs of the hoof lipids revealed 11 types of ceramides in sole lipids and 6 types of ceramides in toe (wall) lipids. The ceramides were typed and identified according to their Rf values. A qualitative increase in the density of thin layer chromatographs of sole lipids was observed in biotin supplemented cattle whereas a non-significant difference in density of thin layer chromatographs of toe lipids was observed after supplementation of biotin.     

The effect of antimicrobial growth promoter withdrawal on the health of weaned pigs in Finland

The use of the antimicrobial growth promoters (AGPs) carbadox and olaquindox has been banned in the European Union (EU) since September 1999. We studied the effects of the withdrawal on the health of weaned piglets on two types of piglet-producing farms (farrowing herds and farrow-to-finish herds) from the different regions of Finland. Farms with no major problems with post-weaning diarrhoea were selected for the study to better evaluate the effect of AGPs alone. Data on production, medication and incidence of diarrhoea were collected from 73 farms during 1 year after the withdrawal. On 29 of these farms, the data collection began 4 months before the withdrawal.

The health management of the pigs is considered good in Finland, and special attention has been paid to improve the husbandry practices and management of the farms. Eighty-two percent of the farms in the study were free of both Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and Sarcoptes scabiei infection. Brachyspira hyodysenteriae infection was not detected in any of the farms. The median number of sows in the herds was 56.0 (IQR = 43.0; 72.5) in 2000.

The level of antimicrobial use in each herd was classified as low, moderate and high when the percentage of weaned pigs treated for diarrhoea during a 4-month period was 0–5%, 6–19% and ≥20%, respectively. Only on four herds (14%), there was an increase in the level of antibiotic use after the AGP withdrawal, when seasonally corresponding 4-month periods were compared. Fourty-one percent of these 29 farms were categorized as low users of antimicrobials, 38% as moderate users and 21% as high users.

The level of antimicrobial use for treatment of diarrhoea after weaning (and the incidence of diarrhoea in weaned piglets) did not increase significantly after the withdrawal of AGPs from weaner feeds according to farmers’ evaluations. In this study, the Escherichia coli infection was the most-common cause of diarrhoea in weaned pigs. The age at weaning did not change after the withdrawal of AGPs.     

The association of hoof lesions at claw trimming with test-day milk yield in Danish Holsteins

In a cross-sectional study, performed between October 2002 and April 2003 on 55 Danish dairy herds with 6161 predominantly Holstein Friesian cows the prevalence of 9 hoof lesions was determined.

All test-day yields (TDY) of kg energy corrected milk (ECM) in the lactation of diagnosis were recorded. For the purpose of including hoof lesions in a decision support model an attempt was made to aggregate the lesions into digital dermatitis (DD), other interdigital diseases (OID, infectious diseases other than DD) and hoof horn diseases (HHD, related to metabolic disorders and trauma). A division was made based on the stage of lactation in which the lesions were diagnosed; during the first 100 days in milk, between days 101 and 200 and between days 201 and 305. Associations between the presence of hoof lesions at trimming and milk production were analyzed by linear mixed modeling at the cow level, clustered within herd. The data of primiparous cows was analyzed separately from the multiparous cows.

Based on the associations between TDY and the individual lesions aggregated into HHD, this aggregation as initially planned could not be justified and was therefore not maintained. For OID the value of early diagnosis was apparent; an early diagnosis and early treatment (<101 DIM) was associated with either a positive value or a value less negative compared to a diagnosis and treatment in late lactation (201–305 DIM). This pattern was not as clearly present for the other lesions.     

蛋氨酸锌对肢蹄病绒山羊抗氧化能力和肢蹄病相关指标及肢蹄健康的影响

选择20只舍饲肢体病辽宁绒山羊母羊,随机分成5组,其中1组为对照组,2～5组为试验组,各组每只羊依次补饲蛋氨酸锌0、342、515、686、857 mg/d(折算为锌分别是0、60、80、120、150 mg/d)。饲养60 d后,采集静脉血样测定营养代谢指标、抗氧化指标和骨关节损伤生物学标志物,试验结束时连续3 d观察试验羊肢蹄状况。结果表明:随着蛋氨酸锌补饲量的增加,血清INS和PG含量均呈现降低趋势,其中4、5组的INS和PG显著(P<0.05)低于对照组,血糖呈增加趋势,其中4、5组显著(P<0.05)高于1组。血清UA含量呈降总体低趋势;血清UN水平呈总体增加趋势,试验5组显著(P<0.05)高于对照组。血清GSH-PX、SOD、CAT、GSSG活性呈增加趋势,其中4、5组GSH-PX、CAT、GSSG显著(P<0.05)高于对照组,4、5组的SOD和CAT活性极显著(P<0.01)高于对照组;血清MDA呈降低趋势。血清COMP、CTX-Ⅱ和PⅡANP含量都呈降低趋势,其中5组COMP、CTX-Ⅱ的含量显著(P<0.05)低于对照组。经观察发现补饲蛋氨酸锌后肢蹄病羊的关节肿大、关节僵直、跛行、跪地膝行等症状得到明显改善。结论:在舍饲肢蹄病羊日粮中添加120～150 mg/d蛋氨酸锌显著提高了机体抗氧化能力,保护了关节软骨免受损害,对促进肢蹄病羊恢复具有明显作用。     

Bayes factor for testing the genetic background of quantitative threshold traits

The recent development of the Bayes factor methodology to test between nested competing models has allowed to evaluate the genetic component of continuous traits through a methodology based on the reparameterization of a variance component model in terms of intra‐class correlation. In this study, we present a modification of that procedure to compare between threshold models that only differ in a bounded variable. An extra data‐augmentation step is required to sample liability, an underlying continuous variable related with phenotypic records through an adequate number of thresholds. In this context, we describe a procedure to sample from a truncated multivariate normal distribution with non‐null covariances between records, taking as starting point the Cholesky factorization and the inclusion of linear restrictions. The method was tested by computer simulations with satisfactory results.     

Influence of MHS genotype and feeding regime on allometric and temporal growth of pigs assessed by magnetic resonance imaging

A total of 68 barrows, 4-way-crosses with a Piétrain × Hampshire sire and a Large White × German Landrace dam were used in this study. The pigs were divided into 4 groups regarding the MHS (malignant hyperthermia syndrome) genotype (NN and Nn) and feeding regime (intensive and restrictive). The piglets were genotyped by DNA test; data on muscle and fat growth were obtained by repeated measurements of body composition at 4 weeks intervals by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Differential growth analysis showed that muscle tissue grew proportionally with the increase of live weight (allometric coefficient, b ≈ 1); fat grew faster in relation to live weight (b > 1) in all investigated groups of pigs. Significant differences in growth coefficients for fat were found only between feeding groups. The analysis by asymmetric S-function showed different patterns of live weight growth of pigs from two feeding regimes. Within the feeding regimes, no significant differences in live weight growth patterns between the pigs of different MHS genotype (NN and Nn) were found. Muscle growth pattern significantly differed between the groups of investigated pigs: Nn pigs from the intensive feeding group were significantly superior to NN pigs in the same group and to Nn pigs fed restrictively (p < 0.05), but only in the phase of progressive growth (b-coefficient of the S-function). In this respect Nn pigs performed better under intensive feeding than under restrictive feeding regime, while no difference was found between NN pigs from two feeding regimes. By combining information on live weight and muscle growth, the optimal slaughter weight of pigs was calculated: 130 and 126 kg for intensively fed NN and Nn pigs, respectively, and about 114 kg for both genotypes from the restricted group of pigs. From fat growth analysis by asymmetric S-function, no influence of genotype on fat deposition in both feeding systems could be observed. Growth patterns of fat differed significantly only between the feeding groups. This study showed that the growth of body components fits a sigmoid curve and that the asymmetric S-function proved to be a more accurate and informative model than a simple allometric function, providing a base for important decisions in fattening of pigs. A practical consequence of this study is that the more cost-effective restrictive feeding regime can be recommended as more appropriate in fattening of pigs, since intensive feeding generally failed to improve their growth traits. Similarly, inclusion of MHS-gene did not enhance muscle growth characteristics of investigated pigs, so MHS-negative pigs (NN) can be considered as more desirable fatteners, especially when fed restrictively.     

猪配套系生长性状基因效应与杂种优势的分析

测定杜长大三元杂交体系和斯格配套系各杂交组合的生长性能,计算出生长性状的杂种优势率;选用5个与生长性状紧密连锁的微卫星标记对测定个体进行基因型检测,利用混合效应线性模型计算出生长性状各位点的基因效应。结果显示:斯格配套系父母代与商品代各时期的平均日增重的差异均达到极显著水平(P<0.01),杜长大杂交体系父母代与商品代各时期的平均日增重的差异均达到显著水平(P<0.05),斯格配套系父母代和商品代与杜长大杂交体系的父母代和商品代的差异达到极显著水平(P<0.01),前期的的杂优率处于较高水平,后期及全程的杂优率不高。基因效应分析显示早期日增重的基因效应既有加性效应又有显性效应,后期日增重和全程日增重的加性效应明显,因而加性效应是日增重杂种优势的主要遗传学基础。     

Growth rate of growing pigs is weakly correlated genetically with litter size,while the amount of genetic variation for growth rate changes with litter size

Abstract

We reasoned that if we assessed pigs for litter size and growth rate during the grow-out stage of production (25–100 kg body weight) we would find: 1) an unfavourable genetic correlation between litter size and growth rate; and 2) that the amount of additive genetic variation expressed for growth rate varies with litter size. We tested these premises by assessing 2212 litters from the Yorkshire breed for litter size, while 3038 growing pigs from 550 of these litters were assessed for growth rate during the grow-out stage of production. Genetic correlations were estimated using the additive genetic (co)variances obtained from a bivariate linear animal model fitted to litter size and growth rate. The amount of additive genetic variation expressed for growth rate as a function of litter size was estimated by fitting a univariate linear animal model with random regression on litter size. Our findings did not support the first of our premises as we found that the genetic correlation between litter size and growth rate was favourable (0.28±0.27), albeit not significantly different from zero. However, we were able to support our second premise as we found that the relationship between amount of additive genetic variation for growth rate and litter size was quadratic; the amount of additive genetic variation was highest in small and large litters (h²=0.60 and 0.65), and lowest in intermediate litter sizes (h²=0.29). These findings indicate that: 1) breeding for litter size would not reduce the growth rate of growing pigs; and 2) the amount of genetic variation for growth rate changes with litter size.     

Altered muscle development and expression of the insulin-like growth factor system in growth retarded fetal pigs

We have used a porcine model of spontaneous differential fetal growth to investigate the effects of fetal size on muscle development. We hypothesized that altered muscle development may occur in small fetuses as a consequence of modified expression of selected genes of the insulin-like growth factor system. We examined the development of the Longissimus muscle (m. Longissimus) in small fetuses and their average sized littermates. We collected small for gestational age fetuses and their average sized sibling on days 45, 65 and 100 of gestation (term is 113-116 days). Small fetuses had significantly lower body weight at all three stages of gestation (p<0.05) and significantly reduced secondary to primary muscle fibre ratio in m. Longissimus on day 100 (p<0.05) compared to their littermates. On day 65, the expression of insulin-like growth factor receptor 1 and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 were significantly higher (p<0.05) in m. Longissimus of the small fetuses compared with their average sized littermates. On day 100, the expression of insulin-like growth factor receptor 1 remained significantly higher (p=0.001), in addition to significantly higher levels of insulin-like growth factor receptor 2 and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 5 in the small fetuses (p<0.05). No difference in levels of myogenin was observed between the small and average sized littermates. In conclusion, we demonstrate that reduced fetal muscle development is associated with an increased expression of several genes of the insulin-like growth factor system in small fetuses in mid to late gestation.     

Quantification of the spread of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae in nursery pigs using transmission experiments

Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (M. hyopneumoniae) is present in almost all swine herds worldwide, but transmission of the pathogen through herds is not yet fully clarified. The aim of this study, performed in 2003, was to investigate and to quantify the transmission of M. hyopneumoniae under experimental conditions by means of an adjusted reproduction ratio (R_n). This R_n-value, calculated according to the final size method, expresses the mean number of secondary infections due to one typical infectious piglet during the nursery period. The period lasted from 4 to 10 weeks of age, corresponding with the nursery period used in most European production systems. Additionally, a comparison was made between transmissions of highly virulent and low virulent isolates.

Forty-eight weaned piglets, free of M. hyopneumoniae, were housed in six separate pens. During 6 weeks, two animals experimentally infected with M. hyopneumoniae were housed together with six susceptible piglets. At the end of the study, the number of contact-infected animals was determined by the use of nPCR on bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. The R_n-values of the highly virulent and the low virulent isolates were estimated to be 1.47 (0.68–5.38) and 0.85 (0.33–3.39), respectively. No significant difference between the groups was found (P = 0.53). The overall R_n was estimated to be 1.16 (0.94–4.08). Under the present experimental conditions, the transmission of M. hyopneumoniae, assessed for the first time by a reproduction ratio, shows that one piglet infected before weaning will infect on average one penmate during the nursery phase.     

Novelty causes elevated heart rate and immune changes in pigs exposed to handling, alleys, and ramps

The objective of the present research was to quantify the cardiovascular and physiological responses in pigs subjected to novel alleys and ramps. Ten test subject pigs were selected per treatment. The first (trained) group were trained to navigate a course including a ramp. Testing was daily for seven days. Once training was completed, the trained and control (naïve) groups were exposed to a fixed course, the course and ramp (both up and down) while heart rates, time, handling difficulty, and blood were collected to determine the innate responses. Heart rates of trained pigs were reduced significantly (P = 0.003) compared to naïve pigs travelling the same course. Both handling ease and handling time were significantly improved for the trained pigs (P = 0.03 and P = 0.01 respectively) compared to naïve pigs. Blood immune measures indicated reduced stress among trained pigs who had lower neutrophil numbers (P = 0.04) and lower total and average phagocytosis (P = 0.001 and P = 0.02) compared with naïve pigs. This study demonstrated that the exposure of pigs to a novel environment clearly causes a mild physiological response. Pigs are not inherently stressed by alleys and ramps, but rather novel experiences cause handling problems and a stress response and minimal training can reduce the stress experience for the pig.     

Molecular genetic and physiologic background of the growth hormone-IGF-I axis in relation to breeding for growth rate and leanness in pigs

The GH-IGF-I axis is of major importance for the regulation of body growth and composition, and cellular proliferation and differentiation processes. Selective breeding aiming to improve growth rate and/or body composition is accompanied by changes of the GH-IGF-I axis. Research aiming to elucidate the genetic and physiologic mechanism(s) underlying these changes may best use single-trait selection lines. Two such pig selection lines, one for growth rate and one for high lean content, were used in experiments to investigate the mechanisms of the GH-IGF-I axis change during selection. This contribution reviews the selection-related changes in the GH-IGF-I axis as the consequences of selection for whole body growth rate or body composition and effects on local tissue growth rate. A model explaining the observed effects and consequences for the pressure on the physiology is presented. In short, selection related demand for GH induces GH synthesis until a limit is reached. After that the pulsatile GH plasma profile changes, which may also affect expression profiles of genes regulating body composition.     

金华猪生长激素基因多态性分析及生长曲线比较

采用PCR-RFLP法测定了金华猪生长激素基因Apa -Ⅰ及Msp Ⅰ酶切多态性.并分析了各基因型与生长速度的相关性,进而对金华猪的生长曲线进行了拟合.结果表明,金华猪生长激素基因经Apa Ⅰ酶切后未出现多态,经Msp Ⅰ酶切后出现了AB(274、238、137 bp)和BB(238、137 bp)2种基因型,且不同基因型间的个体初生体质量、1月龄体质量、2月龄体质量、3月龄体质量、5月龄体质量、6月龄体质量及0～6月龄间平均日增体质量的差异不显著(P>0.05),而BB基因型4月龄体质量差异高于AB基因型(P<0.05).生长曲线拟合结果表明,Bertalanffy模型效果最佳.AB与BB基因型2种生长曲线进行比较,显示出BB基因型具有早期生长速度较快、生长拐点早、拐点体质量小的特点.     

Branched-chain amino acids partially recover the reduced growth of pigs fed with protein-restricted diets through both central and peripheral factors

The objective of this study was to assess the growth efficiency of pigs fed with protein-restricted diets supplemented with branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) and limiting amino acids (LAA) above the recommended levels. Following 2 weeks of adaptation, 48 young barrows were weight matched and randomly assigned to 6 treatments (8 pigs/treatment) for 4 weeks: positive control (PC) with standard protein, negative control (NC) with very low protein containing LAA (i.e., Lys, Met, Thr and Trp) at recommended levels, and NC containing LAA 25% (L25), LAA 50% (L50), LAA+BCAA (i.e., Leu, Ile and Val) 25% (LB25) and LAA+BCAA 50% (LB50) more than recommendations. Feed intake (FI) and body weight (BW) were measured daily and weekly, respectively. At week 6, blood samples were collected, all pigs euthanized and tissue samples collected. The data were analyzed by univariate GLM or mixed procedure (SPSS) and the means were separated using paired Student's t-test followed by Benjamini-Hochberg correction. Relative to PC, NC had decreased FI, BW, unsupplemented plasma essential amino acids, serum insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and hypothalamic neuropeptide Y (NPY) (P < 0.01). Compared to NC, L25 or L50, LB50 had increased BW and serum IGF-I and decreased plasma serotonin and both LB25 and LB50 had higher FI, plasma BCAA, hypothalamic 5-hydroxytryptamine-receptor 2A and NPY and jejunal 5-hydroxytryptamine-receptor 7 (P < 0.01). Overall, supplementation of protein-restricted diets with increased levels of dietary BCAA partially recovered the negative effects of these diets on growth through improved IGF-I concentration and FI, which was associated with changed expression of serotonin receptors, blood AA and hypothalamic NPY.     

A review of genetic parameter estimates for wool, growth, meat and reproduction traits in sheep

Genetic parameters for a range of sheep production traits have been reviewed from estimates published over the last decade. Weighted means and standard errors of estimates of direct and maternal heritability, common environmental effects and the correlation between direct and maternal effects are presented for various growth, carcass and meat, wool, reproduction, disease resistance and feed intake traits. Weighted means and confidence intervals for the genetic and phenotypic correlations between these traits are also presented. A random effects model that incorporated between and within study variance components was used to obtain the weighted means and variances. The weighted mean heritability estimates for the major wool traits (clean fleece weight, fibre diameter and staple length) and all the growth traits were based on more than 20 independent estimates, with the other wool traits based on more than 10 independent estimates. The mean heritability estimates for the carcass and meat traits were based on very few estimates except for fat (27) and muscle depth (11) in live animals. There were more than 10 independent estimates of heritability for most reproduction traits and for worm resistance, but few estimates for other sheep disease traits or feed intake. The mean genetic and phenotypic correlations were based on considerably smaller numbers of independent estimates. There were a reasonable number of estimates of genetic correlations among most of the wool and growth traits, although there were few estimates for the wool quality traits and among the reproduction traits. Estimates of genetic correlations between the groups of different production traits were very sparse. The mean genetic correlations generally had wide confidence intervals reflecting the large variation between estimates and relatively small data sets (number of sires) used. More accurate estimates of genetic parameters and in particular correlations between economically important traits are required for accurate genetic evaluation and development of breeding objectives.     

茶饲料对猪生长性能及肉品质的研究进展

本文概述了茶叶及其加工副产物在猪饲料化利用方面的国内外研究进展,具体阐述了茶叶、茶渣、茶叶提取物以及发酵茶叶在猪饲粮中的应用效果.茶叶及其加工副产物是理想的猪饲料添加剂,是对茶资源的充分综合利用,其饲料化应用前景广阔.     

Maternal and direct genetic parameters for tail length,tail lesions,and growth traits in pigs

Tail length and tail lesions are the major triggers for tail biting in pigs. Against this background, 2 datasets were analyzed to estimate genetic parameters for tail characteristics and growth traits. Dataset 1 considered measurements for trait tail length (T-LEN) and for the growth traits birth weight (BW), weaning weight (WW), postweaning weight (PWW), and average daily gain (ADG) from 9,348 piglets. Piglets were born in the period from 2015 to 2018 and kept on the university Gießen research station. Dataset 2 included 4,943 binary observations from 1,648 pigs from the birth years 2016 to 2019 for tail lesions (T-LES) as indicators for nail necrosis, tail abnormalities, or tail biting. T-LES were recorded at 30 ± 7 d after entry for rearing (T-Les-1), at 50 ± 7 d after entry for rearing (end of the rearing period, T-LES-2), and 130 ± 20 d after entry for rearing (end of fattening period, T-LES-3). Genetic statistical model evaluation for dataset 1 based on Akaike’s information criterion and likelihood ration tests suggested multiple-trait animal models considering covariances between direct and maternal genetic effects. The direct heritability for T-LEN was 0.42 (±0.03), indicating the potential for genetic selection on short tails. The maternal genetic heritability for T-LEN was 0.05 (±0.04), indicating the influence of uterine characteristics on morphological traits. The negative correlation between direct and maternal effects for T-LEN of –0.35 (±0.13), as well as the antagonistic relationships (i.e., positive direct genetic correlations in the range from 0.03 to 0.40) between T-LEN with the growth traits BW, WW, PWW, and ADG, complicate selection strategies and breeding goal definitions. The correlations between direct effects for T-LEN and maternal effects for breeding goal traits, and vice versa, were positive but associated with a quite large SE. The heritability for T-LES when considering the 3 repeated measurements was 0.23 (±0.04) from the linear (repeatability of 0.30) and 0.21 (±0.06; repeatability of 0.29) from the threshold model. The breeding value correlations between T-LES-3 with breeding values from the repeatability models were quite large (0.74 to 0.90), suggesting trait lesion recording at the end of the rearing period. To understand all genetic mechanisms in detail, ongoing studies are focusing on association analyses between T-LEN and T-LES, and the identification of tail biting from an actor’s perspective.