Effects of diet complexity and dietary lactose levels during three starter phases on postweaning pig performance

Four experiments involving 1,005 crossbred pigs weaned at 19 +/- 2 d of age evaluated the effect of diet complexity and lactose level on starter pig performances. Experiment 1 was a randomized complete block (RCB) conducted in nine replicates with 135 pigs. A complex diet using several protein sources, a semicomplex diet with fewer protein sources, and a simple diet of corn and soybean meal comprised the three treatment groups. All diets contained 25% lactose (as-fed basis) with lysine (total) constant from d 0 to 14 (1.55%) and d 14 to 28 (1.45%), respectively. Gain, feed intake, and feed efficiency (P < 0.05) improved as diet complexity increased during both periods. In Exp. 2, 240 pigs in eight replicates in a RCB design were fed complex diets, but dietary lactose (total; as-fed basis) levels ranged from 10 to 35% in 5% increments from 0 to 14 d after weaning. From 14 to 30 d, a common 17% lactose diet was fed to evaluate the effects of early lactose level on subsequent responses. Gains (P < 0.05) increased for the 0- to 7- and 0- to 14-d periods as lactose increased to 30%. Similar gains resulted for all treatment groups from 14 to 30 d after weaning, with no evidence of compensatory responses to early lactose levels. In Exp. 3, 330 pigs were fed complex diets. From 0 to 7 d after weaning, the diets contained 25% lactose (as-fed basis), and from 7 to 21 d postweaning, the lactose levels ranged from 7 to 31% in 5% increments. Gain (P < 0.01) and feed efficiency (P < 0.05) increased from 7 to 21 d to the 17% lactose level. In Exp. 4, 300 pigs were fed 25 and 17% (as-fed basis) lactose diets from 0 to 7 and 7 to 21 d postweaning, respectively. From 21 to 35 d postweaning, lactose levels of 0 to 20% in 5% increments were added to a corn-soybean meal diet. The experiment was conducted as a RCB design in 12 replicates. Gain (P < 0.05) and feed intake (P < 0.05) increased to 10 to 15% lactose. When the data from Exp. 4 were partitioned into lighter (15.0 kg) and heavier (17.7 kg) pig weight replicates, only the lighter replicates had significant improvements in gain, feed intake, and feed efficiency (P < 0.05) in response to dietary lactose. These results demonstrated that starter pigs performed better when fed complex diets, that dietary lactose levels of 25 to 30% (to 7 kg BW) during the initial week postweaning, 15 to 20% lactose during d 7 to 21 (to 12.5 kg BW), and 10 to 15% lactose during d 21 to 35 postweaning (to 25 kg BW) resulted in maximum performance.     

Comparison of three enzyme-linked immunosorbant assays with the indirect immunofluorescent antibody test for the diagnosis of canine infection with Ehrlichia canis

The aim of this study was to compare three different enzyme-linked immunosorbant assays (recombinant major antigenic protein 2 (rMAP2)-ELISA, the Immunocomb (Biogal, Israel) and the Snap 3Dx assay (IDEXX Laboratories Inc., USA)) with the indirect immunofluorescent antibody test in detecting anti-Ehrlichia canis immunoglobulin-G (IgG) antibodies. Samples tested were collected from dogs suspected to be naturally infected with E. canis and from experimentally infected dogs.When qualitative results (positive/negative) were compared, there was an overall agreement of 81% (54/67) between the indirect immunofluorescence antibody (IFA) test and the rMAP2-ELISA. An overall agreement of 94% (63/67) was found between the IFA test and the Immunocomb, and an overall agreement of 91% (61/67) was found between the IFA test and the Snap 3Dx assay. In 50 of 67 (74.6%) samples tested, complete agreement in the qualitative results was found in all four tests. Sixteen of 17 samples with disagreement in the qualitative results were found to have IFA titers of 1:320 or less. The sensitivities and specificities of the tests were found to be 0.71 and 0.85 for the rMAP2-ELISA, 0.86 and 0.98 for the Immunocomb, and 0.71 and 1.00 for the Snap 3Dx assay.The tests performed in this study were found to be highly specific in detecting E. canis antibodies. Their sensitivity was found to be low with sera having IFA titers of < or =1:320, while high with sera having titers greater than 1:320. Repeating the serological tests 1-2 weeks after the first antibody assay may overcome the sensitivity problem with titers of < or =1:320.     

Effects of dietary levels of selenium-enriched yeast and sodium selenite as selenium sources fed to growing-finishing pigs on performance, tissue selenium, serum glutathione peroxidase activity, carcass characteristics, and loin quality.

This research evaluated the efficacy of inorganic and organic Se sources for growing-finishing pigs, as measured by performance and various tissue, serum, carcass, and loin quality traits. A total of 351 crossbred pigs were allotted at an average BW of 20.4 kg to six replicates of a 2x4 factorial experiment in a randomized complete block design. Pigs were fed diets containing Se-enriched yeast (organic) or sodium selenite (inorganic), each at .05, .10, .20, or .30 mg Se/kg diet. A non-Se-fortified basal diet was a ninth treatment group. Five pigs per pen were bled initially and at 30-d intervals with serum analyzed for Se and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity. At 55 kg BW, one pig per pen from each of three replicates was killed, and tissues were collected for Se analysis. At 105 kg BW, the remaining pigs in the three replicates were killed, carcass measurements were collected, tissues were analyzed for Se, and loin quality was evaluated for pH, drip loss, and lightness. No performance or carcass measurement benefit resulted from either Se source or dietary Se levels. Pigs had a lower serum Se concentration and GSH-Px activity when the basal diet was fed, but both increased as dietary Se level increased (P<.01). Serum GSH-Px activities were increased by pig age and reached a plateau when the diet contained approximately .10 mg Se/kg (P<.01) at d 30, and 60 of the trial, and at .05 mg Se/kg diet at d 90 of the trial. The organic Se group fed .05 and .10 mg Se/kg had serum GSH-Px activities that tended to be lower than those of pigs fed the inorganic Se source, but GSH-Px activities in both groups were similar at higher Se levels. Tissue Se contents increased linearly as the dietary Se level increased, but the increase was markedly higher when organic Se was fed, resulting in an interaction (P<.01) response. Loin drip loss, pH, and lightness were unaffected (P>.15) by organic Se source or level, but there was a trend for a higher drip loss (P = .11) and a linear (P<.01) increase in loin paleness when the inorganic Se level increased. These results indicate that neither Se source nor Se level had an effect on pig performance or carcass measurements, but organic Se source increased tissue Se concentrations. Inorganic Se may, however, have a detrimental effect on loin quality, as reflected by higher drip loss and a paler color. Using serum GSH-Px activity as the measurement criterion, the supplemental dietary Se requirement did not seem to exceed .10 and .05 mg Se/kg diet for the growing and finishing phases, respectively, when added to a basal diet containing .06 mg Se/kg.     

Deficit irrigation in a production setting: canopy temperature as an adjunct to ET estimates

Water available for agricultural use is declining worldwide as a result of both declining water resources and increasing application costs. Managing crop irrigation under conditions where the water need cannot be fully met represents the future of irrigation in many areas. On the southern high plains of Texas there is interest among producers to reduce the amount of water applied to cotton. In this study, a producer’s efforts to reduce water application to a cotton crop were assessed in terms of a comparison between evapotranspiration, rainfall, and irrigation that is widely used in the region. The producer was able to reduce water application to meet intended reductions relative to the evapotranspiration estimates but, depending on the method used for calculating the crop water need, he tended to over water the crop in two out of three intended deficit irrigation regimes. Analysis of continuously monitored canopy temperatures provided verification of over-irrigation. Continuously monitored canopy temperature is proposed as a useful adjunct to evapotranspiration approaches to deficit irrigation management.     

Corn distillers dried grains with solubles in diets for growing-finishing pigs: a cooperative study

An experiment involving 560 crossbred pigs (28 replications of 4 to 6 pigs per pen) was conducted at 9 research stations to assess the effects of dietary concentrations of corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) on pig performance and belly firmness. Fortified corn-soybean meal diets containing 0, 15, 30, or 45% DDGS were fed in 3 phases from 33 to 121 kg of BW. A common source of DDGS containing 90.1% DM, 26.3% CP, 0.96% Lys, 0.18% Trp, 9.4% crude fat, 34.6% NDF, 0.03% Ca, and 0.86% P was used at each station. Diets were formulated to contain 0.83, 0.70, and 0.58% standardized ileal digestible (SID) Lys during the 3 phases with diets changed at 60 and 91 kg of BW, respectively. The DDGS replaced corn and soybean meal, and up to 0.172% Lys and 0.041% Trp were added to maintain constant SID concentrations of Lys and Trp in each phase. At each station, 2 pigs from each pen in 2 replications were killed and a midline backfat core was obtained for fatty acid analysis and iodine value. In most instances, there were differences among stations (P < 0.01), but the station × treatment interactions were few. Body weight gain was linearly reduced in pigs fed the greater amounts of DDGS (0 to 45%) during phase I (950, 964, 921, and 920 g/d; P < 0.01) and over the entire experimental period (944, 953, 924, and 915 g/d; P = 0.03), but ADFI (2.73, 2.76, 2.68, and 2.70 kg) and G:F (347, 347, 345, and 341 g/kg) were not affected (P = 0.15 and P = 0.33, respectively) during the entire test. Backfat depth was reduced (linear, P < 0.02) by increasing amounts of DDGS (22.5, 22.7, 21.4, and 21.6 mm), but LM area (47.4, 47.4, 46.1, and 45.4 cm(2)) was not affected (P = 0.16) by treatments. Estimated carcass fat-free lean was 51.9, 52.2, 52.4, and 52.1% for 0 to 45% DDGS, respectively (linear, P = 0.06). Flex measures obtained at 6 stations indicated less firm bellies as dietary DDGS increased (lateral flex: 11.9, 8.6, 8.4, and 6.6 cm; linear, P < 0.001; vertical flex: 26.1, 27.4, 28.2, and 28.7 cm; linear, P < 0.003). Saturated and monounsaturated fatty acid concentrations in subcutaneous fat decreased linearly (P < 0.001) and PUFA concentrations increased linearly (P < 0.001) with increasing DDGS in the diet. Iodine values in inner (61.1, 68.2, 74.7, and 82.2) and outer (67.9, 73.6, 79.6, and 85.8) backfat increased linearly (P < 0.001) as DDGS in the diet increased. In this study, feeding diets with 30 or 45% DDGS did not have major effects on growth performance, but resulted in softer bellies. Regression analysis indicated that iodine values increased 4.3 units for every 10 percentage unit inclusion of DDGS in the diet.     

保育期中后段乳糖水平对断奶仔猪生产性能影响的评价

试验在3所大学进行,选用1320头杂交仔猪,旨在评价饲粮中不同乳糖水平对保育期阶段3（保育期共4个阶段）即断奶后第3和4周仔猪生产性能的影响。仔猪在15～20d断奶（初始体重6.2kg）,并分配到5个处理中,每个处理有24个重复（每所大学饲喂8个重复）,其中两所大学的16个重复中,每个重复含5头试猪,另外1所大学的8个重复中,每个重复含23头试猪。断奶后第1周,所有仔猪均采食复合阶段1饲粮（含乳糖20%）;断奶后第2周,所有仔猪均采食复合阶段2饲粮（含乳糖15%）。断奶后第3和4周仔猪采食阶段3饲粮,乳糖含量分别为0,2.5%,5.0%,7.5%或10.0%,然后所有仔猪采食1～2周（阶段4）相同的玉米豆粕饲粮。乳糖来源为乳宝80,含乳糖80%。阶段1,2和3饲粮在相同场所配制。隔周称量仔猪体重,并计算饲粮采食量。研究表明,在最初2周内,采食相同饲粮的所有试猪间平均日增重、日饲料采食量和增重饲料比均没有显著差异（P=0.10）。在3和4周（阶段3）饲喂5种不同乳糖水平饲粮,随着乳糖水平的增加,平均日增重、平均日饲料采食量线性增加（P〈0.01）,但是增重饲料比不受影响（P=0.10）。阶段3中乳糖水平为7.5%时,虽然二次指标（增重饲料比）差异不显著,但是平均日增重和平均日饲料采食量最高。与饲喂不添加乳糖饲粮的试猪相比,饲喂乳糖水平为7.5%的饲粮的试猪体增重多增长350g&#183;只^-1,同时多消耗饲粮420g&#183;只^-1,且多增长的体重（294g&#183;只^-1）大部分维持到断奶后5～6周即试验结束时。结论：仔猪对保育期中后段饲粮中乳糖含量做出相应应答,且这些应答在不同的管理和设施条件下获得。     

Effect of weaning, week postweaning and diet composition on pancreatic and small intestinal luminal lipase response in young swine

The effects of weaning, week postweaning and diet composition on concentration of lipase in the pancreas and small intestinal lumen were investigated in weanling swine. In Exp. 1, lipase levels were evaluated in suckling pigs from 2 to 35 d of age and in pigs weaned at 21 or 35 d of age. Pigs weaned at 21 d of age were fed a corn-soybean meal diet with lipase levels measured from 3 to 28 d postweaning. Pancreas weights increased during the suckling period; they were lowered at 3 d postweaning and were lower at 7 d postweaning than in suckling pigs but increased linearly from 3 to 28 d postweaning. Lipase level per unit wet tissue and total pancreatic levels increased from 2 to 35 d of age in suckling pigs (P less than .01). Weaning at 21 d of age resulted in a decline (P less than .05) in lipase levels in the pancreas at 3 and 7 d postweaning, but the levels subsequently tended to increase between 7 and 28 d postweaning. Whereas relative lipase levels in the intestinal lumen increased from 2 to 35 d of age in suckling pigs, total luminal enzyme did not decline upon weaning when pigs were weaned at either 21 or 35 d of age. Total luminal lipase per unit empty body increased linearly (P less than .01) each week postweaning. In Exp. 2, a 2 X 2 factorial arrangement of corn oil (0 or 6%) and dried whey (0 or 25%) was used to evaluate digestive lipase levels in pigs weaned at 21 d of age.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Effect of group size and feeding regimen on nutrient digestibility studies with weanling pigs

An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of feeding regimen and group size on nutrient (N, Lipid, Ca, P) balance measurements with weanling swine. Treatments imposed were 1) one pig pair-fed to 90% of treatment 3, 2) three pigs pair-fed to 90% of treatment 3 and 3) three pigs with ad libitum access to their diet. A total of 28 barrows weaned at 21 d of age (initial BW 5.9 kg) were allotted by weight and litter in a randomized complete block design with repeated measurements over time to the three treatments in four replicates. The pigs were placed in .6-m x 1.13-m stainless steel metabolism crates and fed the same experimental diet for an initial 4-d adjustment period. This was followed by a 5-d collection of urine and feces with a 2-d interval between collection periods each week of a 4-wk postweaning period. When feed was restricted, N intake, urine N, fecal N and retained N were similar whether pigs were fed as singles or in groups of three. Individually fed pigs had a higher urinary Ca but lower urinary P compared with those fed in groups of three. Lipid and P retention values were similar for individual and group-penned, restricted-fed animals. Pigs provided ad libitum access to feed had greater weight gains and nutrient intakes, excretions (urine, fecal) and retentions (P less than .01) than pigs that were limit-fed. Similar responses among treatments occurred each week of the 4-wk trial. These results suggest that effective weekly balance data can be collected each week sequentially with 21-d weanling pigs penned in groups and allowed to consume feed ad libitum, a situation more similar to natural nursery conditions.     

Effect of inorganic selenium supplementation on selenium retention in postweaning swine

A total of 64 weanling pigs was used in a randomized complete-block experiment to evaluate the efficacy of various inorganic Se levels on weekly Se balance measurements over a 5-wk post-weaning period. Four-week-old weaned pigs were fed a 20% protein, corn-soybean meal diet supplemented with 0, .3, .5 or 1.0 ppm Se from sodium selenite. Eight pigs were allotted by weight, litter and sex to each metabolism crate. A 2-d preliminary period followed by a 5-d collection period was conducted for five weekly periods. Feed intake was provided ad libitum but was similar between dietary Se levels. Fecal Se excretion increased each week and with increasing dietary Se level. Apparent digestibility of Se was relatively constant for each period when inorganic Se was fed, averaging approximately 70%, whereas it ranged between 30 to 40% for pigs fed the basal diet during wk 2 through 5. Urinary Se decreased during the postweaning periods for pigs fed the basal diet, but increased linearly as dietary Se increased during the initial 2-wk postweaning period and then quadratically during wk 3 through 5. There was a net loss of Se from the body when the Se-unsupplemented basal diet was fed during the initial 2 wk postweaning, whereupon, it became positive. Selenium retention in pigs supplemented with inorganic Se increased each week of the trial. When Se retention was expressed in relation to Se intake, the resulting regression was linear (R2 = .99), suggesting that Se retention in the postweaning pig increased in direct proportion to the amount consumed when diets contained up to 1.0 ppm Se.     

Behavior of temperature-based water stress indicators in BIOTIC-controlled irrigation

A subsurface drip irrigation study with cotton used canopy temperature to determine signals for irrigation control during 2002–2004. Timing of irrigation applications was controlled by the biologically identified optimal temperature interactive console (BIOTIC) protocol, which used stress time (ST) and a crop-specific optimum temperature to indicate water stress. ST was the cumulative daily time quantity when cotton canopy temperature exceeded 28°C. STs between 5.5 and 8.5 h in 1 h increments were irrigation signal criteria, which produced different irrigation regimes. This investigation examined the association among ST, daily average canopy temperature (T _c), canopy and air temperature difference (T _c−T _a), and the relative crop water stress index (RCWSI) including their relationship with lint yield. Number of irrigation signals decreased linearly with ST at the rate of −10.2 and −8.7 irrigations per 1 h increase of ST in 2003 and 2004. There were significant curvilinear relationships between ST and the average daily stress on days with irrigation signals and for days without irrigation signals across years. The percentage of positive daily (T _c−T _a) values increased with ST level. ST and T _c were positively related in all irrigation signal treatments with 5.5 and 6.5 h being significant in 2003 and 2004. Yield declined at the rate of 343 kg lint/ha for each 1 h increase of ST for days with irrigation signals. ST, mathematically the most simple of the canopy temperature-based parameters, provided the most consistent estimate of crop water stress and correlation with lint yield. The power of ST to characterize water stress effects on crop productivity evolves from being an integrated value of time while canopy temperature exceeds a physiologically based threshold value.

---