Effects of magnesium on the performance of sows and their piglets

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of supplemental magnesium (Mg) on the performance of gilts and parity 3 sows and their piglets. Fifty-six gilts (Trial 1) and 56 sows (Trial 2) were assigned to one of 4 treatments according to their mating weight, respectively. The treatments comprised corn-soybean meal based gestation and lactation diets (0.21% magnesium) supplemented with 0, 0.015, 0.03, or 0.045% Mg from mating until weaning. The results showed that magnesium supplementation significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the weaning to estrus interval in both gilts and sows. There were significant effects (P < 0.05) of supplemental magnesium on the total number of piglets born, born alive and weaned in sows. In late gestation and lactation, the digestibility of crude fiber (quadratic effects, P < 0.05), and crude protein (P < 0.05), were significantly influenced by magnesium in gilts and sows, respectively. There were differences among the 4 groups in terms of the apparent digestibility of dry matter and crude fiber in sows (P < 0.05) during both early and late gestation. The apparent digestibility of gross energy was increased for sows in late gestation (P < 0.05), and lactation (quadratic effects, P < 0.05). At farrowing and weaning, serum prolactin levels and alkaline phosphate activities linearly increased in sows as the Mg supplementation increased (P < 0.05). Serum Mg of sows at farrowing and serum urea nitrogen of sows at weaning was significantly influenced by Mg supplementation (P < 0.05). The Mg concentration in sow colostrum and the serum of their piglets were increased by supplemental magnesium (P < 0.05). In addition, growth hormone levels were linearly elevated (P < 0.05) in the serum of piglets suckling sows. Our data demonstrated that supplemental magnesium has the potential to improve the reproduction performance of sows, and the suitable supplemental dose ranged from 0.015% to 0.03%.     

饲粮菜籽粕水平对青年母猪繁殖性能的影响

48头浙江中白后备母猪按窝别、体重分成4组,在6～8月龄和配种后至第二胎分娩后20天期间,分别饲喂菜籽粕(含硫代葡萄糖苷 3.7mg/g)替代饲粮中豆饼蛋白质0、25、50和75％的4种后备母猪饲粮和繁殖母猪饲粮,以研究饲粮菜籽粕水平对青年母猪繁殖性能的影响。结果表明,饲粮菜籽粕水平对母猪采食量、初孕年龄、头胎断奶至第二胎怀孕间隔时间、一次情期受胎率、平均妊娠天数、总产仔数、产活仔数、仔猪初生重、60日龄育成数、后备母猪日增重和饲料报酬均无显著影响(P>0.05),但母猪初孕年龄和断奶再怀孕间隔时间有随饲粮菜籽粕水平增高而延长的趋势,产活仔数和育成仔数有下降趋势。后备母猪增重成绩以25％菜籽粕替代组较优。仔猪20和60日龄平均体重菜籽粕组显著低于豆饼对照组(P<0.05),60日龄平均体重,50％菜籽粕替代组显著低于25％替代组(P<0.05)。由此可见,母猪饲粮中菜籽粕用量,按补充蛋白质计,以不超过25％为宜。     

The effect of removing animals for slaughter on the behaviour of the remaining male and female pigs in the pen

The study was performed to investigate changes in the behaviour of male and female pigs when one or more pigs were removed from the pen and sent to slaughter. Twelve pens were included, half of them housed six female pigs each, while the other half housed six male pigs each. Skin lesions and behaviour were recorded on two occasions, four days before and two days after one or more animals per pen were sent to slaughter. On the first occasion the male pigs fought on average about twice as often as the females (2.6 vs. 1.0 per animal per hour) and had twice as many skin lesions (6.7 vs. 3.2). On the second occasion, the frequency of fighting among both males (6.8) and females (1.8) had increased, however, more in males than in females. The number of skin lesions was not significantly higher on the second occasion. In the male group there was also a tendency towards increased mounting on the second occasion (from 2.3 to 3.3 per animal per hour). The study shows that the very common practice of slaughtering pigs from one pen over more than one occasion results in an increase in unwanted behaviour. The effect is more pronounced in groups of entire male pigs than in groups of females.     

Mammary development in prepubertal gilts fed restrictively or ad libitum in two sub-periods between weaning and puberty

Two experiments were conducted to assess whether feeding level in the period from weaning to puberty can affect the amount of mammary tissue at puberty. Four female pigs from eight (exp. 1) to ten (exp. 2) litters were allocated to four treatment groups within litter. From day 28 to 90 of age (period 1) and from day 90 to slaughter, at approximately 5 1/2 months of age (period 2), the gilts were given either ad libitum or restrictive access to feed in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. Neither the amount of dissected mammary tissue nor the amounts of DNA or RNA were affected by feeding regime in period 1. However, ad libitum feeding in period 2 gave rise to more dissected mammary tissue (52%, P < 0.0001), RNA (37%, P = 0.006) and DNA (28%, P = 0.005) compared to restricted feeding. Cyclicity gave rise to increases in mammary DNA (P = 0.05) and RNA (P = 0.02). There were no clear correlations between mammary measures and plasma IGF-I or IGF-binding proteins. It is concluded that a high feeding level from three months of age to puberty has a stimulatory effect on mammary development in prepubertal gilts.     

叶酸对初产母猪繁殖性能和宫内发育迟缓仔猪肾脏功能基因表达的影响

本试验旨在研究叶酸对初产母猪繁殖性能和官内发育迟缓(IUGR)仔猪肾脏DNA甲基转移酶-1(DN-MT-1)、p53基因、Bcl-2、Bax和胰岛素样生长因子-I(IGF-1)基因表达的影响.选用24头初产母猪,配种后将母猪随机分为对照组(C,1.3 mg/kg叶酸)和试验组(F,30.0 mg/kg叶酸),每组12个重复,每个重复1头母猪,记录母猪分娩24 h内的繁殖性能指标以及21日龄断奶时的仔猪断奶重;采集母猪妊娠60 d时血清,以及正常出生体重(NBW)和IUGR新生仔猪血清和肾脏,用放射免疫分析法测定血清叶酸浓度;用荧光定量PCR(RT-PCR)方法研究DNMT-1、p53基因、Bcl-2、Bax和IGF-1在肾脏中的表达差异.结果表明:母体添加30.0 mg/kg叶酸极显著提高初产母猪和新生仔猪血清叶酸含量(P<0.01),但对初产母猪繁殖性能无显著影响(P>0.05).IUGR+C组DNMT-1表达量显著低于NBW组(P0.05);IUGR组Bax表达量显著高于NBW组(P<0.05);IUGR组IGF-1表达量显著低于NBW组(P<0.05);IUGR组和NBW组的Bax和IGF-1表达量组内差异都不显著(P>0.05).以上结果揭示出:补充叶酸对初产母猪繁殖性能无显著影响,极显著提高初产母猪和新生仔猪血清叶酸含量.通过母体补充叶酸可缓解IUGR对DNMT-1、p53和Bcl-2基因表达的影响.     

Consequences for body composition at farrowing and nutrient partitioning during lactation of a choice-feeding regime during rearing and pregnancy in gilts of different genotypes

The potential conflict between reproductive functions and the drive to deposit body protein may impair productive performance in modern gilts of lean genotype. To study the response of the gilt to this conflict, a choice-feeding experiment was carried out to measure the nutrient intake selected by breeding gilts and responses in reproductive and lactation performance. Using a 2 × 2 factorial design, gilts of two different genotypes (24 of NPD 402, expected higher body protein/lipid ratio (L) or 24 of Camborough 23, expected lower body protein/lipid ratio, (F)) were either choice-fed (C) by offering both a low (120 g crude protein (CP)/kg) and a high protein (218 g CP/kg) feed during rearing and pregnancy or fed conventionally (R) single feeds, ad libitum during rearing and restricted during pregnancy. Choice-fed gilts selected mainly the low protein feed (0.92 of total feed intake) regardless of genotype and had lower protein intakes than R gilts prior to puberty. However, in pregnancy, due to higher feed intakes, C gilts had higher dietary protein and energy intakes than R gilts. C gilts were heavier, and had greater back-fat and eye muscle depth at farrowing than R gilts, but had smaller litter sizes (P < 0.01). During lactation, dietary treatments were reallocated so that gilts received either a low (LE, maintenance + 45 MJ/day) or a high (HE, maintenance + 67 MJ/day) digestible energy intake. Litter size was standardised within 2 days of farrowing. LE gilts had greater decreases in weight and back-fat and eye-muscle depth during lactation than HE gilts, but dietary lactation treatment had no effect on litter performance. The choice-feeding regime which resulted in heavier gilts with greater back-fat and eye-muscle depth at farrowing did not produce any advantage in terms of partitioning of nutrients towards milk production, as indicated by litter performance, irrespective of gilt genotype. F gilts had greater piglet growth rates than L gilts and also had a higher milk protein concentration. A greater number of L than F gilts failed to complete the experiment for health reasons. Treatment effects on glucose tolerance at day 13 of lactation were not significant. Choice-feeding was therefore not found to be suitable for determining nutrient requirements of modern lean-genotype gilts which would improve reproductive performance.