Measuring intestinal blood flow in group-housed weaner pigs using Physiogear™ I: A pilot study

The objective of this study was to determine whether intestinal blood flow can be measured adequately in group-housed animals using the recently developed Physiogear™ I wireless flowmeter. We used the weaner pig as one of many possible animal models. Four 7-kg piglets were instrumented with a 3-mm flowprobe around the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) and SMA flow was measured pre- and post-weaning. During measurements, behavior was recorded. The piglets did not show any abnormal behavior and were not restrained by the flowmeter. Severe reductions (> 75%) in SMA flow coincided with nursing (pre-weaning) and aggressive behavior (post-weaning) and were only short-lived. Our results demonstrate that the Physiogear™ I flowmeter can be used to measure flow in group-housed animals without any human contact, providing the opportunity to relate flow measurements to undisturbed animal behavior.     

Are compensatory live weight gains observed in pigs following lysine restriction during the weaner phase?

Despite a large amount of work on compensatory growth in pigs it continues to be poorly understood with many conflicting reports. The aim of this work was to conduct four similar trials using the same genotype of pig, facilities, feed and growth restriction period to determine whether it was possible to obtain consistent results using a constant trial set-up. A total of 576 pigs (Hampshire sire×(Large White×Landrace) dam) were used. Pigs were weaned onto trial at 26.8±0.11 (mean±SE) days of age at a mean weight of 8.1±0.07 kg and remained on trial until slaughter, approximately 150.9±0.66 days of age at a mean weight of 98.4±0.65 kg. In each of the four trials the restriction period was for 3 weeks immediately following weaning. Pigs received either a high (Control; 17.5 g/kg) or a low (weaner restrict (WR); 8.0 g/kg) lysine diet during these 3 weeks, all pigs then received a high lysine diet up until slaughter, 15.5 and 12.0 g/kg of lysine for the grower and finisher diets respectively. Pigs from trial 1 ate (P<0.001) and gained (P<0.001) more throughout the weaner stage than all other trials. Growth performance was successfully reduced during the weaner phase. WR pigs grew more slowly (P<0.001) and less efficiently (P<0.001) than Control pigs. WR pigs from trial 1 demonstrated compensatory gains throughout the grower stage, growing 6% faster than Control pigs from trial 1 due to an improvement in feed efficiency (P<0.001). WR pigs from trial 2 demonstrated compensatory gains during the finisher stage, increasing their rate of gain by 7.0% compared to Control pigs from trial 2 again due to an improvement in feed efficiency (P<0.1). However previous lysine restriction did not result in compensatory growth in trials 3 and 4. WR pigs from trials 3 (P<0.05) and 4 (P<0.1) had a lower feed intake compared to Control pigs during the grower stage and an overall lower lysine intake throughout the trial (P<0.05; P<0.05). Although pigs from trials 1 and 2 demonstrated compensatory growth following a reduction in performance when dietary lysine levels as low as 8.0 g/kg lysine were fed for a period of 3 weeks immediately post-weaning, pigs from experiments 3 and 4 did not, thus compensatory growth was not consistently observed.     

Growth performance,apparent nutrient digestibility,caecal fermentation,ileal morphology and caecal microflora of growing rabbits fed diets containing probiotics and prebiotics

Ninety eight male, mixed breed weaner rabbits were used in a 70 day feeding trial to study the performance, apparent nutrient digestibility, caecal fermentation, ileal morphology and caecal microflora of growing rabbits fed diets containing Prediococcus acidilactis (1×10¹⁰ cfu/g; 0.5 g/kg), Bacillus cereus (1×10⁹ cfu/g; 0.5 g/kg), mannan oligosaccharides (MOS; 1 g/kg), arabinoxylans oligosaccharides (AX; 1 g/kg), oxytetracycline (1 g/kg), or synbiotics (TGI; 1 g/kg). A basal diet containing no feed additive was formulated. There were 14 rabbits per treatment. Rabbits fed diets containing MOS had the highest (P<0.05) final live weight and weight gain. Dietary inclusion of prebiotics (MOS, AX) resulted in higher (P<0.05) weight gains and improved feed to gain ratios. Rabbits fed diets containing MOS showed the highest (P<0.05) while those fed diets containing probiotics (Prediococcus acidilactis, Bacillus cereus) had the least (P<0.05) caecal total volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentration. Rabbits fed diets containing prebiotics (MOS, AX) had longer ileal villi than groups fed with other treatments (P<0.05). Inclusion of various additives showed reduced caecal coliform counts. The lowest (P<0.05) lactobacillus count was obtained in the caecal content of rabbits fed diets containing MOS. Poor growth response was obtained with rabbits fed diets containing Prediococcus acidilactis or Bacillus cereus while inclusion of prebiotics in growing rabbits resulted in improved growth and gut morphology. Rabbits fed diet containing MOS showed the highest overall final live weight, weight gain, total VFA concentration and reduced caecal lactobacillus count.     

益生菌复合发酵料对断奶仔猪消化环境、血清生化指标和代谢激素水平的影响

为了探讨益生菌复合发酵料对断奶仔猪消化环境、血清生化指标和代谢激素水平的影响,选择遗传背景相似、平均体质量为(8.55±0.59)kg的断奶长×大仔猪120头,分为2个处理(对照组和试验组),每个处理6个重复,每个重复10头;对照组饲喂含抗生素的基础日粮,试验组饲喂90%无抗基础日粮+10%益生菌复合发酵料。分别在仔猪28、44和75日龄从每个重复中随机选择2头仔猪采血,进行血清生化和代谢激素指标检测,其中1头屠宰,进行胃肠液pH测定。结果显示:与对照组相比,试验组断奶仔猪胃肠液pH分别下降12.26%和9.11%;在44和75日龄,血清葡萄糖(GLU)浓度分别提高7.63%和3.93%,甘油三酯(TG)浓度分别提高25.71%和27.54%,尿素氮(BUN)浓度分别降低7.15%和5.85%,总蛋白(TP)质量浓度分别提高16.20%和15.91%,球蛋白(GLB)质量浓度分别提高87.40%和51.26%;白/球比(A/G)显著降低;试验组谷丙转氨酶(ALT)、谷草转氨酶(AST)和乳酸脱氢酶(LDH)的活性无显著变化,但AST/ALT的比值降低,并在75日龄达到显著水平;试验组碱性磷酸酶(ALP)活性显著低于对照组;试验组促甲状腺激素(TSH)、甲状腺激素(T4)、三碘甲状腺原氨酸(T3)、胰岛素(INS)和生长激素(GH)的水平变化不显著,但除T4外,其他指标均呈上升趋势。结果表明,添加益生菌复合发酵饲料可以增强断奶仔猪营养素的合成代谢能力,促进营养素在体内的沉积,从而有利于断奶仔猪的生长,提高生产性能和机体免疫力。     

酸化饲料对断奶仔猪体内大肠菌群的影响

作者在给断奶仔猪饲喂不同pH值(酸结合力)的饲料后，认真地研究了仔猪体内大肠菌群的动态变化。通过对168头仔猪进行分组试验，分别饲喂不同pH值(酸结合力)的饲料，并在饲喂3d和10d后，对仔猪进行随机抽样，分别采集仔猪的粪样以及胃内食糜做检样。结果证实，在仔猪日粮中加入2％的柠檬酸(pH=4．51)能明显地改善断乳仔猪肠道内的大肠杆菌数量，可明显地降低大肠杆菌病的发生。