Dietary Omega-6 to Omega-3 Fatty Acid Ratios Affect Sow Reproduction and Piglet Performance

Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Prairie Swine Centre by admin on August 9, 2011 | No Comments

An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of altering the omega-6 (n-6) to omega-3 (n-3) fatty acid (FA) ratio in sow diets on their reproductive performances. Production in the farrowing room was optimal when sows consumed a plant oil based ratio of 5:1 n-6:n-3. The long term feeding of sows with varied dietary n-6 and n-3 fatty acids can affect her reproductive performances, and the performance of her offspring.

Dietary Omega-6 to Omega-3 Fatty Acid Ratios Affect Colostrum, Sow and Piglet Plasma Fatty Acid Profiles

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An experiment was conducted to determine the eff ects of altering the omega-6 (n-6) to omega-3 (n-3) fatty acid (FA) ratio in sow diets on the FA profile of colostrum, and sow and piglet plasma. A reduction in the n-6:n-3 ratio improved circulating levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and α-linolenic acid (ALA) in both sows and piglets, indicating that the FA ratio is an important factor for increasing conversion of ALA into its longer chain counterparts.

Literature Review and Needs Assessment of Housing Systems for Gestating Sows in Group Pens with Individual Feeding

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In the U.S., the public has expressed concern over the use of sow gestation stalls via ballot measures in a number of states. Likewise, large companies such as Smithfield Foods and Canada’s Maple Leaf Foods are voluntarily restricting the use of gestation stalls by 2017.  Gestation stalls have already been banned in the U.K. since 1999, with the rest of Europe phasing them out by 2013, and Australia by 2017. On the surface, it may appear that this is a step towards improving the welfare of gestating sows, however, animal welfare is a multi-faceted concept and scientific data is needed to assess all components.  This article describes some of the literature that assesses the different housing systems for gestating sows.

Comparative Evaluation of the Use of Heat Exchanger, Ground Source Heat Pump and Conventional Heating Systems in Grow-Finish Rooms

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A heat exchanger and a ground source heating system were fitted to grow-fi nish rooms in the PSCI Floral barn to evaluate their performance in comparison with a conventional forced-air convection heater.  Data from one heating season showed that the  use of heat exchanger and ground source heat pump led to 52% and 39% reduction in energy consumption for heating and ventilation, respectively, compared to the conventional heater.

Food Court Design for Large Group Auto-Sort for Grow-Finish Pigs

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This project studied the behaviour and productivity of pigs in large group auto-sort (LGAS) systems using two diff erent food-court designs. Compared to conventional pens we found that pigs in LGAS modified their feeding behaviour by having fewer (5 vs 10-15) and longer meals. Pigs made use of all of the available feeder spaces within the food courts, visiting several each day, however some had difficulty learning to enter and leave the food court. For successful management of LGAS systems, producers should ensure an adequate number of feeder spaces, sufficient room to move in the food court and training methods to facilitate use of the auto-sort scale.

Effects of Temperament and Floor Space Allowance on Sows at Grouping

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Many North American producers are anticipating a change to group housing for sows. The overall purpose of this study was to determine how to reduce the stress of mixing sows by altering space allowance, and social groups. We also studied how space can influence behaviour and aggression within a goup. The largest space requirement occurred between midnight and 8am when the highest percentage of sows were lying laterally. From a purely physical perspective the sows would require 1.51m2/sow, however this does not account for any movement or interactions between individuals. When sows were initially grouped, they showed a higher occurrence of injury scores (P<0.001) and a greater number of fights (P<0.001) compared to the stable groups (3 weeks post-mixing).  Most fi ghting and injuries occurred within 24 hours of mixing. There was not a significant difference between either injury score and number of fights with the different space allowances. Passive/shy sows appeared to show a reduced stress response compared with active/bold sows.

Evaluation of Methods for Controlling and Monitoring Occupational Exposure of Workers in Swine Facilities

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This study was aimed to assess the effectiveness of canola oil sprinkling, low crude protein diet, high level of cleaning and manure pH manipulation, in reducing ammonia and respirable dust concentrations in swine production rooms.  Among the control measures tested, low protein diet reduced ammonia concentrations while canola oil sprinkling tended to result in lower respirable dust levels. Personal monitoring showed higher level of worker exposure compared to area sampling. Ammonia gas monitors yielded higher readings than the standard (NIOSH) method.

Effects of Altering the Omega-6 to Omega-3 Fatty Acid Ratio in Sow Diets on the Immune Responses of their Offspring Post-Weaning

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An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of altering the omega-6 (n-6) to omega-3 (n-3) fatty acid (FA) ratio in sow diets on the immune responses of their off spring post-weaning. Piglets were subjected to an immune challenge by injecting lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a component of gram-negative bacteria which triggers an immune response. Weanling pigs produced from sows consuming different n-6:n-3 FA ratios respond differently to an LPS induced immune challenge. This allows us to conclude that the FA profile of a sows diet may affect the response of her offspring to immune challenges which occur regularly at the time of weaning.

Development of Diets for Low Birth-Weight Piglets to Improve Post-Weaning Growth Performance and Optimize Net Returns to the Producer

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An experiment which utilized 17 weeks of production was designed to examine the response of weanling pigs to diet complexity.  Piglets were divided at weaning (28 days) into heavy or light body weights and fed either a simple diet for 14 days or a complex diet for 1 or 4 days, followed by the simple diet. Feeding the complex diet for 4 days improved growth performance for the first week following weaning when compared to feeding it for 0 or 1 day. Pigs which were lighter at birth, lost less body weight at weaning, and showed a greater positive response to the complex diet than heavier birth-weight pigs. Phase 1 diet could be used more efficiently and cost effectively by targeting it specifically to the lighter pigs at weaning.

Effects of ad libitum and restricted feed intake on growth performance and body composition of Yorkshire pigs selected for reduced residual feed intake

Posted in: Production by admin on August 8, 2011 | No Comments

Residual feed intake (RFI), defined as the difference in the observed and expected feed intake while accounting for growth and backfat, has gained much attention, but little is known about why pigs selected for reduced RFI are more efficient. To this end, a line of Yorkshire pigs selected for reduced RFI was developed. The objective of this study was to evaluate the 5th generation of this select line against a randomly selected control line for performance, carcass and chemical carcass composition, and overall efficiency toward the later part of the growth phase. Eighty barrows, 40 from each line, were paired by age (~132 d) and BW (74.8 kg) and randomly assigned to 1 of 4 feeding treatments in 10 replicates: 1) ad libitum, 2) 75% of ad libitum, 55% of ad libitum, and BW stasis, with weekly adjustments in intake to keep BW constant for each pig. Pigs were individually penned (group housing was used for selection) and on treatment for 6 wk. Initial BW did not differ between the lines. The ad libitum select pigs consumed 10% less feed than the ad libitum control with no significant difference in BW and slight differences in carcass fat composition and backfat, which resulted in significantly less carcass energy. Under restricted feeding, the select line had an increase in BW while consuming the same ration of feed as the control line with no significant difference in chemical carcass composition and lighter visceral weights, which was significant for the 75% of ad libitum treatment. Under BW stasis feeding the select line consumed 7.6% less feed overall and 18% less feed at the end of the 6 wk, to maintain static BW with no significant difference in chemical carcass composition compared with the control line. Overall, the select line had lighter visceral weight and a greater dressing percentage compared with the control line. Using regression, the select line had reduced energy retention and feed energy utilization; however, the select line appeared to have reduced maintenance requirements. In conclusion, selection for reduced RFI decreases feed intake with no significant difference in growth performance, reduced backfat, increased dressing percentage, and reduced maintenance requirements. All of these traits are appealing to the producer and result in increased profits in the production setting.

For more information the full article can be found at http://jas.fass.org/