The pig CART (cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript) gene and association of its microsatellite polymorphism with production traits

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The cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) gene is a candidate gene that may affect performance and body composition traits in the pig. The purpose of this study was to establish the chromosomal localization and genomic sequence of the porcine CART gene, search for polymorphism and analyse its phenotypic effect in 644 pigs representing
two breeds, Polish Large White (PLW) and Polish Landrace (PL), and a synthetic line 990 (L990). The study confirmed that chromosome region harbouring the CART gene is a promising quantitative trait loci for pig production traits.

For more information the full article can be found at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1439-0388/issues

Body composition and muscle glycogen contents of piglets of sows fed diets differing in fatty acids profile and contents

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It was hypothesised that the glycogen stores in newborn piglets will be depleted faster in light piglets than in heavy
piglets and that there might be differences regarding composition or relative organ sizes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of level and type of fat in diets for pregnant sows on the typical newborn piglet body composition, proportional organ size and muscle glycogen, and to compare with the extremes regarding body weight in the same litter at one day of age. It was found that the incorporation of fat into the diet during gestation does
not affect piglet body measurements; the present data provide additional information on the depletion of energy
reserves. The decline in muscle glycogen during the immediate postnatal period emphasizes the importance to the
neonatal piglet of an early external energy source. It would appear that sow dietary fat has relatively little effect on
progeny although the fatty acid composition in piglets should be determined.

For more information the full article can be found at http://www.journals.elsevierhealth.com/periodicals/livsci

Carefully planning manure management

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A new large-scale hog operation in North Dakota has carefully planned out its manure management program, and has addressed local concerns in the process. Owner Bruce Gibbens began building the $4 million operation two years ago. Elite Swine Inc contracts Dakota Country Swine LLP to raise and ship its pigs, totaling over 70,000 annually. Knowing up front that 20,000 hogs would be on the site at any one time allowed Gibbens to plan an effective manure
management system. Mikkelsen Construction out of Langdon, ND installed the system at the same time the buildings were being constructed.

Variety of manure management practices

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Due to the size and dispersed nature of its facilities, the Heimerl
hog operation in Ohio uses a variety of manure management
practices—from manure injection to a traveling irrigation gun, to
do the job right. In terms of the timing of application, Heimerl says they avoid
spreading on weekends to keep good relations with neighbors and
pay extra attention to water quality issues and application rates. When attempting to maintain a hog production business with
people
crowding in all around you, it takes an operation of this caliber to
successfully avoid the health and public relations nightmares that
can sometimes develop when city folk get an itch to move to the
country.

How does Air Filtration fit into Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Virus Regional Control and Eradication Strategies?

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If the industry aspires to deal with some of today’s disease problems (particularly PRRS), we need to systematically identify the major obstacles and seek the solutions. The feasibility of controlling the complex diseases we face now and into the future will increasingly depend on uptake of improved technology. Air filtration is an example of how technological advances can alter the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of implementing a regional control program.
However the biggest question is not whether new technologies can assist us in the challenge of disease control in the swine industry; it is whether we are ready to embrace them (Davies 2007). In the long term the greatest challenge will be to foster producer participation, which will ultimately determine the usefulness of any initiative to support
regional disease control. Common sense also must be part of the equation. As of today we have plenty of knowledge and understanding on pathogen transmission and how to prevent it, importance of geographical location, and implementation of effective and not “psychological” biosecurity strategies such as air filtration. So let’s use available, sound information and help our producers on the battle against PRRSV and other economically important pathogens; let them be successful and profitable and may the swine industry shine again!

Nutritional value of flaxseed meal for swine

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Flaxseed meal (FSM) is a by-product of the flax crushing industry and
contains an average of 34% crude protein (CP) and 13% fat on a DM basis.
The CP fraction is characterized by a low lysine content (4.1% of CP) but is
high in tryptophan (1.2%), methionine (1.9%) and threonine (3.7%).
Two experiments were conducted to determine the nutritional profile of FSM
for pigs. In Exp. 1, apparent nutrient digestibilities (AD) and the digestible (DE)
and net (NE) content of FSM were determined. The DE and NE contents were 3.52
and 2.46 Mcal/kg DM for growing pigs and 3.58 and 2.49 Mcal/kg DM for
sows, respectively. In Exp. 2, 5 barrows (38 kg) were fitted with T-cannulas at
their terminal ileum to determine the standardized ileal AA digestibility (SID) of
FSM. The SID AA content (g/kg dry FSM) was 29.6, 5.7, 12.1, 16.8, 10.3,
5.3, 14.0, 9.4, 2.9, 13.8 and 12.2 for Arg, His, Ile, Leu, Lys, Met, Phe, Thr, Trp
and Val respectively. Therefore, FSM contains a comparable nutritional value to that of canola
meal for pigs but with a lower lysine content and higher DE and NE content,
due to its high fat content. The main limiting factor for its use in swine nutrition
could be its low lysine content.

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AASV To Release H1N1 Recommendations

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The American Association of Swine Veterinarians will release a document with recommendations on the Pandemic H1N1 disease and the risk it poses to the U.S. swine herd, according to Rodney “Butch” Baker, DVM, AASV president. The document will be available to veterinarians and producers by early August. The Pandemic H1N1 virus has never been found in U.S. pigs. “Based on current research with the virus, it has been determined that the virus is infectious in pigs and it will likely spread if it does enter our pig population,” Baker reports. Further, it has been determined that pork from influenza-recovered pigs is completely safe. “We are certain that swine influenza viruses will not enter the food chain from pigs that have recovered from this virus,” he continues. All pigs harvested in the U.S. must be healthy at the time of slaughter. All pigs are inspected by government Food Safety Inspection Service veterinarians to assure this.
The virus will not be present in the meat.

Land-Use Credits to Corn Ethanol: Accounting for Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles as a Feed Substitute in Swine Rations

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First, we estimate displacement rates and land-use credits from optimal feed rations derived from a least-cost optimization rather than from feeding trial rations. We find that using feed ration changes from feeding trials and using changes between optimal feed rations may give comparable displacement rates in the case of a swine feed ration because DDGS is a dominant feed ingredient such that regardless of the variable nutrient profile outcomes, the maximum inclusion rate for DDGS is always reached in the optimal feed ration.
Second, absent any efficiency improvement impact in the use of DDGS, we propose an approach to calculate displacement rates that takes into account all changes in feed ingredients when DDGS is introduced in the ration. This approach imposes a bound on displacement rates between zero and one. Third, we fully account for DDGS nutrient profile variability and characterize displacement rates and land-use credits with a distribution rather than a single point estimate. The total land-use credit for DDGS in a swine feed ration ranges from -0.367 to -0.596 hectares. The land-use credit from substituting corn in the feed ration accounts for 56.09% and for soymeal it contributes 48.46%.
Finally, we consider and analyze the possibility that feed compounders may discount the DDGS nutrient profile that they assume when they formulate their ration to ensure that they are at or above any realized nutrient profile at a certain probability, which we refer to as the safety level (say 90%). At this safety level, the land-use credit for corn ethanol declines by 8.47% from the mean in the swine ration case.

Effects of variations in the environment, length of journey and type of trailer on the mortality and morbidity of pigs being transported to slaughter

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The objective of this study was to record a range of variables that might be involved when transporting pigs under
commercial conditions. It was found that temperatures below 5°C (especially when there is no bedding in the trailer) and above 20°C, journeys lasting 30 minutes to four hours, waiting times at the processing plant longer than four hours, journeys during October, November and December, and transporting trailer loads of pigs of both sexes were all factors that could adversely affect the welfare of pigs being transported to slaughter.

For more information the full article can be found at http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/by/year

Effect of dietary supplementation with inulin and/or benzoic acid on the incidence and severity of post-weaning diarrhoea in weaner pigs after experimental challenge with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli

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Given the purported different modes of action against PWD and gastrointestinal sites where inulin and benzoic acid are effective, we hypothesised that feeding weaner pigs with diets supplemented with inulin and benzoic acid is a means to reduce ETEC colonisation and the incidence of PWD. Accordingly, this experiment was designed to evaluate whether dietary supplementation with 8% inulin and/or 0.5% benzoic acid would reduce ETEC colonisation and subsequently the frequency and severity of PWD under the conditions of an experimental ETEC challenge. The study found that feeding inulin-supplemented diets reduced the incidence and severity of PWD in weaner pigs experimentally challenged with live ETEC. Dietary modulation with inulin and benzoic acid failed to reduce average ETEC shedding, although a significant relationship occurred between average FC and average faecal shedding of ETEC. Overall this study suggests that feeding weaner pigs an inulin-supplemented diet has potential to reduce the incidence and severity of PWD in pigs without reducing the weaner pig performance.

For more information the full article can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/gaan20