Duration of dietary linseed feeding affects the intramuscular fat, muscle mass and fatty acid composition in pig muscle

Posted in: Meat Quality by admin on January 1, 2008 | No Comments

In the present study, linseed was fed to growing–finishing barrows for three different lengths of time before slaughter at 100 g/kg diet, and the dietary ALA content is calculated to 20 g/kg diet. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of duration of dietary linseed feeding on subcutaneous carcass fat, intramuscular fat and the muscle mass. It was found that feeding a diet of 100 g of linseed/kg to pigs increased the content of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid in muscle and adipose tissue, stimulated intramuscular fat accumulation, and promoted the hypertrophy of the longissimus dorsi muscle, quadriceps femoris muscle mass, and semitendinosus muscle. Further research should be done to identify the effect of dietary n-3 PUFA enrichment in tissues on lipid metabolism related genes in adipose tissue and muscle, respectively.

Consumer knowledge and meat consumption at home and away from home

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This study examines whether or not dietary knowledge affects consumption of beef, pork, poultry, and fish at home differently from it does consumption away from home. It is found that dietary knowledge decreases consumption of beef and pork at home and away from home but does not affect poultry or fish consumption in either location. Men eat more meat and fish than women, meat consumption declines with age, and regional and racial/ethnic differences are present.

When markets move to extremes, fallout is assured and business fatalities become a reality.

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Norlin Gutz has been raising hogs for over 35 years. “I was buying pigs on the open market. Whenever my feed distributor had a finishing tloor come open, I would place the pigs, he would get the feed business and 1 could make a little money, That’s how I got started,” Gutz explains. In 2001, Gutz bought a 1,200-sow unit with a nursery and a house north of Albert Gity, IA. It had set empty for three years,” he notes. “Our costs were below the industry
average. Weaning averages were running at about 9.3 pigs/litter. Even when costs began escalating, our costs were
still below $34/pig. Our facility costs were very low,” he says. The situation took a bad turn in the summer of 2007, however, as Canadians began sending more pigs to the area and pig prices dropped to about $10. In late February, Gutz bad 12,000 pigs on feed on sites that were old and not very efficient, but they were all that was available.
In early March, the local banker that carried the loan asked Gutz to form a liquidation plan. He did. The last sows
farrowed the first week of lune. The unit closes down a month later. Worse yet, Gutz is trying to find positions for eight employees – all hired through the worker exchange program, Gommunicating for Agriculture. “I don’t know where the situation in the livestock business will lead. It has upset the whole structure of the industry. A year to 18 months down the road. I think there will be some terrible consequences for jobs that are related to the livestock industry — especially in Iowa where we are so tied to the livestock industry,” he says. “As for my future, we are still sorting that out. I doubt I will be involved with hogs. It would be hard to get involved again once your heart has been broken.”

Physiological and Productive Responses of Environmental Control on Housed Sows

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Since the 1960’s there have been significant changes in swine housing and management to improve production related to restrictions on animal movement, social interactions, thermal comfort, and welfare (Esmay, 1969; Pinheiro et al., 2002; Tolon, 2002). Current knowledge states that appropriate housing should meet the physiological needs of sows (Rapp et al., 1988; Turner et al., 1998; Bridges et al., 1998; Nääs, 2000). High temperatures affect swine performance, which can be evaluated by physiological response (Curtis, 1983; Perdomo, 1994; Banhazi et al., 2000). When subjected to heat stress sows tend to decrease productivity by reducing feed consumption; reduce reproductive efficiency (Love, 1978; Love, 1981); deliver less piglets (Domínguez, et. al., 1996), and present low performance of piglets at weaning (Mount, 1974; Quiniou & Noblet, 1999; Sousa, 2002; Tolon, 2002; Brown-Brandl & Eigenberg, 2000). Adult sows are more resistant to cold than to excessive heat exposure, benefiting from the use cooling acclimatization in housings (Curtis, 1983; Nääs, 2000; Barbari & Guerri,
2005). Environmental control alleviates heat stress improving productive responses (Müller, 1982; Bortolozzo et al., 1997; Hannas, 1999). Reduction of the heat load can be achieved by properly designed ventilation and cooling systems, in both gestating and nursing housing (Bull et al., 1997; Gates et al., 1991a). Room evaporative cooling and head ventilation systems help reducing the negative effects of high temperatures in farrowing rooms (Dong et al., 2001; Barbari & Guerri, 2005). Misting systems are lower in efficiency when compared to conventional pad systems (Roller & Goldman, 1969; Bottcher et al., 1991) but the equipment noise may cause animal agitation (Barbari & Guerri, 2005). Thermal index evaluation in swine confinement has been used to identify regions suitable for a particular housing design (Turner et al., 1998). This study evaluated the use of distinct environmental cooling equipments on sow performance, both on the gestation and on nursing in open sided housing. Two treatments were tested in the gestation building: natural ventilation and mechanical ventilation associated to fogging; while in the nursing rooms three treatments were tested: natural ventilation; mechanical ventilation; and evaporative cooling with forced ventilation. Sows were randomly chosen from the same genetic lot form six combined treatments. The evaporative cooling system in the farrowing room differed for piglet performances, at birth (4% higher) and on daily weight gain (15% higher), and also for sow physiological response improving the respiratory rate (8%) and back fat thickness (3%), without influencing skin temperature. The use of evaporative cooling directed to the sow head during nursing improved the physiological and productive results.

Net joint kinetics in the limbs of pigs walking on concrete floor in dry and contaminated conditions

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This study had the objective of analyzing the net joint movements and net joint reaction forces (Joint kinetics) in the forelimbs and hindlimbs of pigs walking of solid concrete floors. Also examined was the effect floor conditions had on the joint kinetics of the pigs. It was found that the forelimb joints of the pigs responded more to floor condition than the hindlimb joints, probably because the forelimbs carry more weight. In particular, between the dry and greasy floor conditions, the joint loading differed, most likely because the pigs adapted to a potentially slippery surface.

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

Effect of surgical castration on the behavioural and acute phase responses of 5-day-old piglets

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The objective of this study was to assess the behavioural response to castration of male pigs; and evaluate its effects on levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1b), as well as cortisol; and the acute phase proteins C-reactive protein (CRP), serum amyloid A (SAA) and haptoglobin (Hp). It was found that Castrated piglets tended to have higher cortisol levels than handled pigs. Hence, behavioural observations were useful for evaluating the consequences of surgical castration on the welfare of pigs, indicating that animals undergoing this surgical procedure experience pain and discomfort that is persistent for up to 4 days.

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

Assessment of lactose level in the mid- to late-nursery phase on performance of weanling pigs

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The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of various levels of lactose in diets during week 3 and 4 postweaning. It was concluded that pigs respond to dietary lactose during the mid to latter phase of the nursery period and that the response was obtained under different management and facility conditions.

Determining an optimum lysine:calorie ratio for barrows and gilts in a commercial finishing facility

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The objective of this study was to determine an optimum lysine to calorie ratio for 25-120 kg barrows and gilts in a commercial finishing environment. It is suggested that feed cost per kilogram of gain decreases, and reduction in biological performance and income over feed costs are rather modest when feeding lysine deficient diets early in the growerfinishing period. However, there was severe growth reduction when they were fed marginally deficient lysine diets in the late finishing period.

Effects of coextrusion of flaxseed and field pea on the digestibility of energy, ether extract, fatty acids, protein, and amino acids in grower-finisher pigs

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The objectives of this study were to to determine the ileal and total tract digestibility of individual fatty acids, ether extract, energy, protein, and amino acids in a mix of flax and field peas. This was done to determine if exptrusion improved the nutritional value of this mix. It was concluded that coextrusion of flax and field peas increased digestibility of ether extract, fatty acids, energy and amino acids.

The behaviour of early-weaned piglets following transport: Effect of season and weaning weight

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Two groups of 48 Cotswold piglets were weaned at 1791 d of age and
assigned to road or simulated transport during summer or winter. Following transport (0, 6, 12 or 24 h), piglets were
grouped by weaning weight (light, medium and heavy) in pens of four. Piglet behaviour was recorded on days 1
4, 7 and 14
after weaning and transport. As transport duration increased, drinking behaviour increased (P<0.05). Control (0 h) piglets fed less (1.5%) than transported piglets (3.1%) during the first 3 d in housing. Significant differences were observed on days 2 and 3 only (P<0.02). Across season and transport treatment, heavy piglets spent more time fighting (P<0.005) during the first day in housing, and less time feeding (P<0.05) during the first 3 d in housing compared with light and medium piglets. During the first 3 d in weanling pens, piglets spent less time feeding following road transport (2.4%) than following simulated transport (2.9%, P<0.05). Piglets transported by road also spent more time engaged in oral/nasal behaviour during the first 3 d in housing compared with simulated transport groups, although this reached significance on day 3 only (P<0.05). These results suggest that transport of early-weaned piglets may exacerbate the stress of weaning through additional stress related to factors associated with truck movement, such as noise and vibration, and by imposing an increased risk of dehydration following long journeys (>12 h).