Influence of extruded linseed on growth, carcass composition, and meat quality of slaughtered pigs at one hundred ten and one hundred sixty kilograms of liveweight

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

The objective of this experiment was to determine the effects of dietary extruded linseed, an n-3 PUFA on growth performance, carcass composition, meat quality, and oxidative stability of pigs slaughtered at 111 kg and 160 kg approximately. This was done because there has been much interest in ways to manipulate the fatty acid composition of meat as the Western diet is characterized by a high intake of SFA relative to PUFA, and the consumption of n-3 PUFA is decreased realtive to n-6 PUFA. This study shows that the inclusion of linseed in swine diets may in fact improve the fatty acid profile of pork without significantly affecting oxidation or color stability. Thus, this type of feeding practice may improve human health based on the n-6:n-3 PUFA ration recommended for the human diet.

How pigs are handled on the farm can affect meat quality

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Proper nutrition and proper on-farm handling affect
meat quality.
Those are two firm outcomes of a three-year study led
by Prof. Peter Purslow, acting Associate Dean (Research and
Innovation) for the Ontario Agricultural College and Professor,
Department of Food Science, University of Guelph.
The study, which will be completed this summer with a final
look at nutrition, included 648 slaughter pigs from 27 groups
of pigs representing a large number of commercial operations
and processing days, as well as some pigs from research farms.

Farm Animal Welfare and Quality Verification

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Existing empirical evidence suggests that farm animal welfare may not be a top-of-mind issue for many consumers in North America. Nevertheless, there is pressure from animal welfare groups on food retailers and processors to implement more stringent requirements for their suppliers. Is the demand for more stringent animal welfare protocols primarily determined by a subset of consumers with very strong preferences or by an underlying change in consumer and societal preferences? Who do consumers trust for credible quality assurances with respect to farm animal welfare attributes? This paper provides a basis for further analysis of these issues. The roles of different stakeholders in delivering farm animal welfare quality assurances to consumers are first discussed. Then a social welfare analysis of the Canadian market for animal friendly pork is presented under different scenarios with respect to the strength of consumer preferences and the existence of voluntary standards versus mandatory standards. The analysis suggests that a situation of voluntary labelling that is reasonably credible is desirable as it maximizes the welfare that accrues to all players on the market. Furthermore, this scenario allows heterogeneous consumers to choose between different combinations of price and quality according to their preferences. The paper concludes with suggestions for further research.

Effect of dietary soybean oil and soybean protein concentration on the concentration of digestible amino acids in soybean products fed to growing pigs

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The apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of amino acids by growing pigs is increased if oil is added to the diet (Li and Sauer, 1994; Albin et al., 2001). Standardized ileal digestibility values (SID) for crude protein and amino acids take into account the amino acid contributions of endogenous origins, and values for SID are more accurate estimates of the digestibility of amino acids in a feed ingredient compared with values for AID (Stein et al., 2007). However, there is limited information about the effect of dietary oil on the SID of amino acids in soybean products fed to pigs. It has been suggested (NRC, 1998) that the digestibility of amino acids in full-fat soybeans (FFSB) is less than in soybean meal (SBM) and soy protein concentrate (SPC). This is surprising because full-fat soybeans contain more oil than SBM and SPC (Cromwell, 2000; Zarkadas and Wiseman, 2005), and it would, therefore, be expected that the digestibility of amino acids in FFSB is greater than in defatted soybean products. Because increased protein concentration in soybeans is often accompanied by a reduced concentration of oil (Yaklich, 2001), the digestibility of amino acids in high-protein soybean varieties may be different from the digestibility in conventional varieties. The objective of this experiment was to measure the effect of oil addition to SBM and SPC on AID and SID of crude protein and amino acids by growing pigs and to compare these values to the AID and SID for crude protein and amino acids in FFSB. The second objective was to compare the digestibility of amino acids and the concentration of digestible amino acids in a new high-protein variety of FFSB (FFSB-HP) to values obtained in conventional sources of FFSB (FFSB-CV), SBM, and SPC. Four diets were prepared using each soybean product as the sole source of crude protein and amino acids in 1 diet. Two additional diets were formulated by adding soybean oil (7.55 and 7.35%, respectively) to the diets containing SBM and SPC. A nitrogen-free diet was also used to measure basal endogenous losses of crude protein and amino acids. The 2 sources of FFSB were extruded at 150°C before being used in the experiment. Seven growing barrows (initial BW = 26.2 kg) were prepared with a T-cannula in the distal ileum and allotted to a 7 × 7 Latin square design. Ileal digesta were collected from the pigs on day 6 and 7 of each period. All digesta samples were lyophilized and analyzed for DM, crude protein, amino acids, and chromium, and values for AID and SID of crude protein and amino acids were calculated. The addition of oil improved (P < 0.05) the SID of most indispensable amino acids in SBM and SPC. The SID for 6 of the indispensable amino acids in FFSB-HP were greater than in FFSB-CV, and the SID for all indispensable amino acids except Met was greater in FFSB-HP than in SBM. However, the SID for most amino acids in FFSB-HP was similar to SBM with oil and SPC, but these values were lower than in SPC with oil. In conclusion, the addition of oil improved the SID of most amino acids in SBM and SPC fed to growing pigs, and the SID of amino acids in FFSB-HP were greater than in SBM and similar to the SID of amino acids in SBM with oil and in SPC.

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

Comparing fogging strategies for pig rearing using simulations to determine apparent heat-stress indices

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Strategies to reduce the apparent heat-stress indices inside a growing pig building were compared. Two fogging strategies were studied, fogging with the necessary water evaporating to give the same: (i) duration of heat-stress, ‘FDuration’, and (ii) intensity of heat-stress, ‘FIntensity’, as when using evaporative pads, ‘EPads’. For the whole 5-month period (May–September) under Greek summer conditions strategy ‘FIntensity’ was significantly better than strategy ‘FDuration’ in terms of heat-stress duration (Po0.05; reduction 45.1%) and heat-stress intensity (Po0.01; reduction 70.7%). Also, during the hottest day (Julian 176) it resulted in: (i) a lower daily average inside temperature (28.5 vs. 31.8 1C; reduction 10.4%), (ii) a smaller daily inside dry-bulb temperature variation (8.7 vs. 10.3 1C; reduction 15.5%)
and (iii) a higher reduction of peak outside temperature (36.8 1C at 14:00 h), namely 2.9 vs. 0.2 1C, respectively. For both strategies and heat-stress indices July was the most stressful month and May the mildest. In areas characterised by high outside temperatures and scarce water resources strategy ‘FIntensity’ should be implemented with caution as larger water quantities, in comparison to strategy ‘FDuration’, need to evaporate.

For more information the full article can be found at  http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/15375110

A comparison of the effects of dietary spray-dried bovine colostrum and animal plasma on growth and intestinal histology in weaner pigs

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This study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of dietary spray-dried plasma from two species (bovine and porcine) alongside spray-dried bovine colostrum in pigs weaned at 21 days of age, investigating the effect of these ingredients on small intestine histology, morphology and some indices of intestinal inflammation. It was found that compared to results from the control treatment, dietary spray-dried bovine colostrum reduced small intestine villus height at the site 25% along the small intestine, but increased it at the 75% site, whereas spray-dried bovine plasma increased villus height in the 25% and 75% sites, and spray-dried porcine plasma had no effect on villus height in any sampled region of the small intestine. Further research is needed to determine whether they are indeed functional alternatives, and where their similarities and differences may lie.

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

Evaluation of NutriDense low-phytate corn and added fat in growing and finishing swine diets

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This study evaluates the effects of NutriDense low phytate corn in conjunction with increasing added dietary fat on growing and finishing pig performance. The results indicate that increasing added fat improved growth performance regardless of the corn source. In addition, growth performance was similar for pigs fed NutriDense low-phytate or yellow dent corn.

Effects of neonatal iron status, iron injections at birth, and weaning in young pigs from sows fed either organic or inorganic trace minerals

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In this study second-partiy sows were fed diets containing organic or inorganic trace minerals, and their progeny were used to determine the iron (Fe) status of pigs at birth and nursing and postweaning phases. The results indicated a reduced Fe bioavailability when sows were fed the organic fe source, but this could also been because of a greater Fe need, lowered Fe status, or both, for the sow because of the greater number of pigs farrowed and heavier litter weights at parturition and weaning. It is also concludeed that Fe injection at birth may be critical to achieving maximum pig growth response to weaning. There was no apparent advantage to injecting fe at weaning when neonatal pigs received Fe injections.

The effects of R-salbutamol on behavior and physiology of finishing pigs

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Salbutamol has potential for use as a
repartioning agent in swine. The aims of this experiment
were to determine effects of salbutamol on behavior
and physiology of finishing pigs. The study used
192 pigs (88.8 ± 0.9 kg of BW) housed in groups of 6
in 32 pens and assigned to 1 of 4 treatments: 1) control—
0 mg/kg of salbutamol, 2) 2R—control diet with
2 mg/kg of the pure R-enantiomer of salbutamol, 3)
4R—control diet with 4 mg/kg of pure R-salbutamol, or
4) 8RS—control diet with 8 mg/kg of a 50:50 mixture
of the R- and S-enantiomers. All diets were offered ad
libitum for 4 wk. Salbutamol diets were replaced with
control diets 24 to 48 h before slaughter. Behavioral
responses to handling during weighing were recorded
immediately before assignment to the treatments (wk
0) and at weekly intervals over the next 4-wk period.
Behavioral and heart rate (HR) responses to a 10-min
human presence test in the home pen were measured
during wk 0, wk 1, and wk 3. Heart rate responses to
a 36-min transportation were recorded. One pig from
each pen had blood collected 4 times: during wk 0, 2, 4,
and at exsanguination. Blood was analyzed for NEFA,
creatine kinase, glucose, lactate, blood urea nitrogen,
ammonia, insulin, cortisol, norepinephrine, and epinephrine.
Data were analyzed using PROC GLM of
SAS, with pen as the experimental unit. Treatment
had no effect on time spent lying laterally, overall activity,
or time spent alert. Treatment had no effect on
handling measures (P > 0.05) or on behavioral responses
to human presence (P > 0.05), with all pigs willing
to spend similar amounts of time close to and touching
the human. However, during the human presence
test in wk 1 and wk 3, control pigs had HR around 10
peats per minute less (P < 0.05) than pigs in the other 3 treatments. During transport, overall HR were similar across treatments (P > 0.05). However, at certain 1-min
time points, control pigs had greater HR than salbutamol-
treated pigs (P < 0.05). There were no treatment differences in lactate, epinephrine, or norepinephrine concentrations at any point. During wk 4, control pigs had less creatine kinase (P < 0.02) and greater blood urea nitrogen (P < 0.005) compared with pigs fed all the salbutamol treatments. The home pen behavior, handling, human presence test, and transport results indicate that salbutamol-treated pigs do not show marked differences in home pen time budgets and behavioral and HR responses to handling and transportation compared with control pigs. Thus, salbutamol did not have a negative effect on finishing pig well-being during this study.

The effect of feeding crude glycerol on growth performance and nutrient digestibility in weaned pigs

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The effects of substituting wheat with
crude glycerol as a dietary energy source were evaluated. Seventy-two weaned pigs were fed for 4 wk one of three pelleted
wheat-based diets containing 0, 4, or 8% glycerol and formulated to 2.28 Mcal kg1 net energy (NE) and 5.02 g
standardized ileal digestible lysine Mcal NE. For day 0 to 28, body weight increased linearly (P=0.04); pigs fed 8%
glycerol were 1.11 kg heavier than pigs fed 0% glycerol. Glycerol inclusion tended to increase average daily gain linearly
(P=0.066) and increased average daily feed intake quadratically (P=0.037) without affecting feed efficiency (P=0.10).
Feeding up to 8% dietary crude glycerol by substituting wheat can enhance the growth performance of weaned pigs.