Fibre and Enzymes

Posted in: Prairie Swine Centre by admin on January 1, 2001 | No Comments

Fibre content of cereal grains can be quite variable and are related to changes in digestible energy (DE) content. Because fibre content and DE are related, DE can be predicted using fibre analyses. Pigs, especially young pigs, have a limited capacity to digest fibre as they do not produce the proper enzymes. Therefore, pigs are entirely dependant on the large intestine for fibre digestion by intestinal bacteria. This process produces volatile fatty acids which are available for use as energy sources. This system is not nearly as efficient a use of energy compared to glucose absorption. Improvement of efficiency of overall energy utilization can be achieved through dietary enzyme supplementation. The supplemental enzymes are able to digest part of the fibre complex and may improve digestion of energy and amino acids for diets high in wheat or barley. A lack of response to these enzymes may be due to lower than average dietary fibre content. This study used two qualities of barely, low and high. Supplemental enzymes improved the low quality barley more than the high quality barley. However, the amount of energy digested by the small intestine was improved for both samples. It is essential that fibre analyses be apart of grain sample evaluation as the effect of enzyme supplementation depends on the sample. Overall, enzyme supplementation can be used to reduce the negative effects of fibre on nutrient digestibility.

Dietary particle size and nutrient supply affect nitrogen excretion

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Diets based on barley and peas ground to two particle sizes and with one of two diet formulations (either limiting in energy or amino acids) were fed to cannulated grower pigs. Energy digestibility was affected by particle size but not diet formulation. Total nitrogen excretion was affected by diet formulation, but not by particle size.

The effect of duration and temperature of simulated transport on the performance of early-weaned piglets.

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The response and tolerance of early-weaned piglets to transport are not well documented. It is believed that the additive stress incurred by transporting early-weaned pigs predisposes them to increased disease risk and compromised performance. The objective of this work was to investigate the relationship between two primary transportation stressors, duration and temperature, and their effects on piglet performance. Prior to housing on flatdecks at 30 oC, transport was simulated by placing 17-d old weaned piglets into wooden boxes of dimensions 1.2 x 1.2 x 1.0 m (space allowance range 0.18 to 0.36 m2 / pig) with straw bedding. Tow trials were conducted. In each trial, 96 piglets were randomly mixed in groups of four and assigned to the following simulated transport duration: no transport (control), 6 h, 12 h and 24 h. Piglets undergoing transport simulation were kept at one of the following temperatures 20, 25, 30 and 35 oC. There was a significant interactive effect between transport duration and transport temperature upon live weight change in the first 24 h. The animals that incurred the greatest weight deficit after weaning relative to untransported control groups were predominantly either those that had been transported for 24 h at high temperature (35 and 30 oC) or those transported for 6 h at 20 oC and 35 oC. The effect of simulated transport was measurable for up to 5 d post transport. However, by 14 d post transport there was no detectable influence of transport treatment on feed consumption or weight gain. The study found pigs are able to recover and perform adequately in the early post-weaning period if extremes of transport duration and temperature are avoided.

Influence of vertical panels on use of space by domestic fowl.

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In the wild, cover is used by animals to seek shelter from the elements, protection from predators and aggressive conspecifics and as a way to reduce inter-animal communication. Rearing environments for captive raised fowl often contain open areas that are lacking in complexity and that are greatly underused. As a result, use of space within pen-type enclosures is often not uniform. This paper investigates the effect of increased environmental complexity on the use of space by broilers. The experiment consisted of three cover treatments (mesh panel, frame panels and no cover) and three group sizes (80, 110 and 140). The vertical panels, constructed of PVC piping, were positioned in pen centers, while the pen centers in the no cover treatment were left empty. It was hypothesized that the provision of vertical panels to pen centers would attract birds into the central space and would lead to a more uniform distribution of birds. Using a grid-coordinate system set up in each pen, scan samples were taken on the use of space in each pen four times per day, 3 days per week from 5 to 44 days of age. Use of space in the central region for the two cover treatments was significantly higher than for the no cover treatment (P < 0.0001). The effect of cover treatment on the mean percentage of birds using the central space was influenced by age (P < 0.0001) and by group size (P < 0.05). Differences in the use of space between the frame and mesh treatment were only found during week 1. In the side, end and middle regions surrounding the panels, use of space was influenced by cover treatment and age (P < 0.0001). Over 80% of the use of pen center occurred at the ends and sides of the panels. These results support the hypothesis that the presence of vertical panels results in a more uniform distribution of birds within the pen by increasing the number of birds using the center.

Effects of two stall flooring systems on the behaviour of tied dairy cows.

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This study examined two types of flooring for dairy tie stalls. Cattle may be kept in tie stalls for several months of the year. In this study, 42 cows were housed in stalls having either conventional solid floors (concrete with a rubber mat and a small amount of bedding) or a newly developed slatted floor (matted front by rear third consisted of rubber slats). Animals were able to stand and lie down easily on both floors, without slipping. Cows on the rubber mats spent less time in the preparation stage of lying down, which the authors suggest indicates a greater degree of comfort in the new stalls.

Effects of milking frequency on lying down and getting up behaviour in dairy cows.

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Milk yield per cow has increased dramatically during past decades in many countries. Several studies have shown that a more frequent milking will increase the milk yield. Besides a possible economic benefit of a higher milking frequency, there may be other advantages to the individual high-producing cow, such as increased lying comfort. Cows with filled udders may have greater difficulty in performing certain movements, such as lying down and getting up. The objective of this study was to investigate if cows milked twice per day have more difficulty lying down and getting up and spend less time lying than cows milked three times per day. Seventeen cows of the Swedish Red and White Cattle Breed were studied, seven of which were milked twice daily (2M) and ten were milked three times (3M) daily. They were kept in individual cubicles, that were closed in the rear end with a rope. They had free access to a mixture of silage, hay and concentrate. The individual cows were video-recorded for 24 h every fourth week, starting four weeks after calving for four times. The 2M cows stood significantly longer than the 3M cows during the 4 h before morning milking. The 2M cows also had a tendency for longer duration of standing rumination as well as significantly more bouts of standing rumination during these hours than 3M cows. The cows in the 3M group spent less time on the getting up movement during the 4 h before morning milking. The distribution of the lying bouts during these 4 h differed significantly between the groups where the 3M cows had fewer lying bouts shorter than 15 min and more lying bouts longer than 90 min. The results of this study indicate that milking three times a day contributes to increased comfort in high-producing dairy cows.

Critical control points for on-farm assessment of pig housing.

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This paper focuses on assessment of pig housing in Europe. Factors that are becoming more important in the assessment of pig housing include: the care of animals and the environment, health, product safety and consumer acceptance. It is likely that documentation and certification will be required as part of a quality assurance program based on international standards. Critical control points (CCP, based on the Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Point concept) have already been defined for the food processing sector. In order to objectively assess pig housing based on scientific data, these CCP need to be defined. The ‘Animal Husbandry and Animal Welfare Group’ in Germany have been working on the ‘Assessment of Animal Housing and Management according to Welfare and Environmental Criteria’. This group has established CCP and critical management points (CMP) for health, behaviour, management and environmental impact. The producer can use these criteria to assess his/her housing system. Further development is required so these criteria can be used by agencies interested in monitoring, evaluating and licensing housing systems (eg. government, consumer, or commodity groups).

An Experimental Infection With Classical Swine Fever Virus in Pregnant Sows: Transmission of the Virus, Course of the Disease, Antibody Response and Effect on Gestation

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An experimental infection with classical swine fever (CSF) virus in 12 conventional gilts,
housed in a sow-box housing system, was conducted in order to evaluate horizontal transmission,
clinical, virological and serological response, and the effect on gestation. Two of the 12 gilts, of
which 10 were pregnant, were experimentally inoculated. They became viraemic for the A

COMMISSIONING LIVESTOCK BUILDINGS: THE NEEDS AND CHALLENGES

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IDENTIFICATION OF MULTIPLE CONSTITUTIVE AND INDUCIBLE HEPATIC CYTOCHROME P450 ENZYMES IN MARKET WEIGHT SWINE

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