Foraging of Iberian fattening pigs grazing natural pasture in the dehesa

Posted in: Production by admin on January 1, 2009 | No Comments

The purpose of the present study is to determine the daily grazing time, the components of diet, the voluntary
intake and the nutrient balance obtained by finishing Iberian pigs grazing in the dehesa pastures during the montanera period without any supplementary feed. It was found that the proportion of grass and acorns influences nutritional balance and fatty acid profile, which is the present official system (MAPA, 2007) to assess the absence of any supplementary feed during the montanera fattening of Iberian pigs. However, it has shown an individual and year variability in diet composition and these results can contribute to explain final fattening performance differences and meat quality. Considering that acorn production has been quantified in 8–14 kg per tree an Iberian pig should eat approximately the acorn production of 0.5–1 tree per day during montanera fattening. These results are useful to determine set stocking in order to guarantee the traditional finishing system without concentrates or any supplementary feed.

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

Manure Injection Systems

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This article shows different manure injection systems that are currently available. This article includes manure injection equipment from the following companies, Hydro Engineering, Kongskilde, AerWay, Husky Farm Equipment Limited, Houle, Bourgault, Yetter, Veenhuis, Balzer, Ag-Chem, DM Machinery and Bazooka Farmstar.

Hog Production Costs – What is needed to stay competitive?

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Canadian producers compete against U.S. producers on the same markets,
whether it is national or international markets, and they are price takers. Pork products are undifferentiated because they are sold into a mass market.
Within this context, Canadian producers must lower their production costs in
order to stay competitive and profitable. To achieve this, they must monitor
their costs of production and understand factors that impact it. This
comparative analysis reveals that US producers benefit from comparative
advantage over Canadian producers for hog-finishing operations. Canadian
producers have a better productivity in terms of feed conversion ratio and barn
turnover. However, they need to improve their labour productivity. Regarding
hog market structure, characteristics in terms of farm size, production
concentration and specialization of hog-finishing operations enable producers
to benefit from return scales or scale economies. These characteristics are
similar across North America especially in Western Canada and the U.S. Ontario
and Quebec are closely following. It is also important to note that it is a
combination of factors that impact production costs and producer
competitiveness. Therefore, improving costs of production requires addressing
all these factors simultaneously.

Protein turnover and heat production of sows varies at day 30, 45 and 105 of gestation

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All measurements were made at d 30, 45, and 105 of gestation. Respiratory quotient (RQ) was calculated to determine
nutrient utilization. Energy retention (intake minus heat production) (MJ/d) was
greatest on d 45 compared to d 30 or d 105 of gestation. The RQ was greater than 1 and highest on d 45
indicating lipogenesis. Leucine flux, appearance from breakdown, and
incorporation into protein were highest on d 45 compared to days
30 or 105 of gestation. However, as a result of the significant increase in
protein breakdown, protein gain was lower for sows on d 45 compared to d 30. Therefore, energy was preferentially stored by these sows on d 45 at the expense of protein.

Seminal plasma proteins from fertile boars are associated with in vivo fertility

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The aim of this study was to determine if specific proteins in the seminal
plasma of boars could be related to in vivo fertility. Nine boars with acceptable
sperm motility and morphology for use in artificial insemination (AI),
demonstrated major differences in total born and pregnancy rate when doses
of 1.5 billion total sperm were used to breed 50 ± 5 gilts over the study period.
On four occasions, seminal plasma from semen used for AI was analyzed
using proteomics techniques to determine if specific seminal plasma proteins
were related to differences in vivo fertility and conventional semen quality
assessment parameters such as sperm concentration, sperm motility at
collection and in stored extended semen to day 10 after collection. There were differences (P <0.05) among boars in four proteins, however none of these proteins were related to overall fertility.

Molecular genetics of the swine major histocompatibility complex, the SLA complex

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This review will summarize the current knowledge of the genomics of the SLA region, dissect the polymorphisms of each locus and discuss the methods now used to more effectively identify these alleles. This review will end with studies of SLA gene regulation of swine disease responses, including recent data on PRRS resistance, and the importance of whole genome mapping efforts in determining disease and vaccine responses. It was found that the last decade has seen major progress in swine immunology and genetics and particularly in understanding the SLA complex, its genetic loci and the role of SLA in normal immunity and in infectious disease and vaccine responses. The stage is now set for
deeper probing of the role of SLA alleles and haplotypes in controlling these responses, for determining specific antigenic epitopes that stimulate immune and vaccine responses, and for identifying critical immune cell subsets and the exact SLA loci that facilitate cellular interactions for effective immune responses. Research using improved swine genome sequence and updated genomic and proteomic tools will reveal novel immune pathways regulated by SLA genes. In summary, the stage is now set for determining the critical role of SLA genes and proteins in swine biomedical models and in overall pig health and productivity.

For more information the full article can be found at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/0145305X

Growth performance and nutrient digestibility in pigs fed wheat distillers dried grains with solubles-based diets supplemented with a multicarbohydrase enzyme

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The objective of the current study was to determine the effect of enzyme supplementation on energy and nutrient digestibility in growing and finishing pigs fed wheat DDGS-based diets. The result of this study demonstrates that multi-enzyme supplementation of wheat DDGS-based diet improved growth performance, ATTD of DM, N, GE, and crude fiber in growing pigs. The results also indicate that 30% wheat DDGS could be effectively utilized in growing and finishing pig diets when supplemented with an appropriate enzyme combination.

For the full text please subscribe to the Journal of Animal Science

Trials Study Divergent Sow Feeding Systems

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Pen gestation appears to be the future of sow housing, and helping pork producers pick an option that suits their operation is the goal of Innovative Swine Solutions (ISS), says Laura Greiner, director of research and swine nutrition. To help producers define their choices on sow housing, ISS has begun studies of two very different pen arrangements, a drop feed system and electronic sow feeder. It is concluded that so far, one system isn’t better than the other for sow housing. There is no right or wrong answer. Both farms do very well. It comes down to established protocol that we understand and whether we know how to feed these animals.

Supplementation of sow diets with oil during gestation: Sow body condition, milk yield and milk composition

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The role of dietary fat during early pregnancy on milk composition and yield in sows has not yet been fully established. To enable the importance of type and timing of oil supplementation to be evaluated this study aimed to determine the consequences of altering the fatty acid profile of sow diets during either the first or second half of gestation; oils of different fatty acid composition were chosen as energy supplements to provide diets with different fatty acid profiles. Consideration was given to sow condition, milk yield and milk composition. It was found that the fatty acid profile of sow diets, during either the first or second half of gestation, appears to be of more importance
than the energy content of the diet per se, also the type and timing of dietary supplementation had a large influence on the backfat deposition during pregnancy and fat mobilization during the lactation period. The provision of extra energy during G1, and to a lesser extent in G2, resulted in increased fat deposition during the period of supplementation. This study shows the important role of maternal adipose tissue as a store of biologically important
fatty acids, for mobilization during late gestation and lactation when they will be of most benefit to their offspring.
The study also shows that oil supplements during G1 also had a profound effect on immunoglobulin secretion during lactation.

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

Genetic background and phenotypic characterization over two farrowings of leg conformation defects in Landrace and Large White sows

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A Bayesian threshold animal model was applied to evaluate the prevalence over 2 farrowings and genetic background of overall leg conformation score and the presence or absence of 6 specific leg defects in purebred Landrace and Large White sows. The results confirm that there is a moderate genetic determinism for leg conformation in Landrace and Large White Sows.

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