Development of Diets for Low Birth-Weight Piglets to Improve Post-Weaning Growth Performance and Optimize Net Returns to the Producer
A cost to the commercial pork production is variability in growth. Birth weights have a large variance from 0.40 kg to 2.5 kg. The smaller pigs rarely demonstrate compensatory growth and have a lagging rate of gain throughout all growth...
Weaning at 28 Days. Is Creep Feeding Beneficial?
Creep feeding in the farrowing room is often practiced to ensure the transition to solid feed at weaning goes smoothly. This is important as weight loss and increased disease risk are often noted post-weaning due to the stressful transition. Even...
Do Peas and Canola Meal have Synergistic Effects when Included in Diets for Growing Pigs?
Canola meal may mask the taste of a field pea diet that has been hypothesized to impact palatability. These two ingredients are often used in diets together as they are produced in Western Canada and have complementary amino acid profiles...
Effects of Altering the Omega-6 to Omega-3 Fatty Acid Ratio in Sow Diets on the Immune Responses of their Offspring Post-Weaning
Feed intakes are reduced and immune responses are generated at weaning as it is the most stressful time in a piglet’s life. Since omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties, they could improve performance post-weaning by altering their immune status. The...
Dietary Omega-6 to Omega-3 Fatty Acid Ratios Affect Sow Reproduction and Piglet Performance
Maximizing the reproductive performance of sows is crucial to optimize pig flow and improve the economics of the production of pork. Many nutritional strategies have been used and there is growing interest in using dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids like the...
Dietary Omega-6 to Omega-3 Fatty Acid Ratios Affect Colostrum, Sow and Piglet Plasma Fatty Acid Profiles
Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) have proven health benefits, such as anti-inflammatory properties. Omega-6 PUFA’s have the opposite biological activity and since direct competition occurs between them, the ratio is important to maximize the benefits of including omega-3 fatty acids...
Does Palatability Affect the Intake of Peas in Pigs?
Field peas are an excellent feed ingredient for swine due to the high content in certain essential amino acids and digestible energy. They are also a major source of income for Western Canada farmers. Concerns about feed intake and taste...
The Effect of Different Feed Ingredients on Fermentation Metabolites and Nitrogen Excretion in Pigs
Protein and dietary fibre fermentation in the pig intestine may have harmful or beneficial effects on gut health and the environment. Fermentable fibres can be a source of energy for the pig and can also decrease ammonia concentration in the...
In Vitro Fibre Fermentation Characteristics of Specialty Ingredients with Varying Non-Starch Polysaccharides Levels
New alternative feed ingredients with functional properties to improve gut health while having a positive impact on the environment are wanted in the pork industry. Fermenting dietary fibre in the intestine results in short-chain fatty acids forming which stimulate growth...
Effect of an NSP-Hydrolysing Enzyme (Rovabio Excel®) in the Diet of Lactating Sows on Feed Intake, Body Condition and Litter Performance and In Vivo and In Vitro Nutrient Digestibility
The main ingredients in cereal grains are protein and starch. These nutrients are surrounded by non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) which are indigestible carbohydrates. To release the nutrients, the cell wall must be broken down, but this is difficult as some are...
Enriching Pork Products with Omega-3 Fatty Acids May Affect Pork Quality
Consuming omega-3 fatty acids has benefits to human health. When a pig consumes fatty acids, they are deposited in the pork fat. This is true when consuming flaxseed or flaxseed oil which enriches the carcass in omega-3 fatty acids. Co-extruding...
The Effect on Growing Pig Performance of Changes in Energy Intake Achieved Through Restriction of Feed Intake Versus Changes in Dietary Energy Concentration
Altering the energy density of the diet or restricting feed intake can manipulate the pig’s energy. These changes in energy intake were monitored to see the pig’s response. Dietary energy changes may not change the energy intake of the pig,...
