Interaction of Dietary Energy and Phytase on Performance of Weanling Pigs
Approximately 60 to 80% of the phosphorus (P) in cereal grains and oil seeds is bound to phytate and unavailable to monograstics, including swine. Supplementing swine diets with the phytase enzyme improves P availability and retention. The phytate molecule complexes other minerals, proteins, and starch, however, the research examining the...
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Ken Engele
Response of Growing-Finishing Pigs to Dietary Energy Concentration
In this trial, feeding lower energy, lower cost diets had no effect on ADG or on loin thickness, but did improve feed efficiency, and reduced backfat thickness. This indicates that lower energy diets may be used to increase net income. This experiment was conducted in an environment of high...
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Ken Engele
The Effects of Water Availability and Space Allowance on Productivity and Profitability
Reduced floor space allowance for pigs may negatively affect growth performance as a result of competition for feed and water access, especially at later stages of the grower-finisher period. However, kilograms of pork produced per unit of floor space may increase with more pigs per pen, improving overall profitability...
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Ken Engele
The Interaction Between Pig Density and Dietary Energy on Performance
Dietary net energy and stocking density independently affect performance, feed utilization and profits in the finisher barn. The objective of this experiment was to assess the interactions of stocking density and dietary energy, and determine how these interactions affect net income. When stocking density was increased, the performance of finishing...
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Ken Engele
Neither Photoperiod nor Time of Weaning Impact Nursery Performance
Weaning, which requires adapting to a new feed source and environment, may result in anorexia and reduced growth in the initial 24 to 48 hours in the nursery. Th is study was designed to determine if altering the photoperiod in the farrowing room and/or if weaning at the end...
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Ken Engele
Dietary ω-6 to ω-3 Fatty Acid Ratios Affect Protein Deposition in Nursery Pigs
An experiment was conducted to determine if decreasing the dietary omega-6 (ω-6) to omega-3 (ω-3) fatty acid (FA) ratio would affect protein deposition in nursery pigs during a prolonged E. coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) inflammatory challenge. Following a one week long challenge, six week old piglets fed a lower ω-6:...
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Ken Engele
Dietary ω-6 to ω-3 Ratio Impacts Nursery Pigs
Results from these experiments indicate that altering the omega(ω)-6 to ω-3 fatty acid (FA) ratio can improve nursery pig performance, and protein deposition, potentially by diverting nutrients away from an unnecessary inflammatory response. Additionally, we found no effects on piglet performance or health by altering the amount without changing the...
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Ken Engele
Can Bovine Colostrum Mitigate the Post-Weaning Growth Lag?
Bovine colostrum is a good source of nutrients and growth factors, and is very palatable. It was added to the creep feed of piglets in the farrowing room and to the phase one diets immediately post-weaning to determine if it would increase feed intake, and help reduce the impacts...
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Ken Engele
Are My Pigs Eating?
Recent trials conducted at the Prairie Swine Centre, Inc. have confirmed the importance of feed intake by the piglet immediately post-weaning and/or consumption of creep feed in the farrowing room. We have also demonstrated that more than half of the piglets may not consume either creep feed, or the...
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Ken Engele
Will Hogs Provided with Whey Compensate in Feed and Water Intake?
Minimizing feed cost is always important for improving profits in swine production and can sometimes be accomplished by utilizing by-products from other agricultural industries. Whey, a product of the dairy processing industry, has well-known beneficial properties as a feed additive and is typically fed to newly weaned pigs in...
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Ken Engele