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The objectives of this study were to determine a practical approach to feeding elevated dietary zinc (Zn) to gestating sows in a commercial setting and to confirm preweaning mortality could be reduced by feeding high Zn to sows during different periods of gestation. The study was conducted at a commercial sow farm in the upper Midwest. Mixed parity sows (n  = 267) over three consecutive weekly farrowing groups (sows farrowing within 1 wk) were assigned randomly to one of the three dietary treatments within parity. Treatments consisted of: (1) control sows fed a corn–soybean meal diet containing 206 mg/kg total supplemental Zn supplied by zinc hydroxychloride; (2) breed-to-farrow: as control + 147 mg/kg supplemental Zn as ZnSO4 (353 mg/kg total supplemental Zn) fed from 5 d after breeding to farrowing; and (3) day 110-to-farrow: as control fed from breeding to farrowing + 4,079 mg/kg supplemental Zn as ZnSO4 (4,285 mg/kg total supplemental Zn) starting day 110 of gestation until farrowing. At farrowing, individual piglets were weighed and identified within 12 h of birth. Data were analyzed using PROC GLIMMIX of SAS and the model considered the fixed effect of dietary treatment and random effect of farrowing group. Dietary treatments did not affect number of total pigs born per litter. For breed-to-farrow sows, there was an increase in the percentage of pigs born alive compared to sows fed the control and day 110-to-farrow treatments (P  < 0.001). The number of stillborn pigs expressed as a percentage of total litter size at birth decreased for breed-to-farrow sows (P  < 0.001) compared with control or day 110-to-farrow sows. Mortality of low birth weight piglets from birth to weaning did not differ among dietary treatments (P  = 0.305); however, a trend for decreasing post-natal mortality (P  = 0.068) of normal birth weight pigs was observed for pigs born to sows fed elevated Zn 5 d before farrowing. In conclusion, feeding elevated Zn to sows throughout gestation increased the proportion of pigs born alive suggesting that elevated gestational Zn intake makes piglets more robust to endure the stresses of farrowing and decreases intrapartum mortality. Under the conditions of this study, elevated Zn intake of sows did not influence piglet post-natal survival. However, feeding high zinc throughout gestation may decrease piglet mortality during the parturition process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae is the primary causative agent of enzootic pneumonia, one of the most common bacterial pathogens affecting pigs and the main contributor to respiratory comorbidities. Infection with M. hyopneumoniae, commonly observed in growing pigs, results in decreased feed intake and an increase in the number of days to reach market weight. Based on extended days to market, pigs infected with M. hyopneumoniae will have a greater life cycle carbon emissions and water usage than that of non-infected pigs. However, the magnitude of additional carbon footprint and water use in pigs infected with M. hyopneumoniae has never been calculated. Therefore, the objective of this study was to estimate the potential variation in carbon emissions and water footprint generated by M. hyopneumoniae infected pigs. This study was conducted using data from previous publications on M. hyopneumoniae infected pigs in experimental and commercial conditions. The carbon footprint and water usage of pork production was obtained from the literature and was used as a baseline (3,470 kg of CO2 eq and 1,678 m³ water eq; both per 1,000 kg of pork carcass weight). The change in average daily gain was estimated and additional days on feed to reach market weight were used to calculate potential carbon and water impact for pigs infected with M. hyopneumoniae. The estimated carbon emissions and water usage of M. hyopneumoniae infected pigs increased in a range of 84.69 to 142.93 kg of CO2 eq/1,000 kg of pork carcass weight and 40.95 to 69.12 m3 eq/1,000 kg of pork carcass weight respectively, compared with the carbon emissions of non-infected pigs (Table 1). Results of this study showed an increased carbon footprint for M. hyopneumoniae infected pigs by 2 to 4% and water usage increased by 2.5 to 4.1% suggesting that the sustainability of pork production was negatively affected by this bacterial infection. Previous literature on the impact of controlling vaccine-preventable diseases has shown similar results for other swine respiratory pathogens. In addition, these data only included M. hyopneumoniae infected pigs, thus the effect of respiratory co-infections was not estimated and the impact on sustainability metrics may be greater than currently calculated. The application of sustainable practices in animal production, including disease prevention, is key to ensuring a secure food supply for future generations. The carbon and water footprints of swine production are measurements of sustainability, with average daily gain being an important factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditionally, swine diets have been formulated to meet nutrient requirements at the lowest cost with little regard toward minimizing environmental impacts. The overall objective of this study was to evaluate the relative differences among four grower-finisher feeding programs, using precision diet formulation practices, on growth performance, carcass composition, nitrogen utilization efficiency, and environmental impacts. In experiment 1, four 4-phase growing-finishing feeding programs consisting of diets containing corn and soybean meal (CSBM), low protein CSBM supplemented with crystalline amino acids (LP), CSBM with 30% distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), and DDGS supplemented with crystalline Ile, Val, and Trp (DDGS + IVT) were fed to 288 mixed sex pigs (initial body weight [BW] = 36.9 ± 4.2 kg) for 12 wk to determine effects on growth performance and carcass characteristics. Pigs fed with CSBM had greater (P < 0.05) final BW than those fed with LP and DDGS, and greater gain efficiency than pigs fed with LP. Pigs fed with DDGS + IVT tended to have greater (P = 0.06) backfat depth than pigs fed with DDGS, and less (P < 0.05) loin muscle area than pigs fed with CSBM. In experiment 2, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) balance of barrows (n = 32; initial BW = 59.9 ± 5.1 kg) fed with each of the phase-2 diets from experiment 1 was determined in a 12-d metabolism study (7 d adaptation and 5 d collection). Pigs fed with CSBM had a greater (P < 0.05) amount of N retained than pigs fed with other diets, but also had a greater (P < 0.05) amount of urinary N excretion and blood urea N than pigs fed with LP and DDGS + IVT diets. Pigs fed with LP tended (P = 0.07) to have the greatest N utilization efficiency but the least (P < 0.05) P retained as a percentage of P intake among dietary treatments. Diet composition and data collected from experiments 1 and 2 were used to calculate life cycle assessment environmental impacts using Opteinics software (BASF, Lampertheim, Germany). The CSBM feeding program had the least impact on climate change, marine and freshwater eutrophication, and fossil resource use. The LP feeding program had the least impact on acidification, terrestrial eutrophication, and water use, while the DDGS feeding programs had the least impact on land use. These results indicate that feeding CSBM diets optimized growth performance and carcass composition while simultaneously reducing impacts on climate change, marine and freshwater eutrophication, and fossil resource use compared with the other feeding programs evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of Aspergillus oryzae prebiotic (AOP) on nutrient digestibility in growing pigs fed high-fiber diets. Eighteen growing barrows (initial body weight = 50.6 ± 4.9 kg) were surgically equipped with a T-cannula at the distal ileum. Corn and soybean meal-based diets were formulated with fiber from cereal grain byproducts corn (distillers dried grains with solubles, DDGS), rice (rice bran, RB), or wheat (wheat middlings, WM) to meet or exceed all nutrient requirements for 50 to 75 kg growing pigs. Three additional diets were formulated to contain 0.05% AOP supplemented at the expense of corn in the DDGS diet (DDGS + AOP), RB diet (RB + AOP), and WM diet (WM + AOP). All diets contained 0.5% of titanium dioxide as an indigestible marker. Pigs were allotted randomly to a triplicated 6 × 2 Youden square design with six diets and two successive periods. Ileal digesta and fecal samples were collected for 2 d after a 21-d adaptation period, and dry matter (DM), gross energy (GE), crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and ash were analyzed to calculate apparent ileal digestibility (AID) and apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD). Standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of amino acids (AA) was calculated by correcting AID with basal endogenous AA losses from the same set of pigs. Pigs fed the DDGS+AOP diet had greater (P < 0.05) AID of EE compared with those fed the DDGS diet. However, supplementation of AOP did not (P > 0.05) affect AID of GE, DM, CP, NDF, ash or SID of AA of any high-fiber diet. Supplementation of 0.05% AOP increased (P < 0.05) ATTD of DM, GE, CP, NDF, and ash in DDGS, RB, and WM diets. Diet digestible energy was 35 kcal/kg greater (P < 0.05) in pigs fed AOP supplemented diets compared with those fed diets without AOP. In conclusion, supplementation of AOP increased ATTD of nutrients and energy value in high-fiber diets containing DDGS, RB, or WM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to determine greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, water consumption, land use, as well as nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and carbon (C) balance of five diet formulation strategies and feeding programs for growing-finishing pigs (25–130 kg body weight) in the three spatially explicit geographic regions where the majority of U.S. pork production occurs. Feeding programs evaluated consisted of 1) standard corn-soybean meal (CSBM) diets, 2) CSBM containing 15% corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), 3) CSBM with 8.6% thermally processed supermarket food waste (FW), 4) low crude protein CSBM diets supplemented with synthetic amino acids (SAA), and 5) CSBM with phytase enzyme (PHY) added at 600 FTU (phytase units)/kg of diet. An attributional Life Cycle Assessment approach using a highly specialized, spatially explicit Food System Supply-Chain Sustainability (FoodS3) model was used to quantify GHG emissions, water consumption, and land use of corn, soybean meal, and DDGS based on county level sourcing. The DDGS, FW, and SAA feeding programs had less estimated N and P intake and excretion than CSBM, and the PHY feeding program provided the greatest reduction in P excretion. The FW feeding program had the least overall GHG emissions (319.9 vs. 324.6 to 354.1 kg CO2 equiv./market hog), land use (331.5 vs. 346.5 to 385.2 m2/market hog), and water consumption (7.64 vs. 7.70 to 8.30 m3/market hog) among the alternatives. The DDGS feeding program had the greatest GHG emissions (354.1 kg CO2 equiv./market hog) among all programs but had less impacts on water consumption (7.70 m3) and land use (346.5 m2) per market hog than CSBM and PHY. The SAA feeding program provided a 6.5–7.4% reduction in land use impacts compared with CSBM and PHY, respectively. Regardless of feeding program, the Midwest had the least contributions to GHG emissions and land use attributed to feed and manure among regions. Water consumption per market hog associated with feeding programs was much greater in the Southwest (59.66–63.58 m3) than in the Midwest (4.45–4.88 m3) and Mid-Atlantic (1.85–2.14 m3) regions. Results show that diet composition and U.S. geographic region significantly affect GHG emissions, water consumption, and land use of pork production systems, and the potential use of thermally processed supermarket food waste at relatively low diet inclusion rates (<10%) can reduce environmental impacts compared with other common feeding strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen (N) is an essential element for life, but due to its inefficient utilization, N waste and emissions generated have exceeded the planetary boundaries and ability of the Earth to effectively overcome these environmentally detrimental effects. Global food animal production contributes 29 to 34% of total global N emissions, with pork supply chains contributing about 16% of these emissions. Life cycle N use efficiency (NUE) of U.S. pork production is only about 56%, which is similar to broiler (55%) and egg (50%) production, but greater than beef (10%) and milk (31%) production. However, only about 10 to 44% of dietary N is converted into edible pork products. While genetic improvement has increased NUE associated with improved lean growth rate, improvement in litter size has led to an increased proportion of low-birth-weight pigs that have reduced NUE. Although metabolic modifiers including porcine somatotropin, ractopamine, and immunocastration improve NUE, they are not feasible or acceptable to consumers in many countries. Separate sex feeding and reducing market weight can also improve NUE. Ultimately feeding program design and implementation have the greatest potential to improve NUE because feed is associated with 70% of N emissions in pork production systems. Multi-objective feed formulation using Life Cycle Assessment environmental impact data of feed ingredients, precision feed formulation and feeding practices to overcome variability in digestible nutrient content of feed ingredients and nutritional requirements of pigs fed in groups, feed processing to enhance energy and nutrient digestibility, and minimizing feed wastage offer the greatest opportunity to improve NUE and environmental sustainability. There are substantial differences in greenhouse gas emissions and embedded water and land use associated with growing-finishing feeding programs depending on the dietary proportions of corn, soybean meal, distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), and crystalline amino acids among U.S. geographic regions. Furthermore, addition of thermally processed supermarket food waste to corn-soybean meal (CSBM) diets can significantly reduce environmental impacts and diet cost without compromising growth performance and carcass composition compared with current commercial feeding programs. Although growing-finishing feeding programs using CSBM diets with minimal crystalline amino acids result in greater N intake, N retained, and urinary N excretion compared with feeding low protein, crystalline amino acid supplemented (LP) diets, and diets containing 30% DDGS, growth performance and carcass composition are optimized and impacts on climate change, marine and freshwater eutrophication, and fossil resource are reduced by feeding CSBM diets compared with feeding LP or DDGS diets. Sourcing and using feed ingredients with reduced environmental impact metrics along with precision diet formulation and feeding practices to ensure “getting the right amount of energy and nutrients in the right feed fed to the right pigs at the right time” can improve NUE and environmental sustainability of pork production systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of providing drinking water of differing qualities on growth performance and health of nursery pigs. Weanling pigs (n  = 450; 150 pigs/group; 10 pigs/pen) were assigned randomly to one of three experimental groups consisting of three water sources of varying qualities: 1) Water source A containing 1,410 ppm hardness (CaCO3 equivalent), 1,120 ppm sulfates, and 1,500 ppm total dissolved solids (TDS); 2) Water source B containing 909 ppm hardness (CaCO3 equivalent), 617 ppm sulfates, and 1,050 ppm TDS; and 3) Water source C containing 235 ppm hardness (CaCO3 equivalent), 2 ppm sulfates, and 348 ppm TDS. Pigs were provided ad libitum access to their respective water sources for the duration of the study which began at weaning (21 d of age) and ended 40 d later (61 d of age). Individual pig weights were recorded weekly along with feed intake on a pen basis. Occurrences of morbidity and mortality were recorded daily. Subjective fecal scores were assigned on a pen basis and blood samples were used to evaluate blood chemistry, cytokine concentrations, and phagocytic activity. A differential sugar absorption test was used to assess intestinal permeability. Fecal grab samples were used to establish diet digestibility, and drinking behavior was video-recorded to assess pigs' acceptance of water sources provided. The statistical model considered fixed effects of water source, room, and their interaction with the random effect of pen. A repeated measures analysis was conducted to determine the effects of water quality over time. There were no differences (P  > 0.440) among water sources in average daily gain (A, 0.46 kg/d; B, 0.46 kg/d; C, 0.47 kg/d) or average daily feed intake (A, 0.68 kg/d; B, 0.69 kg/d; C, 0.71 kg/d). Overall mortality of pigs was 0.44% and did not differ across the three water sources. There were no differences in apparent total tract digestibility of the diet, intestinal permeability, immune parameters, or blood chemistry attributable to quality of water consumed by pigs. Pigs did not show an aversion to the water sources provided, because total time pigs spent at the drinker did not differ (P  > 0.750) among water sources on days 1 through 3 of the experiment. These data indicate that the water sources of differing quality studied did not affect growth performance or health of nursery pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of supplementing capsaicin in diets for lactating sows and their offspring on the growth performance and gene expression of pigs postweaning. Twenty-eight multiparous sows were fed corn-soybean meal-based diets without (n = 14) and with (n = 14) capsaicin (2.5 mg/kg) during a 19-d lactation period. Litters from these sows (n = 288 pigs) were weaned and assigned to 36 blocks (pens) based on maternal dietary treatment and initial body weight (BW) to provide 8 pigs/pen. Blocks were assigned randomly to one of two nursery dietary treatments (control or capsaicin supplemented diets) in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments to provide nine replications per treatment combination. A three-phase nursery feeding program was used and consisted of feeding phase 1 (weaning to d 7), phase 2 (d 8–21), and phase 3 (d 22–38) diets postweaning, without and with 1.0, 1.3, and 1.6 mg capsaicin/kg of diet, respectively. Data were analyzed using a mixed model with the effect of nursery dietary treatment nested within sow lactation treatment, the effect of time with repeated measures, and interactions between treatments and wk postweaning. On d 38 postweaning, blood samples were collected from one pig in each pen (n = 36) with BW closest to the pen average for RNA sequencing and gene expression analysis. There were no effects of feeding capsaicin diets to lactating sows and/or their weaned offspring on BW, average daily gain, or average daily feed intake of pigs during the 35-d nursery period. However, pigs weaned from sows fed capsaicin during lactation and continuing to be fed capsaicin diets during the nursery period tended (P = 0.09) to have greater gain:feed (G:F) than pigs fed the other dietary treatments. Furthermore, there was an interaction (P < 0.01) for G:F for dietary treatment and week postweaning, where the magnitude of improvement was greater during the first week postweaning than subsequent wks. There were a limited number of differentially expressed genes among dietary treatment combinations but the greatest number occurred in offspring from sows that were fed capsaicin during lactation. In conclusion, the combination of feeding capsaicin to sows during lactation and to their offspring after weaning appears to improve gain efficiency for the first wk postweaning and may alter gene expression to a greater extent than when capsaicin is supplemented only in the nursery diets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A meta-analysis was conducted to determine the effects of the dietary energy system (net energy or metabolizable energy), oil content of corn distillers dried grains with solubles (cDDGS), diet inclusion levels, and pig age on growth performance of pigs fed cDDGS-based diets. Mean differences of average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), and gain:feed (G:F) were calculated and expressed as a percentage change relative to feeding corn–soybean meal (SBM)- and cDDGS-based diets to nursery [body weight (BW) < 25 kg] and growing-finishing (BW > 25 kg) pigs, and to compare the effects of supplementing various types of exogenous enzymes without or with phytase on growth performance. A total of 27 studies with 106 growth performance observations were included in the cDDGS dataset, and 34 studies with 84 observations for enzyme responses in cDDGS diets were used in the enzyme dataset. Approximately, 64.7% of the observations showed no change, and 26.7% of observations showed a reduction in ADG, ADFI, and G:F when feeding cDDGS-based diets to the nursery and growing-finishing pigs compared with feeding corn–SBM-based diets. Furthermore, feeding cDDGS diets resulted in decreased (P < 0.01) mean difference of ADG (–4.27%) and G:F (–1.99%) for nursery pigs, and decreased (P < 0.01) mean difference of ADG (–1.68%) and G:F (–1.06%) for growing–finishing pigs. Every percentage unit increase in the inclusion level of cDDGS in growing–finishing pig diet was associated with a decrease (P < 0.01) in ADG (–0.10%) and ADFI (–0.09%). Feeding high oil (≥10% ether extract) cDDGS-based diets to pigs resulted in a 2.96% reduction in ADFI whereas feeding reduced-oil (<10% ether extract) cDDGS-based diets reduced G:F by 1.56% compared with pigs fed corn–SBM-based diets. Supplementation of exogenous enzymes improved (P < 0.05) the mean difference of ADG and G:F by 1.94% and 2.65%, respectively, in corn–SBM-based diets, and by 2.67% and 1.87%, respectively, in cDDGS diets. Supplementation of exogenous protease, enzyme cocktail, or xylanase improved (P < 0.05) ADG by 7.29%, 2.64%, and 2.48% in pigs fed corn–SBM-based diets, respectively. There were no differences between the dietary addition of single enzymes and enzyme combinations for any growth performance parameters in corn–SBM- or cDDGS-based diets. In conclusion, feeding cDDGS-based diets slightly reduces the growth performance of nursery and growing–finishing pigs, but supplementation of xylanase or enzyme cocktail can improve G:F of pigs fed cDDGS-based diets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We hypothesized that the digestibility of a zinc polysaccharide complex is greater than zinc sulfate when sows consume high fiber diets containing corn dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS). Gilts and sows (n = 32) were blocked according to parity and assigned randomly to one of four dietary treatments (n = 8 sows per treatments). Dietary treatments consisted of: 1) Control (ConZnSO4)—corn–soybean meal-based diet + 100 ppm supplemental Zn from ZnSO4; 2) Control PSZn (ConPSZn)—corn–soybean meal-based diet + 100 ppm supplemental Zn from Zn polysaccharide complex; 3) DDGS/ZnSO4—corn–soybean meal–40% DDGS gestation diet and a 30% DDGS lactation diet, with each containing 100 ppm supplemental Zn from ZnSO4; 4) DDGS/PSZn—corn–soybean meal–40% DDGS gestation diet and a 30% DDGS lactation diet, with each containing 100 ppm supplemental Zn from Zn polysaccharide complex. A fifth dietary treatment was imposed using a subset of sows (n = 20) to determine basal Zn losses in gestating and lactating sows fed corn–soybean meal-based diets containing no supplemental Zn. Nutrient balance experiments were conducted in both gestation and lactation to evaluate the digestibility of Zn sources of the four dietary treatments and to determine basal Zn losses when no supplemental Zn was provided. The statistical model included fixed effects of diet, Zn source, and their interaction, and random effects of parity. Estimated endogenous losses of Zn were used to adjust apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) to true total tract digestibility (TTTD) of Zn in the four dietary treatment balance periods. There were no differences in Zn concentrations of urine, plasma, colostrum, or milk samples among treatments at any time of the experiment (P > 0.05). Gestating sows fed DDGS/PSZn had improved (P < 0.05) ATTD, TTTD, and overall retention of Zn compared with both Control treatments, with the DDGS/ZnSO4 treatment responses being intermediate. Lactating sows consuming diets without DDGS and supplemented with Zn polysaccharide complex had the greatest (P < 0.05) ATTD, TTTD, and retention of Zn, which were opposite to responses observed in gestation. Furthermore, ATTD, TTTD, and Zn retention for lactating sows consuming DDGS/PSZn were less (P < 0.05) than all other treatments. Overall, zinc digestibility of ZnSO4 and PSZn appears to be differentially influenced by the stage of the reproductive cycle and presence of dietary fiber from DDGS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two experiments investigated the effects of feeding diets containing 30% of novel high-protein distillers dried grains (HP-DDG) sources to growing–finishing pigs on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and pork fat quality. A four-phase feeding program was used in both experiments, and diets within phases were formulated based on National Research Council (NRC; 2012) recommendations for metabolizable energy and standardized ileal digestible amino acid content of HP-DDG. In Exp. 1, a total of 144 pigs (body weight [BW] = 20.3 ± 1.6 kg) were fed either corn-soybean meal control diets (CON) or 30% HP-DDG diets (HP-DDG) containing 0.7 mg/kg deoxynivalenol (DON), 0.1 mg/kg fumonisins (FUM), and 56 μg/kg zearalenone (ZEA) for 8 wk. On week 9, a mycotoxin mitigation additive (MA) was added to CON and HP-DDG diets, resulting in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments consisting of: CON, CON + MA, HP-DDG, and HP-DDG + MA. Pigs fed HP-DDG had lower (P < 0.01) average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) compared with those fed CON during the first 8 wk. After MA was added to diets, pigs fed HP-DDG diets without MA had lower (P < 0.05) overall ADG than those fed HP-DDG + MA and less (P < 0.05) final BW than pigs fed CON or CON + MA. Adding MA to HP-DDG diets containing relatively low concentrations of mycotoxins was effective in restoring growth performance comparable to feeding CON. In Exp. 2, a different source of HP-DDG was used, and mycotoxin MAs were added to all diets at the beginning of the trial. A total of 144 pigs (BW = 22.7 ± 2.3 kg) were fed either a corn-soybean meal control diet or a 30% HP-DDG diet containing 0.5 mg/kg DON and 0.8 mg/kg FUM for 16 wk. Pigs fed HP-DDG diets had less (P < 0.01) final BW and ADG than pigs fed CON, but there were no differences in ADFI. Feeding the HP-DDG diets reduced (P < 0.01) hot carcass weight, carcass yield, longissimus muscle area (LMA), and percentage of carcass fat-free lean compared with pigs fed CON but did not affect backfat (BF) depth. Pigs fed HP-DDG had less (P < 0.01) saturated fatty acid (SFA) and monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) content and greater (P < 0.01) polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) and iodine value in BF than pigs fed CON. These results suggest that feeding diets containing relatively low concentrations of co-occurring mycotoxins can be detrimental to growth performance, and the addition of MA alleviated the growth reduction. Feeding 30% HP-DDG reduced BW, ADG, carcass yield, LMA, and percentage of fat-free lean of growing–finishing pigs but yielded acceptable pork fat quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this experiment was to determine preweaning survival of pigs when sows were supplemented with 3 dietary levels of zinc (Zn) in late gestation. Gilts and sows (n = 339) were assigned to 1 of 3 dietary treatments based on parity. Dietary treatments were 1) Control—sows fed a corn–soybean meal-based diet containing 125 ppm total supplemental Zn supplied by ZnSO4 (75 ppm Zn) and AvailaZn (50 ppm Zn, CON); 2) Intermediate—as Control + 240 ppm supplemental Zn as ZnSO4 (INT); and 3) High—as Control + 470 ppm supplemental Zn as ZnSO4 (HI). Final supplemental Zn concentrations of the 3 dietary treatments were 1) CON—125 ppm; 2) INT—365 ppm; and 3) HI—595 ppm. Sows received dietary treatments from about day 85 of gestation until farrowing. Individual piglet birth weights were recorded within 12 h of parturition. Instances of piglet mortality were recorded daily. The statistical model considered fixed effects of treatment and random effects of parity. Piglets from sows fed the INT diet had heavier (P < 0.05) birth weights than those fed CON (1.42 vs. 1.38 kg, respectively), while offspring from sows fed HI tended to have heavier (P < 0.10) birth weights (1.40 kg) than pigs from INT sows. Furthermore, incidence of low birth weight pigs was less (P < 0.05) for sows consuming INT compared with sows fed CON and HI. Despite differences in birth weight, there were no differences (P > 0.05) in total pigs born, born alive, or weaned, nor differences in individual piglet gain or weaning weight across treatments. Mortality of low birth weight pigs was lowest (P < 0.05) for offspring from sows fed HI (28.1%) compared with offspring from sows fed INT (36.1%) and CON (38.3%). Similarly, overall piglet mortality tended to decrease (P < 0.10) as dietary Zn content increased (CON: 15.0%, INT: 13.2%, and HI: 12.2%). A subset of pigs (n = 420, n = 140/treatment) were selected at weaning to evaluate effects of dietary treatment on postweaning performance. There were no significant effects of sow Zn supplementation on final body weight, days to market, or carcass characteristics of market pigs. Overall, effects of supplemental dietary Zn at 365 and 595 ppm in late gestation improved preweaning survival of low birth weight piglets and reduced overall preweaning mortality of piglets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gestating sows (n = 267) were used to determine if timing of high dietary zinc supplementation in a commercial setting would reduce pre-weaning mortality of pigs and influence maternal and piglet copper (Cu), iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn) concentrations. Sows from three consecutive weekly farrowing groups were assigned randomly within parity to one of three dietary treatments consisting of: 1) Control: a corn-soybean meal diet containing 125 ppm supplemental Zn supplied by zinc hydroxychloride; 2) Breed-to-Farrow (B-to-F): as Control + 141 ppm supplemental Zn as ZnSO4 (266 ppm total supplemental Zn) fed from 5 days after breeding to farrowing; and 3) Day 110-to-Farrow (D110-to-F): as the Control diet fed from breeding to farrowing + 2,715 ppm supplemental Zn as ZnSO4 (2,840 ppm total supplemental Zn) starting on day 110 of gestation until farrowing. A subset of ten sows per treatment (n = 30; average parity = 3) were selected to assess Cu, Fe, and Zn concentrations of serum, colostrum, and milk. Sera were isolated from blood collections at allotment and the day before respective farrowing date of each sow. Colostrum was collected the day of farrowing and milk on day 2 of lactation. At farrowing, two average and two low birth weight pigs from each sow (n = 122) were selected for collections of serum and tail samples at days 1 and 2 of age, respectively. The statistical model included fixed effects of treatment, farrowing group, and the random effect of their interaction. The piglet model was similar but included the random term of pig nested within sow. There were no differences in concentrations of Cu, Fe, and Zn in sow serum, milk, or colostrum attributable to dietary treatment. Piglet serum concentrations of Cu, Fe, and Zn were unaffected by feeding gestating sows high levels of supplemental zinc at any time (Table). Low birth weight pigs born to sows fed the Control diet tended (P = 0.082) to have increased concentrations of Cu in tails compared with pigs born to sows fed high zinc. In conclusion, timing of dietary zinc supplementation to gestating sows had minimal influence on concentrations of important trace elements in sows and their offspring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pigs (n = 3,990) were used in a previous study to determine if supplemental zinc fed to sows at various timepoints during gestation would reduce pre-weaning mortality. Additionally, data were analyzed to evaluate the effect of birth weight on tissue concentrations and distribution of copper (Cu), iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn) in piglets. Mixed parity sows were fed 1 of 3 diets: a control corn-soybean meal diet containing 125 ppm supplemental Zn supplied by zinc hydroxychloride, a diet consisting of the control + 141 ppm supplemental Zn as ZnSO4 (266 ppm total supplemental Zn) fed from 5 days after breeding to farrowing, or the control diet fed from breeding to farrowing + 2,715 ppm of supplemental Zn from ZnSO4 (2,840 ppm total supplemental Zn) starting on day 110 of gestation until farrowing. Two low and 2 average birth weight pigs (n = 122) were selected from 10 sows per treatment group to assess Cu, Fe, and Zn concentrations of serum and tails. Serum was collected from each pig at day 1 of age and tails were collected on day 2 of age. Liver tissue was collected from a subset of pigs (n = 65) that died naturally or were euthanized within 2 days of age. The statistical model included fixed effects of treatment and farrowing group, the random effect of their interaction, and the random effect of pig nested within sow. Serum concentrations of each trace element did not differ by birth weight (Table). Low birth weight piglets had greater concentrations of Fe (P = 0.018) and Cu (P = 0.031) in their tails than average birth weight pigs. No differences were observed in tail Zn concentration by birth weight. Notably, pigs that died naturally weighed less at birth than euthanized pigs (P < 0.001). Moreover, pigs that died naturally had greater hepatic Fe concentrations (P < 0.001) and tended to have greater liver Cu concentrations (P = 0.098) compared with euthanized pigs. The associations between tissue iron and copper concentrations and birth weight of piglets may have nutritional and pathophysiological implications and thus warrant further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A previous experiment was conducted to determine if cleanliness of a water delivery system influenced growth performance of nursery pigs. Additionally, we hypothesized that cleanliness of the water delivery system would alter populations of intestinal bacteria. Newly weaned pigs (n = 315; about 21 d of age) were used in a 42-d experiment and were assigned randomly to 1 of 2 water line treatments with 17 to 18 pens/treatment and 9 pigs/pen. Treatments consisted of water delivered to pens via a water distribution system in use for 21 years without cleaning (OLD) or water delivered to pens via a water distribution system in use for 6 weeks (NEW). Water for both distribution systems was sourced from a common well. Pigs were housed in an environmentally controlled, power-ventilated, confinement nursery barn and were allowed ad libitum access to water and common diets fed in 3 phases across OLD and NEW treatments. Twenty-eight pigs of average body weight (n = 14 pigs/treatment) were selected for collection of fecal swabs on days 0, 4, and 42 postweaning. A pooled water sample was collected from 10 randomly selected pens/treatment and from the water supply on days 4 and 42. Swabs were also collected from the inside surface of each water line at the beginning and end of each line. To characterize the microbiome in all samples, extracted DNA was sequenced on the MiSeq platform targeting the V4 variable region of the 16S rRNA bacterial gene, and sequence data were analyzed using DADA2 and various packages within the R statistical software. Bacterial community composition of water and water line samples differed between OLD and NEW, while the sampling location of line swabs differed by location (PERMANOVA, R2 = 0.2-0.6, P < 0.05). No differences in alpha diversity were observed in pig fecal bacteria at d 0 or d 42 between OLD and NEW line. However, at d 4, pigs drinking water from the NEW line had increased fecal bacterial richness (P = 0.044) and a tendency for increased bacterial diversity (Shannon's H, P = 0.059) compared with pigs drinking water from the OLD line. There were no differences in bacterial community composition between the OLD and NEW line throughout the trial; however, pigs drinking water from the NEW line showed more discriminating bacterial taxa compared with OLD at day 4 and 42, including greater abundances of Prevotella, Christensenellaceae R7, Rosburia and Bacteroides, among others (P < 0.05). In conclusion, drinking water from either water line did not have major effects on the gut microbiome of pigs, except for more fecal bacterial diversity in pigs drinking water from the new water line at day 4 post-weaning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An industry survey and animal experiment were conducted to evaluate the amino acid (AA) compositional variability and standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of AA in animal protein by-products fed to growing pigs. Animal protein by-product meals (212) were categorized into 8 groupings (blood meal, chicken by-product meal, chicken meal, feather meal, meat and bone meal, meat meal, poultry by-product meal, and poultry meal) and analyzed for total AA. Amino acid analysis among (e.g. Lys in blood meal averaged 9.20% compared with 2.31% for feather meal, DM basis) and within (e.g. Lys range of 1.54% in blood meal and 1.44% in feather meal, DM basis) the by-product classifications varied as expected, but on average the total AA values were similar to that reported in the literature. For the determination of the SID of AA, 15 barrows (average initial and final BW of 31.6 and 78.7 kg, respectively) were fitted with a T-cannula in the distal ileum and allotted to 15 diets over nine 7-d periods, resulting in 9 replications per diet. Pigs were fed a basal diet based on soybean meal and dehulled-degermed corn, 13 diets containing 17.5% animal protein by-product meal to partially replace a portion of the soybean meal and dehulled-degermed corn in the basal diet, or a N-free diet. Pigs were re-allotted to diets based on minimizing the number to times that the N-free diet would precede or follow feeding either of the blood or feather meal diets because of concern with inadequate diet consumption, as well as to prevent diets from being re-fed to the same pig during the next or subsequent periods. Values for the apparent ileal AA digestibility of each diet were determined, adjusted to SID based upon the endogenous AA losses determined by feeding the N-free diet, and the SID of AA in each animal protein by-product meal calculated using the difference procedure. The SID of AA varied among (e.g. SID of Lys averaged 91% in chicken meal but 47% in feather meal) and within (e.g. SID of Lys in three meat and bone meals was 80%, 71%, and 54%) the animal protein by-product meals, as would be expected and are consistent with variation reported in the literature. Overall, the data provide total AA composition for 212 samples and SID of AA for 13 samples of animal protein by-product meals, including data on their variability, which is critical for their use in feed formulation programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a result of genetic selection for increased litter size, modern, highly prolific sows often produce large litters with an increased percentage of light birth weight (BiW) piglets compared with less prolific females. However, there is limited information elucidating what proportion of light BiW piglets that express compensatory growth and how these pigs might be identified at a young age. The objective of this study was to analyze the effect of birth weight and early phase growth on preweaning mortality, subsequent growth performance, and carcass characteristics of pigs. Individual records collected on 7,654 commercial crossbred pigs were used for analyses. A segmented regression model was used to analyze the effect of birth weight on preweaning survival and a series of mixed models were used to analyze the effect of birth weight (n = 7,654) group on weights recorded at: weaning (n = 6,777), nursery exit (n = 4,805), and finishing exit (n = 1,417); hot carcass weight (HCW), and lean percentage (n = 4,572). The effect of growth rate group was defined during suckling (< 225 or ≥ 225 g/d) or the nursery phase (< 424 or ≥ 424 g/d). Preweaning mortality, growth rate, BW, and carcass traits were adjusted to a standard age, and ADG and lean percentage were calculated. Results of segmented regression analysis showed that the slope of preweaning mortality on birth weights below 0.99 kg differed (P < 0.05) from the slope of preweaning mortality regressed on birth weights above 0.99 kg. The mixed model analyses showed a positive linear effect (P < 0.05) of BiW and quadratic effect (P < 0.05) of sow parity on age-adjusted finishing weight (FiW), HCW, and lean percentage. The positive influences of increasing BiW were greater (P < 0.05) in age-adjusted FiW and HCW for pigs with slow suckling growth rate compared with those with fast suckling growth rate. Pigs with fast nursery growth rate had greater (P < 0.05) age-adjusted FiW and HCW compared with the slow growing nursery contemporaries. In conclusion, piglets born weighing less than 1 kg were at a higher risk of preweaning mortality than piglets born weighing 1 kg or greater. Light BiW pigs, but not heavy BiW pigs, may lose compensatory growth capability if growth rate during the suckling phase is below the average level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Characterizing fiber into fermentable and unfermentable fractions may enhance the accuracy of estimating DE and ME energy content in fiber-rich ingredients. Therefore, the objective of this study was to analyze the concentrations of NDF, representing both the fermentable (fNDFom) and unfermentable (uNDFom) portions among sources of corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), and determine their relative contributions to DE and ME content. The concentrations of DE and ME, as well as apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of GE, were measured in a previous experiment. Samples of DDGS (0.5 g) were mixed with fecal inoculum and incubated for 8, 12, and 72 h. The ash corrected NDF (NDFom) content of DDGS residues at each time point was determined. The fNDFom increased with fermentation time of 8 h (21.6%), 12 h (29.0%), and 72 h (68.6%). The ATTD of GE increased as the uNDFom decreased at 8 h (uNDFom8 ; R 2 = 0.83; P < 0.01) and 72 h (uNDFom72 ; R 2 = 0.83; P < 0.01). Likewise, ME content of DDGS increased as uNDFom72 decreased (R 2 = 0.59; P < 0.01). The best-fit DE equation was DE (kcal/kg DM) = 2,175 – 3.07 × uNDFom8 (g/kg, DM) – 1.50 × uNDFom72 (g/kg, DM) + 0.55 × GE (kcal/kg DM) (R 2 = 0.94, SE = 36.21). The best-fit ME equation was ME (kcal/kg DM) = 1,643 – 2.31 × uNDFom8 (g/kg, DM) – 2.54 × uNDFom72 (g/kg, DM) + 0.65 × GE (kcal/kg DM) – 1.42 × crude protein (g/kg DM) (R 2 = 0.94, SE = 39.21). These results indicate that in vitro unfermented fiber is negatively associated with GE and NDF digestibility, and therefore, is a good predictor of DE and ME content in corn-DDGS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to use the recently determined ME and standardized ileal digestibility (SID) values of AA for a novel high-protein distillers dried grains with solubles (HP-DDGS ; PureStream 40, Lincolnway Energy LLC, Nevada, IA) to determine the optimal dietary inclusion rates in diets for nursery pigs. Three hundred and sixty pigs (BW = 6.79 ± 0.02 kg) were blocked by BW, and pens within blocks were assigned randomly to one of four dietary treatments (10 pens/treatment, 9 pigs/pen). Dietary treatments consisted of adding 0%, 10%, 20%, or 30% HP-DDGS to nursery diets during phase 2 (days 7–21) and phase 3 (days 21–42) of a three-phase nursery feeding program. Diets within each phase were formulated to contain equivalent amounts of ME, SID Lys, Met, Thr, and Trp, Ca, standardized total tract digestible P, vitamins, and trace minerals. Calculated SID Leu to Lys ratios for 0%, 10%, 20%, and 30% HP-DDGS diets were 119%, 137%, 156%, and 173% in phase 2 diets and 120%, 131%, 143%, and 160% in phase 3 diets. The SID Ile to Lys ratios ranged from 60% to 69% in phase 2 diets and from 54% to 59% in phase 3 diets. The SID Val to Lys ratios ranged from 63% to 79% in phase 2 diets and 64% to 68% in phase 3 diets. Body weight and feed disappearance were measured weekly. During phase 2, ADG, ADFI, and G:F were reduced linearly (P < 0.01) as the diet inclusion rate of HP-DDGS increased. Similarly in phase 3, increasing dietary levels of HP-DDGS depressed ADG, ADFI, and G:F linearly (P < 0.01). Overall growth performance of phases 2 and 3 of nursery pigs was negatively affected by increasing levels of HP-DDGS in these diets. Pigs acquired a Streptococcus suis and Escherichia coli disease challenge during the experiment. Although no differences in morbidity were observed throughout the experiment, including HP-DDGS in diets tended to decrease (P = 0.08) mortality. In conclusion, a linear decrease in nursery pig growth performance was observed as increasing levels of HP-DDGS were added in diets, which was probably due to overestimation of SID AA content of the HP-DDGS, antagonistic effects of excess Leu, and the effects of relatively high fiber content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

About 40% of the total food produced in the United States is wasted throughout the supply chain. The objective of this study was to determine the energy and nutrient content and variability of food waste sources generated at different stages within the food supply chain in the Minneapolis–St. Paul, MN, metropolitan area, and their potential for use in swine diets. A total of four waste sources were selected: supermarket (SM ; retail to consumer), university residential dining hall (RH ; consumer to postconsumer), a city waste transfer station (TS ; postconsumer to municipal waste disposal), and household source-separated organic recycling program (SSO ; postconsumer to municipal waste). Samples were collected (SM: n = 22; RH: n = 60; TS: n = 27; SSO: n =12) and analyzed for GE, proximate analyses, minerals, amino acids, and fatty acid concentrations along with lipid peroxidation indicators including peroxide value (PV) and thiobarbituric reactive substances (TBARS). Data were analyzed using a general linear model that included food waste source as the main factor, and least squared means with adjustment were used for multiple comparisons. Samples of SM food waste contained the greatest (P < 0.05) concentration of GE (5,909 kcal/kg) compared with RH, TS, and SSO sources. Calculated NE of SM (3,740 kcal/kg) was also the greatest compared with the three other food waste sources. Food waste from SM, RH, and SSO, but not TS, had greater (P < 0.05) calculated NE than published values for corn and soybean meal. Concentrations of Lys (1.82%), Met (0.53%), Thr (1.07%), and Trp (0.27) content were greater in SM than in RH, TS, and SSO, but these concentrations were less than published values for soybean meal. There were no differences (P > 0.05) in the phosphorus content of samples among food waste sources (0.30% to 0.64%). PV and TBARS were greatest (P < 0.05) in the SSO samples (PV = 82.4 meq/kg oil; TBARS = 2.44 mg malondialdehyde (MDA) eq/g oil) compared with the other three food waste sources. Although the concentrations of nutrients and calculated energy values of the food waste sources were moderately high compared with corn and soybean meal, their composition was more variable (i.e. greater SD of means). Food waste generated upstream (SM) in the food supply chain appears to have greater nutritional value than postconsumer food waste (RH, TS, and SSO), but all sources appear suitable for use in commercial swine diets provided that ME, NE, and nutrient digestibility values are well characterized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to determine whether feeding live yeast to sows from day 85 of gestation and through lactation influences pig performance and microbiomes in the postweaning period. Three dietary treatments were imposed on mixedparity sows during late gestation and lactation based on the inclusion level (%) of Actisaf Sc47 in corn/soybean meal-based diets: Control (C, 0%), Low (L, 0.1%), and High (H, 0.5%). Pigs (n = 240; 80/maternal dietary treatment group) were selected randomly at weaning (~19 days old) for further performance data collection throughout the nursery period. A subset of these pigs (n = 180; 60/maternal treatment group) were selected randomly for microbiome sampling through fecal swabs collected on days 4 (T1) and 28 (T2) postweaning. Pigs were housed in pens in a confinement nursery barn according to maternal dietary treatment group (10 pigs/pen; 0.28 m2/pig of floor space; 8 pens/treatment group). Treatment groups were kept separate from each other by maintaining one empty pen between treatment groups to prevent potential microbial cross-contamination. Pigs were balanced by litter, body weight, and sex during nursery allotment. Pigs had ad libitum access to water and a common industry-relevant diet, fed in four phases from weaning through day 42. Pigs were weighed individually at the end of each dietary phase (d4, d14, d28, d42). DNA was extracted from fecal swabs and sequenced on the MiSeq platform, targeting the V4 variable region of the 16S rRNA bacterial gene. Sequence data were analyzed using QIIME2 and DADA2, plus various packages within the R statistical software. Performance data were analyzed using repeated measures and generalized linear mixed models that included maternal treatment as a fixed effect, maternal parity as a random effect, and pen as the experimental unit. Daily weight gain was greater for L pigs (0.47 kg) compared with H pigs (0.42 kg; P < 0.05), while ADFI was increased for L pigs (0.57 kg) compared with both C and H pigs (0.49 and 0.47 kg, respectively; P < 0.05; see Table). No differences in microbiome diversity were observed at either time-point. However, microbiome composition differed based on maternal treatment group at both time-points (T1: PERMANOVA, R² = 0.02, P = 0.001; T2: PERMANOVA, R² = 0.04, P = 0.001). These results indicate that live yeast supplementation in sow diets in late gestation and lactation may have lasting effects on pig performance and microbiome composition in the post-weaning period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to investigate effects of live yeast supplementation of sow diets during late gestation and lactation on sow reproductive performance and piglet microbiome development. Three dietary treatments were imposed on mixed-parity sows (n = 92) from three contemporary farrowing groups during late gestation and lactation. Dietary treatments were based upon the inclusion level (%) of Actisaf Sc47 in corn/soybean meal-based diets: Control (C, 0%), Low (L, 0.1%), and High (H, 0.5%). Sows were fed their assigned gestation diet (1.8 kg ·animal-1·day-1/) from days 85 to 110 of gestation. On day 111 of gestation, sows were fed their assigned lactation diet (3.6 kg/head/day) until parturition. Sows were allowed ad libitum access to their assigned lactation diet beginning day one postpartum until piglets were weaned. Fecal and vaginal swabs were collected from all sows on day 85 of gestation (T1-S) and the day before parturition (T2-S). Colostrum and milk samples were collected from 30 focal sows (10/treatment group), and fecal swabs were collected from 6 piglets per focal sow (n = 180) at 24 to 36 hours after birth (T1-P) and weaning (T2-P, ~19 days old). Extracted DNA from swab samples was sequenced on the MiSeq platform targeting the V4 variable region of the 16S rRNA bacterial gene, and sequence data were analyzed using DADA2 plus various packages within the R statistical software. Generalized linear mixed models were built for sow performance data using the R lme4 package, with treatment as a fixed effect, and farrowing group, parity, and sire as random effects. Piglet performance models also included sex as a fixed effect and maternal origin instead of sire as a random effect. No significant differences were observed among dietary treatment groups for gestation or lactation length, lactation feed intake, sow body weights, sow backfat depth, litter size at birth or weaning, pre-weaning piglet mortalities, or piglet growth performance. Although alpha and beta diversity did not differ among maternal dietary treatment groups in sow colostrum, milk, fecal, or vaginal samples (T1-S or T2-S), several taxa were significantly enriched or less abundant in sow samples based upon dietary yeast inclusion levels. Diversity of piglet fecal microbiomes was not different across maternal dietary treatment groups, but community composition was different at both time-points (T1-P: PERMANOVA, R² = 0.13, P = 0.02; T2-P: PERMANOVA, R² = 0.01, P = 0.048). These results indicate that yeast supplementation in sow diets in late gestation and lactation may influence development and composition of piglet gut microbiomes in early life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A literature review and meta-analysis was conducted to determine the effects of dietary energy system (NE or ME), oil content of cDDGS, diet inclusion levels, and pig age on growth performance in pigs fed cDDGS-based diets. The mean differences (MD) of ADG, ADFI, and gain-to-feed ratio (G:F) were calculated and expressed as a percentage change relative to feeding corn-soybean meal (CSB)- and cDDGS-based diets to nursery (BW < 25kg) and growing-finishing (BW > 25kg) pigs. In addition, MD were determined in CSB- and cDDGSbased diets to determine the effects of supplementation of various types of exogenous enzymes with or without phytase on growth performance. A total of 27 studies with 106 growth performance observations were included in the non-enzyme supplemented dataset, and 36 studies with 84 observations for enzyme responses in CSB and cDDGS diets were in the enzyme dataset. Feeding the cDDGS diets resulted in decreased (P < 0.01) the MD of ADG (- 4.27%) and G:F (- 1.99%) for nursery pigs, and decreased (P < 0.01) the MD of ADG (-1.68%) and G:F (-1.06%) for growing-finishing pigs. Feeding high oil (= 10% ether extract) cDDGSbased diets to pigs resulted in a 2.96% reduction in ADFI while feeding reduced-oil (< 10% ether extract) cDDGS-based diets reduced G:F by 1.56% compared with pigs fed CSB diets. Supplementation of exogenous enzymes improved (P < 0.05) the MD of ADG and G:F by 1.94% and 2.65%, respectively in CSB diets and by 2.67% and 1.87%, respectively, in cDDGS diets. Proteases, enzyme cocktails, or xylanases improved (P < 0.05) ADG by 7.29%, 2.64% and 2.48% in pigs fed CSB-based diet, respectively. In conclusion, cDDGSbased diets slightly reduces growth performance of nursery and growing-finishing pigs, but supplementation of xylanase or enzyme cocktail improves G:F of pigs fed cDDGS-based diets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of exogenous enzyme supplementation and solid-state fermentation (SSF) with a mixed bacterial culture on in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) and short chain fatty acid (SCFA) production of soybean meal (SBM) or rapeseed meal (RSM). A 2 × 2 factorial design was used and included the factors of 1) exogenous enzyme cocktail (supplemented and non-supplemented), 2) microbial fermentation (fermented and non-fermented) applied to SBM or RSM in vitro. The exogenous enzyme cocktail consisted of non-starch polysaccharide (NSP) degrading enzymes (NSP-EZ) with phytase (10,000 FTU/kg), and the SSF were carried out using Bacillus subtilis. The fermented feed ingredients were collected after 48 h incubation at 37oC. Samples were hydrolyzed in two steps using pepsin and pancreatin to calculate IVDMD. Subsequently, the hydrolyzed residues were filtered, dried, and pooled for incubation in a buffered mineral solution with fresh swine feces. Gas production kinetics during fermentation was measured for 72 h and analyzed by fitting data to an exponential model. The fermentation residues were filtered, and the supernatant was analyzed for concentration of SCFA. The IVDMD from simulated gastric and small intestinal hydrolysis was greater (P < 0.01) for SSF in both SBM and RSM. During fermentation, the hydrolysis residue from SBM treated with SSF required less time to reach half asymptote, had greater maximal gas production, and greater fractional degradation (P < 0.01, respectively) compared with non-fermented SBM. The IVDMD from simulated total tract digestion was greater (P < 0.01) for SSF in RSM compared with SBM, while SBM had greater IVDMD for both SSF and NSP-EZ (P < 0.01). Production of butyric acid was greater for SSF (P < 0.01) compared with non-SSF in both SBM and RSM. These results suggest that SSF can improve IVDMD and produce greater amounts of butyric acid compared with NSP-EZ supplementation in SBM and RSM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this experiment was to determine pre-weaning survival of pigs when sows were supplemented with 3 dietary levels of Zn in late gestation. Gilts and sows (n = 339) were assigned to one of three dietary treatments based on parity. Treatments were: 1) Control - corn-soybean meal-based diet containing 125 ppm supplemental Zn as ZnSO4 (75 ppm Zn) and AvailaZn™ (50 ppm Zn, CON); 2) Intermediate - as Control + 240 ppm supplemental Zn as ZnSO4 (INT); and 3) High - as Control + 470 ppm supplemental Zn as ZnSO4 (HI). Final supplemental Zn concentrations of diets were: 1) CON - 125 ppm; 2) INT - 365 ppm; and 3) HI - 595 ppm. Sows received dietary treatments from about d 85 of gestation until farrowing. Individual piglet birth weights were recorded within 12 h of parturition and all instances of piglet mortality were recorded. The statistical model considered fixed effects of diet and random effects of parity. Chi-square analysis was used to determine diet effects on piglet mortality. There were no differences in total pigs born, born alive, or weaned per litter. However, piglets from sows fed the INT diet had heavier (P < 0.05) birth weights (1.42 kg) than those fed CON (1.38 kg). Furthermore, incidence of low birth weight pigs was less (P < 0.05) for sows consuming INT compared with sows fed CON and HI (Table 1). Overall piglet mortality tended to decrease (P < 0.10) as dietary Zn increased. Furthermore, mortality of low birth weight pigs decreased (P < 0.05) as dietary Zn increased. Overall, effects of supplemental dietary Zn at 365 and 595 ppm in late gestation improved pre-weaning survival of low birth weight piglets and reduced overall pre-weaning mortality of piglets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to determine and compare the digestible energy (DE) and metabolizable energy (ME) content, and standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of amino acids in novel corn co-products and dried distillers' grains with solubles (DDGS) for swine. Seven corn co-products were evaluated including 2 conventional DDGS (DDGS-A and DDGS-B), 1 corn fiber and solubles (CFS), 2 high protein distillers' grains (HPDG-A and HPDG-B), and 2 high yeast and protein co-products (HYP-A and HYP-B). In Exp.1, 32 barrows (BW = 24.2 ± 3.4 kg) were housed individually in metabolism crates and randomly allotted to a corn-soybean meal basal diet or 1 of 7 diets containing 30% of a co-product in a randomized two-period crossover design. Feces and urine were collected in 2 periods (7-d adaptation and 4-d collection). In Exp.2, 16 ilealcannulated barrows (BW = 37.0 ± 3.8 kg) were assigned to 1 of 8 diets in a repeated 8 × 4 Youden square design. An N-free diet, and 7 test diets containing 1 of 7 corn co-products as the sole protein source were used. Diets were fed to pigs for four 7-d periods (5-d adaptation and 2-d ileal digesta collection). The HYP-A and HYP-B had the greatest (P < 0.05) DE (4,309 and 4,183 kcal/kg DM, respectively) and ME (4,118 and 3,972 kcal/kg DM, respectively), and HPDG-B had the lowest (P < 0.05) DE and ME (2,266 and 2,168 kcal/kg DM, respectively) among all corn co-products. The SID of Arg, His, Ile, Lys, Met, Thr, and Val were similar among DGS-B, HPDG-A, HYP-A, and HYPB, while HPDG-B had the lowest (P < 0.05) SID coefficients for all AA and CP. The high ME and SID Lys, Met, Thr, and Trp content of HYP-A and HYP-B indicate greater feeding value for swine compared to other co-products evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis to quantitatively summarize the growth responses of broilers fed cDDGS and the efficacy of various types of dietary enzyme supplementation. A total of 12 publications with 69 observations were included in the database. Individual observations were analyzed using a multivariable linear mixed model. The mean differences (MD) of BWG, FI, and gain efficiency (G/F) were calculated by subtracting either the enzyme response in corn-soybean meal (CSB) or CSB+cDDGS based diets to the control, and was expressed as a percentage (MD = (enzyme - control)/control ×100%). A type of exogenous enzymes (xylanase; protease; carbohydrases; cocktail = proteases + carbohydrases), and feeding phase (starter = d 0 to d 21; finisher = d 21 to d 42 or 49; overall = d 0 to d 42 or more) were included as fixed effects. Dietary enzyme inclusion showed significant improvement on BWG (3.19%, P < 0.01) and G/F (5.69%, P < 0.01) in broilers fed cDDGS diet. However, no significant enzyme responses were observed in broilers fed CSB diet on growth performance. Broilers fed cDDGS diet had increased (P < 0.01) BWG with the addition of protease (3.32 %) and cocktail (3.27 %), whereas addition of xylanased improved (P < 0.01) G/F by (3.56 %) and carbohydrases (1.90 %). Broilers fed cDDGS diet with enzyme supplementation showed greater improvement in BWG (3.71 %, P < 0.01) and G/F (3.78 %, P < 0.01) at finisher phase compared with starter phase. Likewise, Broilers fed CSB diet with enzyme supplementation increased BWG (9.40 %, P < 0.01) and G/F (3.11 %, P < 0.01) at finisher phase. In conclusion, supplementation of xylanase and carbohydrases in cDDGS diet improved G/F, and the enzyme response can be maximized when fed during the finisher phase diet compared with the starter phase diet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published studies involving different feeding strategies and diet inclusion rates of corn distillers dried grains with solubles (cDDGS) for broilers have resulted in variable growth performance responses. Therefore, a metaanalysis was conducted to quantitatively summarize the impact of feeding diets containing cDDGS on growth performance of broilers using a total of 16 publications with 56 observations in the database. The mean difference (MD) of BWG, FI, and G/F ratio were expressed as percentage between feeding corn-soybean meal-based (CSB) diet and addition of cDDGS into CSB diet of broilers. Individual observations were analyzed using a multivariable model (Proc GLIMMIX, SAS) to evaluate growth performance responses based on feeding phase, inclusion level of cDDGS, and oil content of cDDGS as a fixed effect. Broilers fed cDDGS diet had decreased BWG (-0.1 %, P < 0.01) and increased FI (0.3 %, P < 0.01) compared with broilers fed CSB diet. Moreover, every percentage unit increase in the inclusion level of cDDGS in CSB diet was associated with a decrease in BWG (0.30 %, P < 0.01) and FI (2.64 %, P < 0.01). The MD of BWG was greater for broilers fed cDDGS in the starter (4.70 %, P < 0.01) and entire (3.00 %, P < 0.01) period compared with the finisher feeding period. However, entire feeding period showed greater MD of G/F ratio (2.11 %, P < 0.01) compared with starter and finisher periods. The MD of BWG (-1.02 %, P < 0.01) and FI (-2.48%, P < 0.01) were decreased for broilers fed more than 20 % in the diet. In conclusion, including more than 20 % cDDGS into the broiler diet decreased BWG and FI. The recommended inclusion level of cDDGS into the broiler diet is 10 to 20 % during the entire period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New process technologies are being implemented in the ethanol industry resulting in new high protein corn co-products (HPCP) containing more gross energy and amino acids than conventional distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS). Thus, estimates of nutrient digestibility for HPCP are needed to assess potential feeding value for swine. Furthermore, yellow dent corn is the predominant grain source in U.S. ethanol and co-product production whereas flint corn is used in Brazil. This study determined and compared in vitro dry matter (DM), nitrogen (N), and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) digestibility and fermentability of U.S. and Brazil corn DDGS and new HPCP. In vitro methods evaluated DM, N, and NDF digestibility and fermentability of 2 corn DDGS samples from U.S. (POET and ICM), 2 DDGS samples from Brazil (BR1 and BR2), 1 corn fiber and solubles sample (CF+S), 3 high protein distillers grains (HP-DDG) samples (BR-HP, US-HP, US-HPG1.5), and 2 HP-DDG samples containing high yeast (Ultramax; UM) and StillPro (SP). Digestibility of DM from hydrolysis varied and was greatest for UM (87.13%; P < 0.001) compared with all other co-products. Fermentability of DM was greater (P < 0.001), and similar for UM (85.6%), SP (76.8%), and US-HP-DDG (72.8%) compared with other co-products. Digestibility of N was greater for UM (91.2%; P < 0.001) compared with all other co-products. NDF digestibility was greater (P < 0.001) for UM (62.5%) and SP (60.5%) compared with all other co-products. POET and ICM DDGS had greater (P < 0.001) DM hydrolysis (78.7% and 68.2%, respectively), than BR1 (37.2%) and BR2 (35.0%) and N digestibility (POET = 65.0%; ICM = 58.9%) compared with BR1 (54.4%) and BR2 (43.4%). These results suggest greater nutritional value for Ultramax and StillPro than conventional DDGS and HP-DDG sources (U.S. and Brazilian) due to greater DM, N, and NDF digestibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanisms of action for antibiotic growth promotion are poorly understood, making it difficult to select effective alternatives that are capable of providing similar responses. In order to evaluate the complete impact of supplementing antibiotics and other feed additives to nursery pigs, an integrated systems biology platform encompasses the merging of traditional nutrition models with gut physiology, nutrition and omics technologies. The objective of this study was to evaluate the growth response, metabolic responses, and intestinal microbiome composition of nursery pigs fed antibiotics. Antibiotic diets containing chlortetracycline and sulfamethazine (AB), and diets containing no antibiotics (CON) were fed in 3 trials. Pigs were weighed at d 10, 21, and 42 post-weaning and ADG, ADFI, and G:F was calculated. On d 42, one pig/pen was selected for blood, cecal, and ileum content collection to assess metabolomic profiles via liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The composition of bacterial communities in those samples was determined by sequencing the V4 region of the 16s rRNA bacterial gene in the MiSeq platform. Metabolomics and microbiome data were analyzed using multivariate approaches and growth performance data were analyzed using a generalized mixed model. Pigs fed AB were heavier (P < 0.05) on day 42. There were also significant differences (P < 0.05) in the cecal and serum metabolite profile of pigs fed AB compared with CON. However, there were no changes in bile acid or short chain fatty acid concentrations in cecal samples when feeding AB. Although AB had no effect on alpha or beta microbiome diversity, the abundance of specific bacterial taxa shifted significantly (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that feeding antibiotics improve growth, alter metabolism, and affect the abundance of specific taxonomic groups of bacteria in the gut. In the future, this approach will be utilized to evaluate antibiotic alternatives for nursery pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Newly-weaned pigs (n = 450; age = 20 d) were used in a 40-d experiment to determine the effects of water quality on pig performance and health. Pigs were sourced from a single commercial sow farm that was negative for both Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome virus and Mycoplasma Pneumonia. Pigs were allotted randomly to 45 pens (10 pigs/pen) and pens were assigned to 1 of 3 water treatments that provided water of differing quality. Waters were selected to represent a wide range of perceived water quality. Water quality was determined based on concentration of analytes including sulfates (1,120; 617; 2 ppm), iron (5.4; 5.2; 1.3 ppm), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS; 1,500; 1,050; 348 ppm), hardness (1,410; 909; 235 mg Eq CaCO3/L), magnesium (171; 91; 21 ppm) and sodium (64; 37; 29 ppm) for waters A, B, and C, respectively. Pigs were housed in an environmentally controlled, power ventilated, confinement nursery barn and were allowed ad libitum access to a common three-phase diet and water across all water treatments. Weekly ADG, ADFI, and G:F were measured and subjective scour score (1=solid feces to 4=liquid feces) was recorded daily through day 7. Data for pig growth performance were analyzed using PROC GLIMMIX with water quality as a fixed effect and pen served as the experimental unit. There were no differences among treatments in ADG, ADFI, and G:F (Table 1). Number of pigs treated with antibiotics throughout the experiment did not differ among treatments as determined by Chi-Square analysis. Average subjective scour score on day 7 of the experiment also did not differ among treatments. In conclusion, performance and health of nursery pigs as measured in this experiment were not influenced by the differing water qualities studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of an Aspergillus oryzae prebiotic (AOP, Amaferm®) on nutrient digestibility in growing pigs fed high fiber diets. Eighteen growing barrows (initial BW = 50.60 ± 4.90 kg) were surgically equipped with a T-cannula at the distal ileum. Three diets were formulated by including 29.65% corn-distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), 36.65% rice bran (RB) or 24.59% wheat middlings (WM) in corn and soybean mealbased diets to meet nutrient requirements for 50 to 75 kg growing pigs. Three additional diets were formulated by supplementing 0.05% AOP at the expense of corn in DDGS (DDGS + AOP), RB (RB + AOP), and wheat middlings (WM + AOP) diets. Pigs were allotted randomly to a triplicated 6 × 2 Youden square design with 6 diets and 2 successive periods. Feces and ileal digesta were collected for 2 d after a 21 d adaptation period, and nutrient content was analyzed to calculate apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) and apparent ileal digestibility (AID). Standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of amino acids was calculated by correcting AID with basal endogenous amino acid losses determined from the same set of pigs. Supplementation of 0.05% AOP increased (P < 0.05) ATTD of DM, GE, CP, NDF, and ash in DDGS, RB, and WM diets. Diet DE was 35 kcal/kg greater (P < 0.05) in pigs fed AOP supplemented diets compared with those fed diets without AOP. Pigs fed DDGS+AOP diet had greater (P < 0.05) AID of ether extract compared to those fed DDGS diet. However, supplementation of AOP did not (P > 0.05) affect AID of GE, DM, CP, NDF, ash or SID of amino acids. In conclusion, supplementation of AOP in high fiber diets containing DDGS, RB, or WM increased total tract energy value and nutrient digestibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fiber is known for decreasing nutrient utilization in pigs. The addition of fiber alters diet viscosity, but our understanding of the effect of diet viscosity on nutrient digestibility is limited. This knowledge is necessary for improving dietary fiber utilization and when evaluating alternative feed ingredients. Thirty-six T-cannulated barrows (n = 6/treatment; initial BW = 26.5 ± 3.9 kg) were fed either corn-soybean meal (CSBM) basal diets or CSBM with 30% distillers dried grains with solubles as fiber source (CSBM+DDGS). The viscosity of diets were modified by using non-viscous cellulose (CEL), medium-viscosity carboxymethylcellulose (MCMC), or high-viscosity carboxymethylcellulose (HCMC) to assess viscosity effects on nutrient digestibility and intestinal physiology. After 29 d on diets, ileal digesta were collected to determine viscosity and apparent ileal digestibility (AID). Also, intestinal tissue and contents were harvested to determine morphometry, goblet cell quantitation, and digestive enzymatic activity. Data were analyzed using a linear mixed model with treatments as fixed effects and initial BW as a random effect. Results are shown in Table 1. No interactions were observed between viscosity and diets. Inclusion of MCMC and HCMC increased viscosity of supernatant and whole digesta compared with CEL. Increasing diet viscosity decreased AID of DM and CP in pigs fed MCMC and HCMC compared with pigs fed CEL, respectively. The AID of DM and CP were greater in CSBM than CSBM+DDGS. Inclusion of CMC increased crypt depth in the jejunum and goblet cell area in the ileum compared with pigs fed CEL regardless of basal diet fed. Digesta trypsin activity was not different among treatments, but inclusion of CMC increased amylase activity by 43% in jejunal digesta compared with CEL. The addition of DDGS reduced AID; however, viscosity affected intestinal morphology and function, suggesting that viscosity is the main characteristics of fiber affecting nutrient utilization of pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]