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Effects of two pellet diameters for piglets pre and post weaning on feed intake, BW, and feed-related behaviour were studied in 3 experiments. In experiment 1, 19 litters were provided with pellets of 2 and 12-mm in diameter in a choice-feeding setup from d 4 of lactation onward. From d 4 to 18, piglets preferred the 12-mm diameter pellet over the 2-mm diameter pellet (519 vs. 168 g/pen; P

This study was aimed at investigating the long-term effects of provision of liquid milk replacer (MR) and solid starter diet (SD) during lactation on post-weaning (PW) growth of pigs. In experiment 1, 33 cross-bred litters were allotted to four treatments: no supplement (CON), MR ad libitum, SD ad libitum and 100 g SD/litter/day from lactation day 4 through weaning at day 21 during late fall. In experiment 2, 40 litters received MR or none in July. PW pigs received commercial diets to marketing. In experiment 1, weaning weight (WW), pre-weaning average daily gain (ADG) and mortality (2.4%) were not influenced by creep-feeding MR or SD. ADG was greater (P < 0.05) in the MR group versus CON during days 21-54, but did not differ across the treatments during days 54-162. In experiment 2, ADG during lactation and WW were greater in the MR group versus CON, with mortality lower in the former (5.6 vs. 10.3%). However, PW ADG to day 175 did not differ between the two groups. Results suggest that creep-feeding MR or SD has no effect on PW growth. However, it remains possible that MR reduces PW mortality during the hot season.

The objective was to evaluate the effect of weight, age and production efficiency of cows from genetic groups based on the calf weight at calving and at weaning. For a period of five years, data of 120 cows (60 Angus-Nellore (AN) and 60 Simmental-Nellore (SN)) at four to nine-years of age were evaluated. All cows were maintained on Brachiaria decumbens pastures, with two forage availability levels (high and low), distributed in a randomized-block design. The cows were placed together with Canchim bulls to generate the crossbred calves. A supplement, consisting of 200 g/kg crude protein and 820 g/kg of total digestible nutrients, was provided to the calves in creep feeding until 210 days-old (weaning). Supplement had a significant effect on the weight of the cow at calving and weaning. The average weights of the Angus-Nellore cows were 529.19 and 514.23 kg at calving and on the weaning day, respectively. These values were higher for Simmental-Nellore cows, which presented 569.60 and 542.59 kg, respectively. The male-calf weight at weaning was 254.69 kg, which was higher than the females (237.70 kg). Genetic group had no effect on weaning weight. The average weight for Canchim × Angus-Nellore calves was 243.41 kg and for Canchim × Simmental-Nellore it was 248.98 kg. Cow age affected weaning weight, promoting a linear increase of 0.804 kg in the weaning weight each year. Younger and smaller cows (Angus-Nellore) are more efficient for calf production.

Three isonitrogenous diets with different levels of metabolizable energy (ME; 10.3, 10.9, and 11.5MJ/kg) were fed to lactating ewes to study the relationships among milk yield and feed intake, growth rate, and carcass traits of early-weaned lambs. Eighteen multiparous Texel×Ile de France ewes (55.7±1.3kg of initial body weight; BW) supporting single male lambs were penned individually at 24h after lambing and evaluated for 42 days. Lambs had free access to a creep feeding system before weaning (42 days of age), and after that they were individually penned and fed a common diet until reaching the slaughter weight (32kg of BW). Carcasses were then evaluated after 24h of refrigeration. Dry matter and ME intake of ewes presented a quadratic relationship with energy level of the diet (P0.05). Therefore, creep feed supplementation was not enough to support a similar growth rate among lambs ingesting different amounts of milk. From weaning to slaughter, DM intake of lambs was greater (P

a b s t r a c t Creep feeding can improve growth and performance of piglets before and after weaning, especially if sow milk supply is reduced for any reason, but intake by suckling piglets is often low. It was hypothesised that the sequential presentation of different flavoured creeps each day would stimulate exploratory behaviour and improves feed intake and weight gain dur- ing lactation, with subsequent post-weaning benefits. This study aimed at investigating the effect of increasing creep flavour diversity in two lactation housing systems. Thirty-six sows (Large White × Landrace) were used in a 2 × 2 factorial design; sows were randomly allocated to either a farrowing crate or a loose farrowing PigSAFE pen at five days before far- rowing, while the litters were further allocated to either a standard or diverse flavour creep feeding regime on day 10 of lactation. Housing system had no main or interactive effect on the feed intake and weight gain of piglets in the lactation and post-weaning periods. Feeding 5 different flavoured creeps (Toffee, Apricot, Butterscotch, Apple and Red fruit) in a daily sequential order increased the hourly frequency of visits to the creep feeder on day 18 of life (P = 0.004), and increased the piglets' feed intake over days 15-22 of lactation (P = 0.01), and day 22 to weaning at 28d (P = 0.03). When controlling for day of presentation, butterscotch flavoured creep promoted a higher intake than red fruit creep (P = 0.004), with other flavours intermediate. The prior experience of flavour diversity significantly increased weight gain in the first 2 weeks after weaning on a standardised feeding regime for both treatments (P = 0.03). Results suggest that dietary novelty may be a method to stimulate early exploratory behaviour, feed intake and performance. © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Article history: An OrthoMTA compacter is made by machining a Ni-Ti alloy wire using tapered helix creep-feed grinding machines. This aim of this study is to find the optimal dressing conditions to sharpen the corner of a cubic boron nitride (CBN) wheel. On the basis of the results of various experiments, it is verified that the most important factors in dressing are the dressing depth and feeding method, whereas the feed rate has less importance for producing a smaller corner R value. The study also finds the optimum dressing depth to reduce the dressing time, a feeding speed and method to stabilize the machining, and the mesh grade for the CBN wheel to make the groove of the compacter deeper.

This experiment was determined the effect of weaning time on growth performance, rumen fermentation, and microbial bacterial community of lambs. Forty eight Hu lambs were randomly divided into 4 treatments. Control lambs were ewe-reared (ER), while others were weaned at d 10, 20, or 30 after birth (EW10, EW20 and EW30) and fed milk replacer artificially until d 60. All lambs had ad libitum access to same creep feed from d 15 to 90. Results showed that average daily gain, creep feed intake, final body weight, hot carcass and rumen weight of EW10, EW20 and EW30 were greater (P less than 0.05) than ER. The ammonia N concentration of EW20 and EW30 was greater (P less than 0.05) than EW10 and ER. Butyric acid in EW10 and EW20 was greater (P less than 0.05) than EW30 and ER. The richness and biodiversity of bacterial communities had no difference (P > 0.05). The predominated rumen bacterial composition in phyla level had no difference, but the minor phyla present, Proteobacteria, had difference. These results demonstrated that weaning time could improve the growth performance and rumen weight and slightly affect rumen fermentation. Weaning at d 10 was recommended to farmer to maintain prior rumen development and performance in lambs.

This study was undertaken to examine production performance, pasture and milk intakes and nutrient digestibility in heifers supplemented with different levels of energy in a creep-feeding system on Urochloa decumbens Stapf pastures during the rainy-dry transition season. Fifty-one heifers with predominant Nellore genetic composition (average initial age and weight: 120 days and 133.4 ± 3.12 kg) and their respective dams were used in an evaluation of production performance, intake, and diet digestibility. Four treatments were evaluated, namely, MM - mineral mixture; T250 - 0.250 kg of supplement per head per day; T500 - 0.500 kg of supplement per head per day; and T750 - 0.750 kg of supplement per head per day, totaling three groups with 13 animals each and one group with 12 animals. All supplements were balanced to provide 100 g of CP animal-1 day-1. LIPE® and chromium oxide were used as external markers to estimate fecal excretion and individual DM and supplement intakes, respectively, whereas iNDF was used as an internal marker for pasture DM intake. Production performance did not differ between the supplemented and unsupplemented animals. Total DM intake and pasture DM intake were higher in the group supplemented with concentrate, and the same was observed for the digestibility of DM and NDFap consumed by the animals. The average cow milk yield was 5.33 kg/day, with average protein and fat contents of 3.51% and 4.85%, respectively. In conclusion, compared to the use of mineral mixture only, multiple supplementation at different levels containing 100 g of CP does not significantly improve performance in lactating beef heifers grazing on Urochloa decumbens Stapf and supplemented during the rainy-dry transition season.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance, ingestive behavior and gastrointestinal helminths control of suckling lambs raised on pastures of Brachiaria ssp. supplemented in creep-fed and not supplemented. Thirty-one lambs being 15 lambs in the control treatment (without supplementation) and 16 lambs in the creep feeding treatment (with protein-energetic supplementation) were evaluated. Performance of lambs supplemented was superior to lambs no-supplemented. Lambs without supplemented had weaning age of 81 days and an average gain of 194 grams. Lambs supplemented showed weaning age of 58 days and average daily gain of 268 grams. eggs per gram of stool (EPG) count in the control treatment was 4553, while in the creep feeding treatment the mean was 763. The morbidity rate caused by gastrointestinal helminths in the control treatment was 6.6% and there was no morbidity due to helminths in the treatment creep feeding. The morbidity rate due to hepatogenic intoxication was 46.6% in control and 12.5% in the lambs supplemented. The ingestion of protein-energy supplementation in creep feeding promoted an increase in productive performance of lambs, as well as increased resistance and tolerance to gastrointestinal infections and decreased cases of hepatogenic intoxication by ingestion of Brachiaria spp. Made available in DSpace on 2019-10-08T00:34:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 CNPC2019PerformanceIngestive.pdf: 400693 bytes, checksum: 9596755a4344b7b51fada54538a12cf4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2019

This study aimed to examine the weaning age (60 and 90 days) of lambs supplemented while grazing on Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu pasture. Production performance, incidence of worm infections, intoxication, and production cost of lambs, beside that body condition and occurrence of single or twin births in the ewes were evaluated, by two consecutive years. There was no effect of year. Lambs weaned at 90 days consumed more supplement (281.0 g/day) than those weaned at 60 days (210.2 g/day) and showed a higher total weight gain (20.76 kg vs. 14.97 kg). Weaning age did not influence the occurrence of worm infections and intoxication by Urochloa spp. in the lambs, dam weight or body condition score (BCS). Ewes with single-born showed a better BCS (1.8 points) than those ewes had twin-born (1.4 points). The costs of supplementing the lambs and the effective operating cost were higher when the lambs were weaned at 90 days of age. There was no difference for intake, lamb performance between the weaning age groups. We recommend to wean lambs at 90 days in a creep feeding system.

To determine the efficiency of diamond grinding of hardmetals, which is characterized by specific metal removal rate, it is necessary to determine the volume of chip removed by the one grain taking into consideration it’s curvilinear. A scheme for calculating the chip area in the longitudinal cross section with taking into consideration of its curvilinear was developed. According to the obtained equations, the volume of chips removed was determined, which provide a way to calculate the maximum force acting on the grain with higher accuracy. Comparative analysis of the motion trajectory of the grain obtained by the simulation in SolidWorks and by the calculating using the equations showed that the error between the coordinates no more than 2%.

Monensin is a feed additive used to increase performance of beef cattle; however, the effects on cattle grazing warm-season perennial forages with limited levels of concentrate are inconsistent. The objective of this study was to test the effects of monensin on performance of beef calves receiving limited creep-feeding supplementation. The experiment was conducted in Ona, FL, from April to August (112 d) 2018. The creep-feeding supplementation level was 400 g of soybean meal/d. Calves were supplemented 3 days per week, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, thus the daily supplementation level was multiplied by 7 d and divided by 3 feeding days. Treatments were monensin (20 g/kg of the expected DMI) or control (no monensin), distributed in a randomized complete block design with four replicates. Twenty four cow-calf pairs (415±29 and 162±35 kg, respectively) were randomly distributed in eight limpograss (Hemarthria altissima) pastures (experimental units; 1.0 ha/pasture; 3 cow-calf pairs/pasture). Pastures were grazed with a continuous and fixed stocking rate. There was no difference in herbage mass (mean = 2,250 kg/ha, P =0.52, SE = 120) and herbage allowance (HA, mean = 1.2 kg DM/kg LW, P = 0.52, SE = 0.04) between treatments. In addition, there was no effect of monensin on calf average daily gain (mean = 0.77 kg/d, P = 0.27, SE = 0.04), cow body condition score (BCS, mean = 5.1, P = 0.15, SE = 0.15), and calf coccidia infestation (mean = 0.18 log egg count, P = 0.98, SE = 0.08). Calves receiving monensin consumed a lesser (P < 0.01) proportion of the supplement than control in the first 13 h after supplementation (76 vs. 95%). Monensin was not effective to increase performance of beef calves receiving limited creep-feeding supplementation.

Eleven Barbados Blackbelly ewes and their 22 lambs were used to study the impact of supplementary feeding of sheep ration pellets and sprouted black-eyed beans on milk intake, and weight gain in suckling lambs during first 6 weeks of dam's lactation. The newborn lambs were separated from the dams 72 h after birth and randomly allotted to one of two groups. Lambs in Gr I were offered commercial sheep ration pellets (CSR), while lambs in Gr II, sprouted black-eyed beans (SBB) separately as creep feed from day 4 to day 42. Milk intake by suckling lambs from day 4 to 42 was obtained using a ‘weigh-suckle-weigh ’method. The average daily milk intake (ADMI), daily gain (ADG) and the ratio of ADMI: ADG for CSR and SBB were similar (P>0.05). The mean ADMI/ADG for CSR week 1–3 and SBB week 1–3 were 8.0±0.10 and 7.9±0.11, respectively and the corresponding values for CSR week 4–6 and SBB week 4–6 were 8.3±0.18 and 8.2±0.53. The ewes weighed 47.9±0.88 kg on day 2 and 45.0±0.93 kg on day 36 of lactation. The average milk yield (g/day/ewe) for the six weeks was 1009±32.1with a peak of 1151±91.8 in week 4. The estimated means for daily gain of lambs in week 1–3 and week 4–6, for the CSR and SBB groups were 62.71±0.80, 61.76±0.80, 63.85±0.80 and 65.15±0.80g, respectively. In conclusion, feeding sprouted black-eyed beans as creep feed during weeks 4 to 6 had advantage in promoting weight gain in milk fed lambs.

Ninety-six Hereford cow-calf pairs grazing Campo grasslands were used in a 2 × 2 factorial design that evaluated stocking rate (high [H] vs low [L]) and creep feeding (CF; yes or no). Creep-fed calves grazing L had a greater average daily gain (1.07 ± 0.03 kg/d) than CF calves grazing H (0.96 ± 0.03 kg/d; P 0.05). Similarly, L + CF calves were heavier at weaning (172 ± 3 kg) than H + CF calves (160 ± 3 kg), but weaning weights between L − CF (144 ± 3 kg) and H − CF (138 ± 3 kg; P > 0.05) did not differ. Creep-fed calves grazed less (39 ± 10%) than non-supplemented calves (58 ± 15%; P < 0.05). Creep feeding had no effect on milk production, body condition and live weight of the dams, so it had no impact on their reproductive performance. We conclude that CF promotes greater live weight gains and weaning weights of Hereford calves grazing Campo grasslands.

Angus and Angus × Simmental calves (steers, n = 131; heifers, n = 69) were randomly allotted to 1 of 5 dietary treatments at 2 locations: early-wean starch; early-wean fiber; creep-fed starch; creep-fed fiber; or normal-wean, no-creep control. Early-weaned calves (133 ± 21 d of age) were placed in the feedlot, whereas normal-weaned calves remained with their dams on pasture (2 or 3 replications/location). Creep feed was offered for ad libitum DMI to calves fed creep-fed starch and creep-fed fiber. In the growing phase, early-wean-starch calves had 15% lower DMI and were 13% more efficient than early-wean-fiber calves (P

Objetivou-se analisar os custos e a rentabilidade de sistemas de produção de ovinos em pastagem sob três estratégias de suplementação de cordeiros lactentes: (1) creep grazing de trevo branco; (2) creep feeding; e (3) sem suplementação. Utilizaram-se dois métodos de análise financeira: análise anual (de curto prazo) e de fluxo de caixa (de longo prazo). Os custos foram segmentados em variáveis, fixos, operacionais e totais. O fator de produção que exerceu maior influência no custo variável da produção foi a alimentação, e no custo total foi o custo de oportunidade do capital imobilizado. O sistema com creep grazing não apresentou resultados econômico-financeiros superiores aos com creep feeding. The objective was to analyze production costs and profitability of grazing sheep productions systems under three strategies of lamb's supplementation: (1) white clover on creep grazing; (2) creep feeding; and (3) not supplemented. Two methods of financial analyses where used: annual (short term) and cash flow (long term). Costs were classified into variable, fixed, operational and total. Results showed that feeding and opportunity cost over investment was the most important production factors at variable and total costs, respectively. System with creep grazing supplementation did not show greater economic financial results over creep feeding supplementation system.

The objectives of this study were to determine (1) the individual ad libitum intake of mineral mix by beef cows managed under a year-long, fall-calving, forage-based production regimen and (2) if Se form in the mineral mix affected the blood Se concentrations of cows and suckling calves. Twenty-four late-gestation (6 to 8 months) Angus-cross cows (2.7 ± 0.8 years; body weight [BW] = 585 ± 58 kg) were blocked by BW and randomly assigned (n = 8) to a mineral supplement treatment (TRT) containing 35 ppm Se as either inorganic (ISe; sodium selenite), organic (OSe; Sel-Plex®), or a 1:1 combination of ISe/OSe (MIX). Cows commonly grazed a 10.1-ha predominately tall fescue pasture and had individual ad libitum access to TRT using in-pasture Calan gates. Cows calved from August to November and calves had common ad libitum access to creep feed and a mineral supplement that lacked Se. Cow jugular blood was taken at 28-day intervals (13 periods) and calf blood was taken with cows from birth through weaning. Individual cow mineral mix (mean = 54.0 ± 7.0 g/day, range = 97.3 to 27.9 ± 7.4 g/day) and Se (mean = 1.82 ± 0.25 mg/day, range = 3.31 to 0.95 ± 0.25 mg/day) intakes were affected by period (P0.0001), but not by cow Se TRT (P0.30). Cow blood Se (0.109 to 0.229 ± 0.01 μg/mL) was affected (P0.002) by period, Se form, and their interaction, with ISeMIX for periods 8 and 11, ISeOSe for all periods except period 1, and MIXOSe for periods 2 to 4, 7, 8, 10, and 12. Calf blood Se (in micrograms Se per milliliter) was correlated with cow blood Se and affected (P0.0001) by cow Se TRT, with ISe (0.07 to 0.11)MIX (0.10 to 0.15) = OSe (0.16 to 0.19). These data reveal that (1) mean supplemental ad libitum cow mineral intake was 36% less than the typical formulation intake expectations (85 g/day) and, correspondingly, mean supplemental Se intake was 33% less than that allowed by the FDA and (2) cow Se TRT differentially affected both cow and calf blood Se concentrations, resulting in adequate concentrations for all cows but inadequate concentrations for ISe calves.

Flavour cues present in amniotic fluid are used in mammals to find their mother early, but they are also useful for having contact with environmental flavours before birth. Three experiments have been performed to evaluate if piglets, during lactation and post-weaning, have the ability to prefer natural or artificial cues previously added to the gestating diets. For 7 min, pigs, in pairs, were offered a triple-choice stimulus through a Triple-U-Testing Arena among maternal amniotic fluid, alien amniotic fluid or water (Experiment 1) or among a flavour added to the late-gestation diet, a control flavour and water (Experiment 2). The same prenatal strategy was used to study the piglet's preference for flavoured or unflavoured creep feed during the suckling period (Experiment 3). Suckling piglets preferred amniotic-fluid flavours from their own mother over an alien amniotic fluid and they also preferred specific flavour cues given to the sows during late gestation (anise and milky-cheese). However, prenatal flavour exposure did not improve the preference of piglets for a flavoured compared to an unflavoured creep feed diet. Pre-natal exposure to flavours via maternal diet influences the piglet's preferences for new flavours, probably through a positive association between flavours and the hedonic reward of the uterine experience and a familiarity effect. Nevertheless, our results do not exclude alternative routes of exposure of the newborn piglets to sow feed odours. Preferences acquired before birth seem to be long-lasting. This may be an important factor to reduce neophobia for specific flavours in young pigs.

The aim of this study was to examine whether yeast derivate (YD) based on whole brewery yeast added to the creep feed of suckling and newly weaned piglets or to the creep feed of the piglets and the sow's diet prevented post weaning diarrhoea (PWD) or affected performance. Thirty sows and their litters were randomly allocated to three treatment groups: PSP (1.5 g/kg of YD to the sows’ feed from 1 wk before expected farrowing to weaning; 3 g/kg or 2 g/kg of YD added to the piglets’ creep feed from 2 wk of age until 2 wk post weaning (PW) and from wk 2 to 5 PW, respectively); PP (YD added to the piglets’ creep feed as in PSP); or C (control, no YD added). At weaning (4 wk of age) 2 individually housed piglets from all litters were subjected to either experimental Escherichia coli (E. coli) challenge or placebo treatment on d 1 to 3 PW, whereas performance was measured on 3 group-housed piglets from each litter. In individually housed piglets the faecal consistency score (FCS) was affected by an interaction between days PW, treatment group, and challenge group (P=0.005). In general, FCS was lower in placebo than in E. coli-challenged piglets and in PSP and PP piglets than in C piglets. The PSP and PP piglets had lower risk of PWD, defined as FCS > 3, on d 2 to 6 PW compared to C piglets (P=0.014 and P=0.001, respectively). This effect was evident in both placebo and E. coli-challenged PP piglets (P=0.010 and P=0.038, respectively), whereas PSP piglets only differed from C in E. coli-challenged piglets (P=0.030). In E. coli-challenged piglets faecal shedding of haemolytic E. coli was lower in PP than in C piglets (P=0.026). In placebo piglets the latency time to first observation of PWD was longer in PP than in PSP and C piglets (P=0.048 and P=0.017, respectively). The specific antibody titre in piglets or sows was not affected by YD. In group-housed piglets the medical treatment against PWD tended to occur in fewer PP than PSP and C pens within the first 3 wk PW (P=0.078). The average daily gain did not differ between treatments, but PSP piglets had an improved gain to feed ratio (G:F) in wk 0 to 5 PW (PAbbreviationsADFI, average daily feed intake; ADG, average daily gain; ADWI, average daily water intake; BA, blood agar plates; CFU, Colony Forming Units; E. coli, Escherichia coli; FCS, faecal consistency score; G:F, gain-to-feed ratio; MMA, Mastitis Metritis and Agalacti; PW, post weaning; PWD, post weaning diarrhoea; YD, yeast derivate based on Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The objective of this study was to analyze a data set with 205 records from a Nellore breed cattle, evaluating the influence of environmental factors on weaning weight adjusted to 205 days of age (W205), preweaning average daily gain (ADG) and number of days to gain 160 kg (D160). The data came from a farm in Sao Paulo State and were collected from 2007 to 2010. The statistical analysis was accomplished using the least squares method, with a model that included the fixed effects of contemporary group, sire and cow age at calving, and error as random effect. The same model was used to analyze 124 records of weight adjusted to 90 days of age (W90). The effects of contemporary group and sire were significant. The cow age at calving was not significant for any performance trait analyzed, except for W90 (P < 0.05). The estimated means were 140.67 ± 20.08 kg, 0.539 ± 0.097 kg/day and 306.42 ± 55.84 days, for W205, ADG e D160, respectively. The weightless calves were born in February (115.65 kg) and the heaviest in July (156.18 kg). The males were 5.8% superior than females. The importance of non genetic effects indicates the need to consider them when estimating genetic parameters and breeding values for selection purpose.

Thirty-eight purebred Iberian sows were used in two consecutive trials to determine the influence of different nutritional strategies applied to the litters on body composition and retention of some trace minerals in the body of suckling piglets weaned at 35 d of age. Exclusively milk feeding (M), conventional suckling (CS) and intermittent suckling (IS) were studied. Only litters on CS and IS treatments had free access to creep feed from day 15 onwards. Those of the CS group had continuous access to their dams. Piglets on the IS treatment were progressively separated from the sow during 6 h, 8 h and 10 h on days 29–30, 31–32 and 33–34, respectively. Eight piglets at birth (4 per trial replicate) and one piglet per litter on day 35 of age were slaughtered and used to study whole-body content of Fe, Cu and Zn, and its distribution in the different body compartments. Mineral retention was calculated following the comparative slaughter procedure. Average contents of these trace elements in Iberian sows’ milk were Fe 1.65, Cu 1.46 and Zn 11.10 mg/kg, whereas those analyzed in creep feed were Fe 240, Cu 170 and Zn 2900 mg/kg (as fed). The body concentration of Fe at weaning was unchanged between groups, although Fe stored in liver tended to be higher in IS piglets (32.3, 30.5 and 50.0 mg/kg for M, CS and IS piglets respectively, P=0.101). No differences (P>0.05) were observed in whole-body or liver concentration of Cu between groups, although Cu concentration was increased (P CS > M groups (P

Two studies were conducted to evaluate the effects of preweaning limit-fed creep feed (LFC) with or without trace mineral fortification on trace mineral status and pre- and postweaning growth performance of beef calves. At 102 (Exp. 1) and 97 (Exp. 2) d before weaning, Brahman × British cow-calf pairs (calf age = 142 ± 20 d) were stratified by calving date and randomly allocated into 1 of 8 pastures (approximately 17 pairs/pasture annually; calf BW = 104 ± 5 and 132 ± 25 kg in Exp. 1 and 2, respectively). Treatments were randomly assigned to pastures and consisted of no calf supplementation (Nonsup; 2 pastures/experiment) and limit-fed supplements with (MIN+; 3 pastures/experiment) or without (MIN-; 3 pastures/experiment) trace mineral fortification. Supplements were limit fed in cow exclusion areas 3 times weekly in amounts to provide 0.23 kg/calf daily. In Exp. 1, supplements consisted of compressed cubes (approximately 3.0 by 6.5 cm) whereas in Exp. 2, supplements were offered in a loose meal mixture. At weaning, 15 and 9 heifers/treatment in Exp. 1 and 2, respectively, were randomly selected to be transported (Exp. 1) or to receive an intramuscular injection of porcine red blood cells (PRBC; Exp. 2), each immediately preceding a 28-d feedlot receiving evaluation. In Exp. 1 but not in Exp. 2, LCF increased weaning BW (P = 0.05) compared with Nonsup calves (229 vs. 219 kg; SEM = 4.2). Trace mineral fortification of creep feed decreased DMI of LFC (P < 0.001 and 0.11 in Exp. 1 and 2, respectively) but did not affect (P ≥ 0.53) weaning BW of LFC calves. In Exp. 2 but not Exp. 1, Calves provided LFC had greater (P = 0.040) DMI during the first week postweaning, which was the result of greater (P = 0.040) voluntary DMI of concentrate, compared with Nonsup calves, during this period. In Exp. 2 but not in Exp. 1 (P ≥ 0.12), MIN+ increased (P ≤ 0.04) liver concentrations of Co, Cu, and Se compared with MIN- calves. Preweaning treatment had no effect on serum anti-PRBC immunoglobulin titers and plasma concentrations of haptoglobin and ceruloplasmin (P ≥ 0.37). Thus, limit-fed creep-feed supplements 1) increased calf weaning BW (Exp. 1), 2) enhanced trace mineral status of weaned calves when supplements were fortified with trace minerals (Exp. 2), and 3) increased voluntary DMI during the first week of the feedlot receiving period (Exp. 2).

Two 2-year experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of molasses-based creep-feeding supplements fortified with DL-methionine hydroxyl analog (MHA; Exp 1), or different supplemental nitrogen sources (Exp. 2), on growth performance of pre- and post-weaned beef calves. In both experiments, cows and calves were stratified by calving date and randomly assigned to pastures ( n =8 and 12 pastures for Exp. 1 and 2, respectively). Treatments were randomly assigned to pastures. In Exp. 1, treatments consisted of no creep-feeding supplementation ( NoCreep ), creep-feeding supplementation of sugarcane molasses plus 4% of a 50:50 urea+hot water blend (as-fed; Mol+U ) or Mol+U plus 0.22% of MHA (as-fed; Mol+MHA ). In Exp. 2, treatments consisted of NoCreep, creep-feeding supplementation of sugarcane molasses added with 4% of 50:50 urea+hot water blend (50:50, as-fed; Mol+U ) or 20% cottonseed meal (as-fed; Mol+CSM ). Calves were supplemented in cow exclusion areas for 122, 117, 104 and 102 days prior to weaning in years 1 and 2 of Exp. 1 and 2, respectively. In year 2 (Exp. 2), 18 heifers (2 heifers/pen; 3 pens/treatment) were randomly selected for a 17-day post-weaning evaluation and were provided free-choice access to a grain-based concentrate. In Exp. 1, Mol+U calves had similar ( P =1.00) voluntary creep-feed supplement intake in year 1, but greater ( P P =0.39) by treatment. In Exp. 1, but not in Exp. 2, creep-feeding supplementation increased ( P ≤0.01) calf BW at weaning and pre-weaning ADG compared with NoCreep calves. Calves supplemented with MHA had lesser ( P =0.03) pre-weaning ADG than Mol+U calves. In Exp. 2, nitrogen source added to creep-feed supplement did not affect ( P =0.15) calf pre-weaning ADG. Additionally, pre-weaning creep-feeding supplementation of heifers did not affect ( P ≥0.25) post-weaning growth performance or plasma concentrations of haptoglobin and fibrinogen during the receiving period. At weaning, heifers fed Mol+U had greater ( P =0.03) plasma concentrations of ceruloplasmin (Cp) than Mol+CSM heifers (23.8 versus 18.7±1.62 mg/dL, respectively), with NoCreep heifers being intermediate. On day 9, relative to weaning, Mol+U heifers had greater ( P =0.03) plasma Cp concentrations than NoCreep heifers (31.6 versus 26.6±1.62 mg/dL, respectively), with Mol+CSM heifers being intermediate. In conclusion, molasses-based creep-feed supplements increased pre-weaning growth performance of calves in Exp. 1, but not in Exp. 2, and did not affect post-weaning growth performance of heifers.

Ultrasonic vibration has shown capability of reducing friction forces in shearing within the material and on the contacting faces of pieces. To decrease the risk of thermal damages in creep-feed grinding, ultrasonic vibration (as a lubricant) was given to Aluminum 7075 and to Steel X210Cr12 workpieces in the direction of feed movement in dry creep-feed up-grinding while using vitrified aluminum oxide wheel. Grinding forces and surface quality are compared. It was found that under ultrasonic, without using coolant, the grinding forces were reduced and surface quality was improved. Under no ultrasonic sever thermal over-cut and burns were observed on steel, whilst there was no sign of such effects on aluminum.

Creep feed grinding can obtain an excellent grinding performance for its creep feed with high depth of cutting. However the large contact length and large feed result in large amount of heat accumulating in working zone and cause burn on workpiece surface. A series of grinding tests are performed to obtain burn variation with grinding parameters using different grinding wheel and workpiece in this paper. Grinding energy is also recorded and used to evaluate the influence of grinding parameter on burn.

This study evaluated the effect of creep feeding a protein supplement on the susceptibility of suckling lambs to infection with gastrointestinal helminths. Male and female lambs were grazed on Brachiaria spp. pastures next to their mothers. Animals were allocated to one of two treatments: creep feeding (261g/d) and control (no supplementation). The trial period was the suckling of lambs during two years of study: May-October 2013 and March-July 2014. Supplementary creep feeding of lambs improved animal performance (P0.05). Creep-fed lambs reached 18kg body weight in 64 d, but unsupplemented lambs required 77 d to reach the same weight. Lambs were susceptible to helminth infection during lactation; lambs in both treatments had high fecal egg counts (FECs), with means1000 eggs per gram, as early as 45days of age, when the daily grazing time per animal increased. Creep feeding reduced the FECs of suckling lambs60days of age in infections dominated by Haemonchus contortus. Totals of 20 and 48 anthelmintic treatments were administered to the supplemented and unsupplemented animals, respectively. The effect of this variable, however, was significant (P0.05) only after 60days, when nine and 28 treatments had been administered to the supplemented and unsupplemented lambs, respectively. The number of strongyloid larvae recovered from the paddock did not differ significantly (P0.05) between the two treatments, indicating similar challenges by infective larvae to both groups. The supplementation of lambs by creep feeding can thus be a strategy for the sustainable control of helminth infection, because it reduces the dependence on anthelmintic treatment.

Creep feeding has been used to reduce calves’ nutritional dependence on the cow, but research results under tropical conditions have not been conclusive about the effects on the cow. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the effects of high and low supplementation levels for Nellore heifer calves on performance, milk production, and metabolic profile of their mothers. Fifty multiparous Nellore cows and their respective calves were used. The following treatments were evaluated: 0—control, no supplement was fed to calves; 3—calves received supplement in the amount of 3 g/kg of body weight (BW); 6—calves received supplement in the amount of 6 g/kg of BW. There was no significant effect of level of supplementation offered to offspring on cow BW, body condition score (BCS) and subcutaneous fat thickness (P > 0.05). Level of supplementation of heifer calves did not significantly affect milk production corrected to 4% of fat (P > 0.05). Fat, protein, lactose, and total solids of the milk also did not differ among supplementation strategies (P > 0.05). Level of supplement fed to calves had no effect on cows’ glucose, total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides, total protein, and albumin levels (P > 0.05), but cows nursing calves that did not receive supplement had lower level of serum urea N (SUN; P

Simple Summary This study assessed the effects intermittent suckling (IS) had on physiological and behavioral indices of piglets before and after weaning. Piglets were allocated to either a control treatment (conventional weaning) or an IS treatment (separation from the sow for 8 h per day starting the week before weaning). Apart from an initial peak in cortisol at the start of IS, piglets subjected to IS did not show physiological changes suggestive of a chronic stress response before and after weaning. The event of weaning still caused a decrease in growth rate and an increase in white blood cell parameters in both treatment groups. However, the IS piglets tended to gain more weight in the second half of the week after weaning. The results of this study suggest that short periods of separation (e.g., 8 h/day) do not appear to compromise piglet welfare over the peri-weaning period. Abstract This study tested the hypothesis that piglets subjected to intermittent suckling (IS) would show changes in physiological and behavioral indices indicative of compromised welfare in the peri-weaning period. A total of 21 primiparous sows and their litters were allocated to either a control treatment (n = 10) where piglets were weaned conventionally, or an IS treatment (n = 11) where piglets were separated daily from their sows for 8 h starting the week before weaning. Performance, physiological and behavioral measures were taken at various time points during the week before and after weaning. Plasma cortisol levels were higher (p = 0.01) in IS piglets 7 d before weaning. Regardless of treatment, the N:L ratio at 3 d and 7 d after weaning was higher (p < 0.05) than that at 1 d before weaning. The IS piglets ate more creep feed during lactation (p < 0.05), and there was a tendency for the IS piglets to gain more weight between 3 d and 7 d after weaning (p < 0.1). This study showed that, aside from an increase in cortisol at the start of IS, piglets subjected to IS did not display physiological or behavioral changes indicative of compromised welfare.

To determine the effects of early rearing system on meat quality traits, fatty acid and amino acid profiles of meat, 48 Hu lambs were selected and randomly divided into four treatments: control lambs were ewe-reared from birth to 60 days of age (ER), while treatment lambs were segregated from their dams at 10, 20 and 30 days of age, then artificially reared with milk replacer until 60 days of age (EW10, EW20 and EW30, respectively). All lambs had no access to the milk replacer or their dams from 61 to 90 days. Creep feed was supplied ad libitum to all lambs from 15 to 90 days of age. Artificially reared lambs (EW10, EW20 and EW30) had higher (p < .05) creep feed intake, average daily gain, slaughter weight, hot carcass weight, meat ether extract content, bright meat color (lightness and yellowness) than ewe-reared lambs. The content of unsaturated fatty acids and monounsaturated fatty acids in EW10 and EW20 were greater (p < .05) than that in ER, whereas the proportions of saturated fatty acids in EW10 and EW20 were lower than that in ER (p < .05). The percentages of C18:0, C18:2, C18:3 and the ratio of polyunsaturated fatty acids and saturated fatty acids of artificially reared lambs were greater than ewe-reared lambs (p < .05). The meat proportions of leucine, alanine and proline were higher (p < .05) in artificially reared lambs than ewe-reared ones. Finally, the artificially reared system increased meat production and changed the fatty acid and amino acid profiles of meat, and it would be appropriate to rear Hu lambs artificially from 10 days with milk replacer.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of private supplementation with concentrated or legume, on the pasture characteristics, performance, carcass traits, body components, physico-chemical and sensory characteristics of the meat from suckling lambs kept on ryegrass pasture. Twenty seven suckling lambs were used with about 17 days of age and weighing 9,91 ± 0,594kg, which are distributed in the treatments that corresponded to feeding systems: suckling lambs kept on ryegrass pasture, suckling lambs kept on ryegrass pasture and supplemented with concentrated in private feeder (creep feeding) and suckling lambs kept on ryegrass pasture and supplemented with legume in the private pasture (creep grazing). The concentrate supplement was composed by corn, soybean meal and limestone, and was supplied ad libitum. The supplementary pasture was composed by legume white clover. It was evaluated the characteristics of ryegrass pasture and performance of lambs, which were slaughtered when reached 32 kg of body weight. Subsequently, evaluated the carcass characteristics, body components and characteristics of meat. The experimental design was completely randomized, where the results were submitted to analysis of variance and means compared by Tukey test at 5% of significance level. Supplementation, through concentrated or legumes, did not increase the performance of suckling lambs grazing ryegrass, despite differences in neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber by consumed pasture from animals that were smaller for the supplemented with legume. Suckling lambs kept in ryegrass produce similar carcasses of animals receiving supplement, despite gastrointestinal tract content with bile and urine and the proportion of the esophagus be higher (P

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de diferentes fontes energéticas, milho, sorgo e farelo de trigo, sobre o desempenho, o consumo, a digestibilidade aparente total dos constituintes da dieta e a eficiência de utilização dos compostos nitrogenados em bezerros de corte submetidos ao creep feeding. Foram utilizados 34 bezerros lactentes (12 machos e 22 fêmeas) com idade e peso médio inicial de quatro meses e 108±3,9 kg, respectivamente. O experimento foi conduzido em blocos casualizados com quatro tratamentos e dois blocos (machos e fêmeas). Os tratamentos foram: controle (MM), fornecimento de mistura mineral ad libitum aos animais; milho (M); milho + sorgo (M+S) e milho + sorgo + farelo de trigo (M+S+FT). Os suplementos continham aproximadamente 20% de proteína bruta (PB) e foram fornecidos na quantidade de 5 g kg -1 do peso corporal. Os animais suplementados apresentaram maior (P

High energy input of grinding that is dissipated as heat in grinding zone leads to thermal damage to the workpiece material. Heat transfer phenomena during deep cut grinding in general and creep feed deep cut grinding in particular is entirely different than the shallow cut grinding processes. Therefore, investigation of the temperature distribution becomes important in such situations. In the present work, a two dimensional thermal-based finite element model has been developed to investigate the transient temperature distribution within the contact zone as well as in the whole workpiece due to creep feed surface grinding. After comparing the results of the present model with the available results, the model is used for the study of effect of different input parameters such as depth of cut, workpiece speed, heat flux profile, and wheel material on transient temperature distribution.

Industry perceived lifelong benefits associated with starch-based creep feeding are increased weight gain and improved carcass quality. The objective of the following studies was to investigate the lifelong effect of creep feeding within 3 separate environments. These environments included spring calving with bermudagrass pastures, fall calving with ryegrass pastures, and fall calving with

This study aimed at studying the effect of age and Enterococcus faecium NCIMB 10415 on jejunal physiological measures in suckling and weaned piglets. A total of 112 piglets from 16 landrace sows were used. Sows received either no probiotic (n = 8, control) or were fed a diet with 4.2 to 4.3 × 106 cfu/g E. faecium NCIMB 10415 (n = 8, EF) from 28 days ante partum onwards. Piglets were offered creep feed beginning at 12 d of age and piglets were weaned to a pre-starter diet at 26 d of age. For EF piglets, the creep feed (pre-starter) and starter diets contained 5.1 × 106 cfu/g and 3.6 × 106 cfu EF/g, respectively. Twenty-seven randomly selected piglets from each group were euthanized at 12 (n = 6), 26 (n = 6), 34 (n = 7), and 54 d (n = 8) of age and a 45 cm mid-jejunal segment was taken. Histomorphometry was performed and relative transcript abundance of caspase-3, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP), lactase-phlorizin hydrolase (LPH), sucrase (SUC), aminopeptidase-N (APN) and sodium/glucose cotransporter 1 (SGLT1) was determined. Lactase (LAC), maltase (MAL), SUC, APN and IAP activities were measured in brush border membranes. The EF treatment did not affect (P > 0.05) performance variables like the pre- or post-weaning daily weight gain, feed intake, incidence of diarrhoea and ileal and total tract nutrient digestibility, except the feed conversion ratio which was reduced (P = 0.033). Jejunal villus length and crypt depth did not differ between groups (P > 0.05) but increased age-dependently (P = 0.003 and P

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of cysteamine on growth performance of preweaning piglets and gastric expression of ghrelin mRNA in vivo and in vitro. Twelve litters of newborn piglets were allocated randomly to control and treatment groups. From 15 d of age, piglets in the control group were fed basal creep diet, whereas the treatment group received basal diet supplemented with 120 mg cysteamine per kg of diet until weaning on 35 d of age. Body weight gain, creep feed consumption, and diarrhea rates were recorded, and gastric mucosal tissues were collected for quantifying mRNA expression. To evaluate the direct effect of cysteamine on gastric ghrelin expression, primary cultures of gastric mucosal cells isolated from 35-d-old piglets were exposed to cysteamine for 20 h at 0, 1, 10, and 100 μg/mL, respectively. Dietary cysteamine increased (P < 0.05) average daily creep feed consumption and BW gain in preweaning pigs, which was accompanied by reduction in diarrhea rates. At 35 d of age, piglets treated with cysteamine showed increased (P < 0.05) ghrelin and gastrin and decreased (P < 0.05) somatostatin mRNA expression in gastric mucosa. Moreover, dietary cysteamine treatment increased serum concentration of gastrin (P < 0.05). In vitro, cysteamine significantly increased ghrelin mRNA expression in gastric mucosal cells at the concentration of 10 μg/mL. In conclusion, dietary cysteamine is effective in improving the growth performance and health condition of preweaning piglets, which is associated with its stimulatory effects on gastric ghrelin mRNA expression both in vivo and in vitro.

Residual feed intake (RFI) has been explored as an alternative selection criterion to feed conversion ratio to capture the fraction of feed intake not explained by expected production and maintenance requirements. Selection experiments have found that low RFI in the growing pig is genetically correlated with reduced fatness and feed intake. Selection for feed conversion ratio also reduces sow appetite and fatness, which, together with increased prolificacy, has been seen as a hindrance for sow lifetime performance. The aims of our study were to derive equations for sow RFI during lactation (SRFI) and to evaluate the effect of selection for RFI during growth on sow traits during lactation. Data were obtained on 2 divergent lines selected for 7 generations for low and high RFI during growth in purebred Large Whites. The RFI was measured on candidates for selection (1,065 pigs), and sow performance data were available for 480 sows having from 1 to 3 parities (1,071 parities). Traits measured were sow daily feed intake (SDFI); sow BW and body composition before farrowing and at weaning (28.4 ± 1.7d); number of piglets born total, born alive, and surviving at weaning; and litter weight, average piglet BW, and within-litter SD of piglet BW at birth, 21 d of age (when creep feeding was available), and weaning. Sow RFI was defined as the difference between observed SDFI and SDFI predicted for sow maintenance and production. Daily production requirements were quantified by litter size and daily litter BW gain as well as daily changes in sow body reserves. The SRFI represented 24% of the phenotypic variability of SDFI. Heritability estimates for RFI and SRFI were both 0.14. The genetic correlation between RFI and SRFI was 0.29 ± 0.23. Genetic correlations of RFI with sow traits were low to moderate, consistent with responses to selection; selection for low RFI during growth reduced SDFI and increased number of piglets and litter growth, but also increased mobilization of body reserves. No effect on rebreeding performance was found. Metabolic changes previously observed during growth in response to selection might explain part of the better efficiency of the low-RFI sows, decreasing basal metabolism and favoring rapid allocation of resources to lactation. We propose to consider SRFI as an alternative to SDFI to select for efficient sows with reduced input demands during lactation.

This paper is dealing with the identification of efficient cleaning nozzle configuration to prevent the wheel from loading in creep feed grinding. The properties of different cleaning nozzles types were analyzed in terms of jet velocity and jet impact on the wheel surface using high speed imaging and pressure sensitive sheets. In grinding experiments the cleaning efficiency of each nozzle configuration was evaluated by optical measurement of wheel clogging inside the machine tool. With this newly developed procedure of tool cleaning optimization a significant reduction of grinding forces (up to 30%) and of the tool wear (up to 20%) was achieved.

The plastic deformation and brittle fracture damage remained within a certain depth of the abrasive surface of ceramic materials during axial creep feed grinding process, which included much information about damage mechanism and removal mechanism of ceramic materials. The surface morphology analysis showed that the brittle fracture was the main removal mode of grinding surface in addition to some micro-cracks in the affected layer, and cracks were not found in the matrix. Compared with general grinding, only the surface deterioration layer is thicker than general grinding surface, and there is no obvious damage to the workpiece

The increasing cost of N fertilizer has stimulated an interest in sourcing protein from warm‐season legumes among beef cattle producers in the tropical/subtropical areas of the world. The objective of this study was to evaluate effects of two strategies of incorporating cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] into bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum FlA¼gge) pastures on the herbage characteristics and performance of grazing cow–calf pairs. The study was conducted in Ona, Florida, USA, from May to August in 2007 and 2008. Experimental units were 1·0 ha. Treatments were bahiagrass pasture alone (control), 50:50 bahiagrass–cowpea pasture (cowpea), bahiagrass pasture with a cowpea creep grazing area (0·1 ha, creep grazing) and bahiagrass pasture with a creep‐fed concentrate [(creep feeding; 10 g kg−1 body weight (BW)]. The cowpea pastures had lower herbage mass [HM, 1·8 vs. 3·7 t ha−1] and herbage allowance [HA, 0·8 vs. 1·4 kg DM kg−1 live weight (LW)] compared with the other treatments. Cowpea had greater CP (CP, 160 g kg−1) and in vitro digestible organic matter (IVDOM), (600 g kg−1) than bahiagrass (110 and 490 g kg−1 respectively); however, cowpea HM was only 0·9 t ha−1 in May and 0·7 t ha−1 in June, but it did not persist in July and August. Calves receiving the creep feeding treatments had greater average daily gain (0·8 vs. 0·7 kg d−1) than calves in other treatments. Further research is necessary to exploit the superior nutritive value of cowpea in grazing systems in the south‐eastern USA.

32 sows (LandraceYorkshire) and their litters were used to evaluate the effects of varying creep feed duration on pre-weaning, post-weaning performance of piglets and sows. Sows were randomly assigned with 1, 2 or 3+ parities into 1 of 4 treatments. Creep feeding was initiated at day 5, 10 and 15 from birth for treatment 1 (TRT1), 2 (TRT2) and (TRT3), respectively, with a control group provided no creep feed. In this study, TRT1 and TRT2 diets had reduced (p0.05) were noted in suckling, sleeping, fighting frequency and mortality in piglet and eating, standing times, backfat and body weight loss in sows. In conclusion, creep feed initiated from day 5 and 10 reduce diarrhea scores in piglets and benefit the estrus interval in sows compared with those initiated from day 15 and no-creep feeding diets, indicating creep feeding could improve the pigs and sows performance, especially those initiated from day 5 and 10.

The present study was performed to investigate the effects of pre- and post-weaning feeding programs on growth of pigs. A total of 24 litters (avg. 10.6 piglets/litter) born from multiparous (Yorkshire × Landrace) dams × Duroc sires were provided with neither creep feed (CF) nor milk replacer ("CON"), 200 gm CF/litter/d from the 15th day of lactation ("MIN"), or CF and milk replacer ad libitum for 7 h during the daytime from the 7th day ("MAX") through weaning at d 21 of age. Sixty-eight weanling pigs selected randomly from each of CON and MIN were provided with phases 1, 2 and 3 nursery diets for 7, 14, and 13 days, respectively, in two pens; an equal number of piglets from MAX received the same diets for 6, 10, and 18 days, respectively. Subsequently, all pigs were fed grower 1 and 2 diets sequentially up to d 95 and 135, respectively. The entire pre- and post-weaning feeding trial was repeated three times under a split-plot design of experiment. Initial and final weights and ADG of the suckling pigs did not differ between MAX/MIN and CON. However, final wt of MAX adjusted for initial wt, which was 0.17-kg less in MAX than in CON, was greater than that of CON by 0.31kg, whereas the difference between MIN and CON in final wt barely changed after the adjustment. Growth of the animals during the nursery and growing phases was not affected by the feeding program, whereas d 55 and 135 BW, as well as d 6 BW, were highly correlated with weaning weight (r=0.81, 0.57, and 0.76; P

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of creep feed with different energy densities on litter performance. A total of 30 sows (LandraceYorkshire) and their litters were randomly assigned with 1, 2, or 3+parities into 1 of 3 treatments (10 sows). Dietary treatments were: i) CON (no creep feed), ii) LE (creep feed (DE 4,000 kcal/kg) from 5 d of age until weaning (21 d)), and iii) HE (creep feed (DE 5,000 kcal/kg) from 5 d of age until weaning). Each piglet was weighed at d 5, 10, 15, 21 (weaning), and d 7 postweaning to determine ADG. Creep feeding reduced concentrations of epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol compared with those in CON group (p

This study aims to investigate the effect of breed and slaughter weight on fatty the acid profile of the Longissimus dorsi muscle in lambs. Twenty-four Santa Ines (SI), 24.5 Ile de France × 0.5 Santa Ines (Ile × SI) and 12.5 Texel × 0.5 Santa Ines (Te × SI), slaughtered at different weights (30, 35, 40, and 45 kg), were evaluated. The animals were reared with creep feeding to weaning and were feedlot finished, receiving a diet composed of 30% hay and 70% concentrate. The analyses of fatty acids were carried out on the Longissimus muscle of the 13th rib. The experiment was in a three by four factorial design. The total mean saturated fatty acid level was 44.88%, with 43.30% monounsaturated fats and 1.72% polyunsaturated. The major fatty acids found included oleic (43%), palmitic (22%), and stearic (18%). The concentration of desirable fatty acids varied from 61.56% to 66.78%, with Te × SI (66.78%) having the highest levels (P < 0.05). The slaughter weight affected (P < 0.05) the saturated and unsaturated (both mono and poly) fatty acid profiles. The 35-kg slaughter weight showed the most desirable fatty acid profile. The saturated myristic and stearic fatty acids decreased with an increase in the slaughter weight, but oleic acid increased. In the conditions of the present study, the meat from Santa Ines and Texel × Santa Ines lambs had fatty acid profiles more beneficial for human health due to the higher levels of unsaturated fatty acids.

This study aimed to characterize the intestinal yeasts in weaning piglets and to establish their possible relationships with main bacterial groups. German Landrace piglets were weaned (WP, n=32) at 28 days of age or kept with the dams until day 39 without creep feed (UP, n=32). The experiment was performed at an experimental and a commercial farm (CF). Faeces were collected from the piglets, sows and pen floors on days 28, 33 and 39 for isolation of DNA and cultivation for enumeration of yeasts, enterobacteria, enterococci and lactobacilli. Fragments of the D1 domain of 26S rRNA gene were amplified and separated by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). No yeasts could be cultured from water and feed samples. No or only low numbers of yeasts were detected among all UP. In WP at CF, yeasts correlated with lactobacilli (r=0.456; P=0.009) and enterobacteria (r=−0.407; P=0.021). Kazachstania slooffiae dominated among the cultured yeasts. It was the only yeast species detected by PCR-DGGE. Yeasts, especially K. slooffiae, established in the porcine gastrointestinal tract after consumption of grain-based feed and may interrelate with the intestinal microbiota. The study provides data indicating importance of K. slooffiae for the development of balanced porcine gut microbiota.