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In cattle, the use of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) can result in a congenital overgrowth condition known as large/abnormal offspring syndrome (LOS/AOS). The phenotypic characteristics of LOS include; somatic overgrowth, abdominal wall defects, large organs, breathing difficulties, skeletal defects, hypoglycemia, abnormal placentas, difficulty suckling, and perinatal death. LOS can have detrimental effects on the offspring and dam and also pose managerial and financial challenges to the producer. Research from the Rivera laboratory has demonstrated that LOS is an epigenetic syndrome. As in cattle, ART can promote the development of congenital overgrowth in humans, a condition known as Beckwith Wiedemann Syndrome (BWS). For the past 13 years, the Rivera laboratory has been characterizing LOS and we have shown that LOS and BWS are phenotypically and epigenotypically similar. In our studies, using gestation day ~105 Bos taurus taurus x Bos taurus indicus F1 hybrids, we showed global misregulation of imprinted and non-imprinted transcripts, micro RNAs and global misregulation of DNA methylation. In brief, LOS fetuses displayed variable loss-of-imprinting in kidney, liver, muscle and brain, when compared to controls. Biallelic expression of imprinted genes in LOS was associated with tissue-specific hypomethylation of the normally methylated parental allele. Not only was there loss of allele-specific expression of imprinted genes in LOS, but we also observed differential transcript amounts of these genes between control and overgrown fetuses. In addition, a positive correlation was observed between bodyweight and the number of biallelically expressed imprinted genes in LOS fetuses. From this work, we concluded that LOS is a multi-locus loss-of-imprinting condition. Current work, aims to determine if LOS is identifiable during pregnancy using day 55 fetal ultrasonography and day 55 and 105 maternal blood. In addition, we aim to determine how serum supplementation of culture medium can program preimplantation embryos to develop LOS. Findings will be discussed.

Low blood glucose levels at the start of farrowing have been associated with increased farrowing duration and stillbirth rate. This study evaluated changes in sow blood glucose (BG) on the day of farrowing and investigated relationships between sow and litter parameters and BG. The study was carried out over 12 h from 0600h (time of last feeding) on the day sows were induced to farrow (d 115 of gestation) as a cross-sectional survey using 42 sows/gilts of which 32 farrowed. Blood samples (1.2 μL) were collected from an ear vein of each sow every 2 h from 0600 h; glucose was measured using a glucometer (Accuchek Aviva; Roche Diabetes Care, Inc., Indianapolis, IN). Sow parameters recorded included parity, body condition score (BCS: 1 = extremely thin to 5 = extremely fat), number of piglets born, total litter birth weight, and farrowing duration. Linear relationships between sow parameters and BG were developed using PROC REG of SAS. Sows that farrowed had similar (P > 0.05) BG to those that did not (84.4 vs. 86.8 mg/dL; SEM 1.76). Regression relationships between sow parameters and BG were generally weak (adjusted R2 ≤ 0.20). There was no effect (P > 0.05) of time after feeding, time after start of farrowing, or time interval between piglet births on BG. Average BG levels increased linearly (P < 0.05) with sow BCS (7.6 mg/dL/BCS; SE 2.63) but decreased linearly (P < 0.05) with sow parity (-2.5 mg/dL/litter; SE 0.96), litter size (-0.8 mg/dL/piglet; SE 0.28), litter weight (-0.06 mg/dL/kg; SE 0.26), and farrowing duration (-1.8 mg/dL/h; SE 0.82). In contrast to previous research, changes in BG from last feed to start of farrowing (which ranged from 0 to 9 h) and relationship with other sow and litter parameters were relatively limited.

Seasonal infertility (SI) caused by heat stress (HS) impacts the US swine industry by reducing litter size, farrowing rates, and production efficiency. Identifying the biological underpinnings of SI is a foundational step towards developing mitigation strategies to reduce the nearly $1 billion annual revenue losses to the swine industry. The study objective was to investigate the direct and indirect effects of HS via HS conditioned serum infusion in swine. We hypothesized gilts housed in thermoneutral (TN) conditions receiving gradual infusions of serum obtained from HS gilts would experience altered endocrine and metabolic function compared to gilts receiving serum from TN gilts. Prepubertal gilts (n = 18) were assigned to donor or recipient groups and donors were allocated to TN or HS environments. Blood was collected from HS donors and TN donors exposed to 24-hours of HS or TN conditions, respectively. Serum was infused into recipients housed in TN conditions via indwelling jugular catheters. Over a 24-hour period approximately 20% of the estimated recipient gilt serum volume from donors (pooled by treatment) was infused into recipients. After infusions were completed, gilts were euthanized and tissues collected. Increased rectal temperatures were observed in HS recipients compared to TN recipients (P ≤ 0.05). Protein extracts from liver and ovary underwent proteomic analysis via liquid-chromatography with tandem mass-spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to assess protein abundance. In the liver and ovary, we identified 135 and 264 proteins, respectively, that were differentially abundant between TN and HS recipients (P < 0.10). Gene Ontology enrichment analysis identified alterations to pathways involved in hormone regulation, immune response, and apoptosis. Collectively, these data demonstrate gilts receiving HS serum experienced altered endocrine and metabolic function compared to gilts receiving TN serum. This project was supported in part by the Iowa Pork Producers Association. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

A total of 346 pigs (241×600, DNA, Columbus, NE; initially 88.6 kg) were used in a 44-day trial to evaluate compensatory growth of pigs previously fed very low lysine diets. Two diets [control and corn (98% corn and 2% vitamins and minerals)] were arranged into 4 nutritional strategies. One group of pigs (control) was fed the control diet from d 0 to 44. The other three groups of pigs were fed the corn diet for 14, 21, or 28-d and then fed the control diet until day 44. The control and corn diets contained 0.70 and 0.18% standardized ileal digestible Lys, respectively. Pens were assigned to nutritional strategies in a randomized complete block design based on initial BW with 9 pens per treatment. On average, pigs fed the corn diet grew 49% slower than the control. Pigs previously fed the corn diet had 28% increased (P < 0.05) ADG during the first week of switching to the control diet and 12% faster (P < 0.05) ADG than the control for the rest of the trial. Despite this increase in ADG, final BW on d 44 was lower (P < 0.05) compared to the control for pigs fed the corn diet for 21 or 28-d. From d 0 to 44, control pigs and pigs fed the corn diet for only 14-d had increased (P < 0.05) ADG compared to pigs fed the corn diet for 21 and 28-d. Feed efficiency was decreased (P < 0.05) when the corn diet was fed and increased (P < 0.05) during the period of compensatory growth; however, overall G:F decreased (P < 0.05) as pigs were fed the corn diet longer. The data suggest that compensatory growth was observed when pigs fed the corn diet for 21 or 28-d followed by the control diet within a 6-week-period, but overall growth performance was still reduced compared to the control.

Swine colostrum intake within the first 24 hours after birth plays a large role in determining survivability, feed efficiency, growth, and fertility. This study tested the effects of feeding three doses of a homogeneous colostrum sample on BW over 24h, RT, immunocrit, and growth through PND7. Three female piglets were selected from eight litters at birth (n = 24 piglets total; n = 3/liter), and bottle-fed 10% (COL10, n = 8), 15% (COL15, n = 8) or 20% (COL20, n = 8) BW colostrum over 24h. Piglet birth weights were similar between treatments (P = 0.838). Piglets were weighed, RT recorded and immunocrit measured at 24h postnatal, then returned to their litter of origin. BW was recorded daily through PND7. At 24h, COL20 had an ADG of 136.3g, COL15 86.3g, and COL10 8.8g, and an average RT of 39.30⁰C, 38.84⁰C and 38.81⁰C respectively. Immunocrit levels varied from 0.028, 0.024 and 0.017 at 24h. SAS MIXED procedure was used to perform statistical analysis. Post-hoc analysis was performed using Tukey’s test. Colostrum dose had an effect on 24h weight gain (P < 0.001), RT (P = 0.007), immunocrit (P = 0.026), and growth through PND7 (P < 0.05). Treatment, day and interaction were determined as main effects of BW and ADG through PND7. Post-hoc analysis showed COL20 had higher ADG (136.3±54.8g), RT (39.30±0.11°C) and immunocrit (0.028±0.010) at 24h than COL10 (ADG 8.8±24.9g, RT 38.81±0.26°C, immunocrit 0.017±0.004). COL15 ADG (86.3±85.2g) differed from COL10 (P < 0.001), and RT (38.84±0.45) differed from COL20 (P = 0.017). There was no statistical difference in ADG between groups through PND7 (P = 0.874). One piglet within each treatment was crushed before PND7. This model permits controlled studies intended to understand the level of 24h colostrum intake on piglet growth and development using standardized, homogenous colostrum doses.

The objective of this experiment was to investigate dietary supplementation of oligosaccharide-based polymer on growth performance, diarrhea, and fecal β-hemolytic coliforms of weaned pigs experimentally infected with a pathogenic F18 Escherichia coli (E. coli). Forty-eight pigs (7.23 ± 1.11 kg BW) were individually housed in disease containment rooms and randomly allotted to one of four treatments with 12 replicate pigs per treatment. The four dietary treatments were a nursery basal diet (control), and 3 additional diets supplemented with 50 mg/kg Mecadox (AGP), 10 or 20 mg/kg of oligosaccharide-based polymer. The experiment lasted 18 d [7 d before and 11 d after the first inoculation (d 0)]. The doses of F18 E. coli inoculum were 1010 cfu/3 mL oral dose daily for 3 days. Growth performance was measured on d -7 to 0 before inoculation, and d 0 to 5 and 5 to 11 post-inoculation (PI). Diarrhea score (DS; 1, normal, to 5, watery diarrhea) was daily recorded for each pig. Fecal samples were collected on d 2, 5, 8, and 11 PI to test the percentage of β-hemolytic coliforms in total coliforms. All data were analyzed by ANOVA using the PROC MIXED of SAS with pig as the experimental unit. Inclusion of oligosaccharide-based polymer linearly increased (P < 0.05) ADFI on d 0 to 5 PI, and feed efficiency on d 0 to 5 PI and d 5 to 11 PI (P = 0.07), compared with the control. Supplementation of AGP or oligosaccharide-based polymer reduced (P < 0.01) frequency of diarrhea of pigs from d 0 to 11 PI. No differences were observed in overall growth performance and percentage of fecal β-hemolytic coliforms on d 8 PI among pigs in AGP and oligosaccharide-based polymer treatments. In conclusion, supplementation of oligosaccharide-based polymer enhanced feed efficiency and reduced diarrhea of weaned pigs infected with a pathogenic E. coli.

The objective was to compare the performance of cows housed in drylots or on pasture. Spring-calving, Simmental × Angus cow-calf pairs (n = 108; 77 ± 18 days postpartum) were stratified by age, body weight (BW), body condition score (BCS), calving date, and calf sex. Cows were allotted into six groups which were randomly assigned to drylot or pasture. Drylot cows were limit-fed a ration consisting of corn silage, dried distillers grain, corn stalks, cracked corn, and a corn-based supplement to meet protein and energy requirements. Cows on pasture were rotationally grazed with access to free-choice mineral. Cows were artificially inseminated on day 0. Cow BW, BCS, hair coat scores, locomotion scores, and lameness treatments were evaluated throughout the 110-day experiment. Milk production and composition were evaluated on day 56. Data were analyzed using the MIXED and GLIMMIX (binary data) procedures of SAS. Artificial insemination and overall pregnancy rates did not differ (P ≥ 0.79) between groups. Drylot cows were 22 and 51 kg heavier (P ≤ 0.02) than pasture cows on days 83 and 110, respectively. Drylot cow BCS was greater (P = 0.03) on day 110. Hair coat scores were more desirable (P = 0.03) in drylot cows than pasture cows on day 110. Drylot cows had greater (P = 0.04) milk production than pasture cows. Pasture cows had greater (P ≤ 0.03) milk protein content and milk urea nitrogen. Although locomotion scores did not differ (P ≥ 0.45) on days 0 and 34, they were less desirable (P = 0.02) for the drylot cows on day 110. A greater (P = 0.02) percentage of drylot cows (33%) were treated for lameness than pasture cows (7%). Housing cows in drylots increased BW, BCS, and milk production, but resulted in poorer locomotion scores and increased lameness treatments.

An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of reduced crude protein (CP) in diets containing coarse wheat bran (CWB) without pharmacological levels of Zn (ZnO) on growth performance and fecal dry matter (DM) of nursery pigs. A total of 650 pigs (DNA 241′600; initially 6.6 kg), were used with 5 pigs/pen and 26 replicate pens/treatment. Pens were assigned to 1 of 5 treatments in a RCB design based on BW. Treatments were fed for 13-d, contained 4% CWB, and consisted of: 1) diet with pharmacological ZnO (2,000 mg/kg Zn) and 21% CP formulated to 1.35% standardized ileal digestible (SID) Lys; 2) a diet with 110 ppm added Zn and 21% CP (1.35% SID Lys); 3) a diet with 110 ppm added Zn formulated to 18% CP (1.20% SID Lys); 4) an 18% CP diet with 110 ppm added Zn formulated to 1.35% SID Lys by the addition of increased levels of feed grade amino acids; and 5) diet 4 with addition of non-essential amino acids (NEAA; glycine and glutamic acid). Data were analyzed using the lmer function in R. Overall, pigs fed 21% CP with ZnO had increased (P < 0.05) ADG compared to those fed 18% CP (1.35% SID Lys) with high levels of feed grade amino acids or those fed the reduced SID Lys (1.2%) diet. Gain-to-feed ratio was increased (P < 0.05) for pigs fed 21% CP diets and those fed the 18% CP diet with NEAA compared to pigs fed 1.2% SID Lys and pigs fed high levels of feed grade amino acids. Fecal DM was increased (P < 0.05) for pigs fed reduced SID Lys diet. In conclusion, reducing CP (subsequently SID Lys) in diets without ZnO decreased growth performance but increased fecal DM.

Lawsonia intracellularis is endemic to swine herds worldwide. Currently, vaccination is one of the few strategies available to mitigate L. intracellularis. Thus, this study aimed to characterize the impact of vaccination on growth performance and disease severity during experimental challenge. Thirty-six L. intracellularis negative barrows were assigned to treatment groups as follows (n = 12/trt): 1) nonvaccinated, L. intracellularis negative (NC); 2) nonvaccinated, L intracellularis challenged (PC); and 3) L. intracellularis challenged, vaccinated (Enterisol® Ileitis, Boehringer Ingelheim) at 1 week postweaning (VAC). On days post inoculation (dpi) 0 (7 weeks post-weaned) PC and VAC pigs were inoculated with L. intracellularis. Individual feed disappearance and BW were recorded weekly and all pigs were euthanized at dpi 21. Post-inoculation, ADG was reduced in PC (P < 0.001) and VAC (P = 0.001) pigs compared with NC pigs. Average daily gain was additionally reduced in PC pigs compared with VAC pigs (P < 0.001). Similarly, ADFI was reduced in PC (P < 0.001) and VAC (P = 0.029) pigs compared with NC pigs, and further reduced in PC pigs compared with VAC pigs (P = 0.032). Overall G:F was reduced in PC pigs compared with NC (P < 0.001) and VAC (P = 0.015) pigs, which did not differ. For antibody response and fecal shedding, NC pigs remained negative. Antibody responses and fecal shedding were lower in VAC pigs compared with PC pigs (P < 0.05). Ileal gross lesion severity was greater in PC pigs compared with VAC (P = 0.018) and NC (P = 0.003) pigs, which did not differ. Similarly, ileal lesion length was greater in PC pigs compared with NC (P = 0.007) and VAC (P = 0.045) pigs. Microscopic lesion severity was greater in PC pigs compared with both PC and VAC pigs (P < 0.05). Taken together, these data characterize the impact L. intracellularis has on growth performance of pigs and highlight the importance of vaccination to prevent disease associated performance losses.

Ruminant production systems need to embrace the challenge of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to be in sync with other sectors of society that are adopting net-zero emission goals. The major greenhouse gas from ruminants is enteric methane, which contributes 3% to 5% of total global greenhouse gases. A broad range of potential mitigation strategies has been proposed to decrease methane emissions from ruminants. One promising strategy is the investigational methane inhibitor 3-nitrooxypropanol (3-NOP; DSM Nutritional Products Ltd., Kaiseraugst, Switzerland), which when fed to beef cattle, has decreased methane yield (g methane/kg dry matter intake) by 20% to 80%, depending upon the diet composition and dose. Furthermore, the decrease in methane production persists over several months. 3-NOP reduces methanogenesis in the rumen by inactivating the enzyme methyl-coenzyme M reductase used by archaea. 3-NOP is most effective when incorporated into a total mixed ration. Some advantages of 3-NOP are: only a small dose is required (1–2 g/d); no negative effects on digestibility, animal health or carcass characteristics; rapid degradation to compounds naturally occurring in the rumen (e.g., nitrate, nitrite and 1,3-propanediol); sustained efficacy over time; and risk assessments indicate residues in meat and milk are unlikely. However, 3-NOP is not yet approved for commercial use. Research studies in small pens indicate up to 5% improvement in gain:feed ratio for backgrounding and finishing cattle, although recently completed studies at a commercial feedlot indicate improvements in feed conversion may be less. This presentation will highlight the current findings of beef cattle research using 3-NOP to decrease methane emissions, with emphasis on its potential for decreasing the carbon footprint of beef.

Post-weaning Escherichia coli diarrhea (PWD) remains a major cause of economic losses for the pig industry. PWD, caused by enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC), typically provokes mild to severe watery diarrhea between 5 and 10 days after weaning. Recently, an oral live bivalent E. coli F4/F18 vaccine (Coliprotec® F4/F18; Elanco) is available on the European market, which reduces the impact of PWD provoked by F4-ETEC and F18-ETEC. The objective was to compare technical results of E. coli F4/F18 vaccination with previous standard therapeutic approach under field conditions. A 1100-sow farm with diagnosed problems of PWD due to F18-ETEC was selected. Control piglets received the standard treatment protocol with antimicrobials during the post-weaning phase. Vaccinated piglets were immunized at 18 days with the oral live bivalent E. coli F4/ F18 vaccine. At weaning, no standard group medication (ZnO and antibiotics) was applied for prevention of PWD. Piglets were fed a commercial dry feed. Several performance parameters were collected: weight at d0-47, ADWG, ADFI, FCR, TI100 and mortality. Statistical analysis was performed with JMP 14.0 – comparison of means. Oral E. coli F4/F18 vaccination significantly reduced the mortality rate (3.56% to 1.67%; P< 0.05) and TI100 (10 to 0 days; P< 0.05). All other performance parameters (ADWG, ADFI and FCR) were at the same level compared to pre-vaccination. Live E. coli F4/F18 vaccination against PWD resulted in similar technical performance parameters, in combination with a significant reduction in the mortality and medication use. In conclusion, control of PWD through vaccination is a good option in order to prevent piglets from the negative clinical outcomes of F18-ETEC infection during the post-weaning period.

Although sugarcane produces a large amount of energy per hectare, its ensiled storage leads to losses, which makes it one of the most expensive options for animal feeding. These losses occur due to fermentation of sugars and organic acids by yeasts, producing alcohol and gas. Inoculants containing Lactobacillus buchneri increase acetic acid production, which has effect against yeast. In this study, we produced egg yolk antibodies (IgY) against yeasts that ferment lactate (Candida glabrata, Pichia kudriavzevii, and Pichia manshurica) and sugar (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Torulospora delbrueckii, Schizosaccharomyces pombe and Debaryomyces etchellsii) isolated in sugarcane silage. Shortly before ensiling, doses of 0, 175, 350, and 700 g/t IgY, and Lactobacillus buchneri were applied to chopped forage. Gas losses were calculated using experimental silos in triplicate, according to the equation: G = (PCf - PCa)/(MFf) × 100, in which: G = gas losses (kg/t); PCf = weight of full silo (equipped with a Bunsen valve to allow gas outflow) at sealing (kg); PCa = weight of full bucket at opening (kg); MFf = forage mass at sealing (kg). The data were analyzed as a completely randomized design and submitted to analysis of variance and regression using the SAS (SAS, 1998), which was chosen because of the significance of the regression parameters, tested by Tukey’s test (P < 0.05) and the values of the coefficients of determination. Thirty days after sealing the L. buchneri inoculant and doses of 350 and 700 g/t IgY promoted less gas losses than control that had no any product (12.74; 15.59 and 15.28 versus 27.74, respectively, P < 0.05) and the L. buchneri did not differ from IgY doses. The gas losses decreased quadratically with the anti-yeast addition, estimating maximum of 530 g/t fresh forage. We conclude that anti-yeast use reduces gas production during fermentation. With continuity of this research, we may obtain a roughage with higher nutritional value, as its mode of action in yeast control does not involve consumption of sugars or organic acids.

The objective of this study was to compare feedlot performance and carcass traits between two implant programs in heifers harvested at 3 different days on feed (DOF; 179, 200, or 221 d). Crossbred beef heifers (n = 3,084; 291 + 3.9 kg) were used in a 2×3 factorial arrangement of treatments in a randomized complete block design. Revalor-IH (80 mg TBA and 8 mg E2) was administered on arrival followed by Revalor-200 (200 mg TBA and 20 mg E2) 94 d before harvest (IH/200) or Revalor-XH (80 mg TBA and 8 mg E2, uncoated; 120 mg TBA and 12 mg E2, coated) was administered on arrival (XH). No implant × DOF interaction was detected (P ≥ 0.09) for any parameter. Heifers subjected to IH/200 had greater (P ≤ 0.01) final BW, ADG (P < 0.01) and G:F (P = 0.01). As DOF increased, BW increased (P ≤ 0.01) while ADG (P

The objective of this study was to investigate seeding of the piglet microbiome, in the context of maternal programming in pre/perinatal environments. Maternal programming refers to maternal factors that predetermine offspring development and health. We hypothesized that increased sanitation level in maternal environments affects development of piglet fecal and nasal microbiomes, and physiological performance. Six sows were allocated randomly to two treatment groups: farrowing stalls cleaned with (D; n = 3) or without (ND; n = 3) disinfectant. Swabs were collected from stall floors, drinkers and feeders, and from sows’ vaginal, rectal, oral and udder surfaces at d109 of gestation and the day before farrowing. Fecal and nasal swabs were collected from piglets at days: 0 (within 24h of birth), 7, 14, and 21 postpartum. Nine piglets were selected randomly from each sow (n = 27/treatment) for microbiome analyses. DNA was extracted from swabs and the V4 variable region of the 16srRNA bacterial gene was sequenced on the MiSeq platform. Sequence data were analyzed using DADA2 and various packages within the R statistical software. Although environmental microbiomes were different between D and ND stalls (PERMANOVA, R2=0.474, P = 0.031) after cleaning, no compositional differences were detected among any D or ND sow samples. However, at d0, ND compared with D piglets exhibited higher gut (Shannon’s H, P = 9.131e-08) and nasal (P = 6.164e-08) alpha diversity. ND piglets also displayed greater nasal bacterial diversity at d21 (P = 0.036), and different gut (R2=0.06–0.129, P = 0.001) and nasal (R2=0.136–0.196, P = 0.001) microbiome compositions across all timepoints. However, D piglets exhibited higher average birth (P = 3.773e-05) and weaning weights (P = 5.803e-06) compared to ND piglets. These results indicate that sanitation level during farrowing persistently alters swine microbiomes and growth performance.

Both the United States and Canada are major exporters of pork, with market forces and consumer demand playing a more important role than legislation in defining production standards. Canadian welfare standards can be seen as intermediate between those in America and Europe, with the province of Quebec leading the way in Canada’s production of “high welfare” pork. In many other respects- such as farm size, diets, genetics and management, pig farms in Canada and the United States are very similar. What can U.S. producers learn from Canada’s experience in implementation of new welfare standards? This talk discusses Canada’s 2014 implementation of the Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pigs. The Code included multiple new requirements, including the transition to group housing for gestating sows, use of analgesics at castration and tail docking, space allowances and the provision of enrichment. Code development is overseen by the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC) in cooperation with the Canadian Pork Council (CPC) and with participation of government, industry and public partners. In 2020, the Pig Code underwent a 5-year review, which resulted in eight major recommendations. Five of those recommendations will require amendments to the code and are yet to be approved. Each change illustrates a balance between economics and welfare in a highly competitive and changing industry. For example, the 2014 Code promoted adoption of group housing for sows by July 1, 2024. While integrated production systems committed to, and invested heavily in, implementation of group gestation, the cost of barn conversion and poor pork returns have been major deterrents on many farms. The CPC estimates that in 2021, 44% of Canada’s sow herd will be managed in groups. The Code review recognized that not all producers will be able to transition by 2024, and that forcing producers to convert on a strict timeline would result in a worsening of the animal’s welfare. The review recommended changing the date for implementation of group housing from 2024 to 2029. This more gradual transition will allow renovations to be part of a scheduled rebuild of an existing facility or new construction, with better long-term outcomes for producers and sow wellbeing.

The objective of this presentation will be to discuss differences in the molecular structures between various organic trace minerals (OTM) and inorganic trace minerals (ITM) and discuss how these properties impact stability, absorption, bioavailability and retention. The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) lists several different categories of OTM including chelates, complexes and proteinates. Typical ligands include organic acids, amino acids, peptides and polysaccharides. It is widely known that bioavailability of ITM is low, primarily due to the presence of antagonisms such as phytate and/or fiber or excesses of other minerals. For this reason, inclusions of trace minerals (e.g. Zn, Cu, Mn, Fe) are often added in commercial livestock diets at 2–3-fold higher concentrations than recommended by NRC. Feeding highly bioavailable trace minerals is important. These minerals are required components of thousands of the proteins, enzymes and transcription factors that support a wide variety of biochemical processes in the cells and tissues of animals. These functions include gene regulation, cell growth and division, immune development and function, tissue development and integrity, reproduction and oxidative stress management. Low bioavailability of these trace minerals can reduce animal performance, immune function, reproductive performance and increase lameness. Numerous in vitro and in vivo methodologies have been used to compare bioavailability and demonstrate higher stability, tissue retention and digestibility of OTM vs ITM. Sow longevity is a key factor in commercial swine herd profitability. Reproductive problems and lameness are the most common reasons for premature sow culling from breeding herds. Compared to ITM, OTM reduced gilt and sow mortality 9–17% (P < 0.10), culling rate 20–35% (P < 0.01) and increased sow retention (through parity 3) 5–10%; (P < 0.01). Greater bioavailability translates to biological benefits to the producer, however, our findings demonstrate that not all OTM perform better than ITM.

An experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis that increasing concentrations of dietary Val, Ile, or Trp alone or in combination will alleviate negative effects of excess dietary Leu on N balance of growing pigs. Seventy-two barrows (initial body weight: 33.9 ± 2.6 kg) were housed in metabolism crates and randomly assigned to 1 of 8 diets and 3 blocks with 3 pigs per diet in each block in a 12-d experiment. Treatments were arranged in a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial with the main effects of L-Val (0 or 0.1%), L-Ile (0 or 0.1%), and L-Trp (0 or 0.05%) that were added to a basal diet containing corn and a high-protein corn product (48% crude protein; 5.9% Leu). The basal diet contained 1.00 % standardized ileal digestible (SID) Lys and 171% SID Leu:Lys. Data were analyzed using the PROC MIXED of SAS with concentrations of Val, Ile, and Trp, and all interactions as main effects and replicate as a random effect. No 3-way interactions were observed (Table 1). Results indicated that fecal N output increased if Ile was added to diets without added Val, but that was not the case if Val was added (interaction, P < 0.05). Addition of Ile to diets reduced N retention, but N retention increased with Trp addition to diets without Val addition, but not if Trp was added to diets with added Val (interaction, P < 0.05). The biological value of protein increased if Trp was added to diets without addition of Ile, but if Ile was added, Trp addition did not increase the biological value of protein (interaction, P < 0.05). In conclusion, adding Ile to a diet with excess Leu reduced N retention, but if Trp was added alone or in combination with Ile or Val, N retention increased.

Future climate projections for the Midwest U.S.A. predict increased winter rainfall. The increase in winter rainfall will consequently increase soil moisture and allow for muddy conditions in paddocks. Muddy conditions can directly affect cows during late gestation by compromising insulative properties of the hair coat. It is likely that cold climatic conditions and mud increase a cow’s maintenance requirement during gestation and may affect growth of the fetus. The objective of this study was to evaluate effects of muddy conditions on cow body weight (BW) and fetal growth during late gestation. Sixteen multiparous Angus cows (n = 8/treatment) were paired based on initial BW. One cow from each pair was randomly allocated to either the mud (MUD) or control (CON) treatment. Pens in the CON group were bedded with wood chips, while pens in the MUD group were designed to create a muddy lot (average depth of 23.6 ± 5.8 cm). Cows were housed individually and fed the same diet. Each pair was fed based on the NRC recommendations for maintenance and gestation. From day 213 to 269 of gestation, cows were weighed weekly. Conceptus free live weight (CFLW) was then calculated by subtracting the estimated weight of the gravid uterus from the cow’s weekly BW. Data were analyzed as a randomized complete block design with repeated measurements (SAS 9.4). At time of study initiation, cows were of a similar BW (P > 0.05). By day 269 of gestation, the CFLW of the cows in the MUD group weighed 37.4 kg less compared with the CON group (P < 0.01), though calf birth weight was not different (P = 0.72). Cows in the CON group maintained CFLW throughout the treatment period, however, cows in the MUD group did not maintain CFLW during the treatment period.

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of feeding medium energy diets together with feed ingredients (Narasin-Skycis, Elanco Animal Health, Greenfield, IN; Phytonutrient blend-LeanFuel, Furst-McNess Company, Freeport, IL) as compared to low and high energy diets in high lean genetics during the summer. A total of 1375 pigs (PIC 337×PIC 1050; average 32.92 kg) were used in the experiment and were randomly assigned within block to 1 of 5 treatments by weight and gender, and 5 diet phases were formulated to meet and exceed NRC 2012 requirements, and formulated to a constant Lysine:NE ratio using corn, soybean meal and fat as low-energy, 3307 kcal/kg ME (L), moderate-energy, 3362 kcal/kg (M) and high-energy, 3417 kcal/kg ME (H) diets, and the trial ran from 32.92 kg to slaughter. Treatments 1) L 2) H 3) M with 1135 g/ton of LeanFuel added from 81.65 kg onwards 4) M with 13.6 g/ton Narasin throughout 5) M with 13.6 g/ton Narasin throughout and LeanFuel added from 81.65 kg onwards. Data were analyzed using the PROC GLIMMIX of SAS with pen serving as the experimental unit and blocks included in random effects. There was no difference in removals (P = 0.934). There was no difference in ADG between L and H, but H improved G:F by 2.5% (P < 0.01) as expected. ADG was intermediate for M+LF and M+Nar, with M+Nar+LF having a significantly greater ADG than both L and H by 4.8% for the overall period (P < 0.01). Feed efficiency was significantly lower for H, M+LF, M+Nar and M+Nar+LF as compared to L, but there was no difference for G:F between H and M+LF, M+Nar and M+Nar+LF. Gain per pig was increased by M+Nar+LF by 5.1 kg and 4.5 kg over L and H, respectively (P < 0.01). The combined use of Nar and LF offer an approach to supporting growth rate during the summer.

Weaned pigs are typically fed complex, highly digestible diets to maximize feed intake and weight gain as they transition into the nursery. Further, pharmacological concentrations of zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) are commonly fed to mitigate weaning-related diarrhea and performance reductions. A 2 x 2 factorial design was utilized to determine the effect of diet complexity with or without Zn and Cu. Four-hundred and thirty-two weaned pigs were randomly allotted to 48 pens (n = 9 pigs/pens). Pens were assigned to one of four diets: 1) A high soybean meal diet (Simple), 2) Simple + ZnCu, 3) Low soybean meal diet with spray-dried plasma, casein, and oats (Complex), and 4) Complex + ZnCu. Diets were fed in two 14 d phases. For ZnCu there were 3,000 and 2,000 ppm Zn in phase 1 and 2, and 200 ppm Cu in both phases. Bodyweight and feed intake were determined in phase 1 (d 0–14) and phase 2 (d 15–28). Pen was the experimental unit and all data were analyzed by diet complexity, pharmacological minerals and their interaction. No complexity by ZnCu interaction or diet complexity effects were observed in the 28 d study. However, ZnCu increased ADG (0.23 vs. 0.16 kg/day, P < 0.0001), ADFI (0.28 vs. 0.24 kg/d, P < 0.0001), and GF (0.80 vs. 0.69, P < 0.0001) in phase 1. In phase 2, ZnCu increased ADG by 9% (P = 0.008) and ADFI by 16% (P = 0.0001) compared to non-supplemented counterparts. Overall (0–28 d), ZnCu pigs had heavier end bodyweight (15.9 vs. 14.5 kg, P = 0.009), and greater ADFI (0.47 vs. 0.41 kg/d, P < 0.0001). In conclusion, diet complexity (high levels of soybean meal versus specialized protein alternatives) did not alter nursery performance. Irrespective of diet complexity, pharmacological Zn and Cu improved performance parameters.

Modern lactating sows are under high energetic demand due to increasing prolificity. Significant body weight (BW) losses during lactation may impair sows’ reproductive life and longevity, and the readiness for weaning of the offspring. This study aimed at evaluating the impact of a multicarbohydrase containing alpha-galactosidase (CAG; AlphaGal™280P, Kerry) on a low energy dense lactation diet. Two-hundred and eight sows (218 ± 25.2kg) were blocked by parity and BW to one of 4 treatments, in which a corn-soybean meal diet was formulated to have graded levels of added fat (0, 1.5% and 3%) to titrate an energy density model (T1–T3). T4 replicated the 0% added fat formulation with CAG supplementation at 250 g/MT. Sows were weighed individually on entry, post-farrow (by calculation) and at weaning. Daily feed intakes (ADFI) were used for calculation of sow feed conversion ratio (FCR). Litter performance was characterized at birth, and size was standardized within 24h of farrow and within treatment to ensure uniform litter sizes (LS). Average wean weight (WWt) and pre-weaning mortality were determined. Litter weight distribution was also evaluated via individually weighed piglets, with consideration for pigs < 4.1kg BW. Data were analyzed as a RCBD, using sow as the experimental unit, treatment as the main effect, and standardized average weight and LS as covariates where appropriate. CAG tended to increase sow ADFI (P < 0.10) and yielded significant improvements in sow FCR (P < 0.01), comparable to T3. Although CAG group had lower standardized LS (P < 0.001), WWt was higher and equivalent to T3 upon use of standardized LS as a covariate. CAG tended to reduce the proportion of light pigs within the litter, when compared to T1. CAG improved the efficiency of sows, while increasing WWt of the offspring, suggesting an improvement in nutrient digestion and/or post absorption metabolic efficiency from typical lactation diets.

Immunoglobulin G antibody response, measured as sample-to-positive (S/P) ratio, to Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome virus (PRRSV) has been proposed as an indicator trait for improved reproductive performance in PRRSV-infected purebred sows and PRRSV-vaccinated crossbred gilts. In this study, we investigated the genetic correlations (rg) of S/P ratio following a PRRSV outbreak and PRRSV-vaccination with performance in non-exposed and PRRSV-exposed sows. PRRSV outbreak phase was defined based on previously described methodologies after the detection of typical clinical signs of PRRSV infection. 541 Landrace sows had S/P ratio measured at ~54 days after the beginning of the PRRSV outbreak (S/Poutbreak), and 906 Landrace x Large White naïve F1 gilts had S/P ratio measured at ~50 days after vaccination with a commercial modified live PRRSV vaccine (S/PVx). 711 and 428 Landrace sows had reproductive performance recorded before and during the PRRSV outbreak, respectively. 811 vaccinated F1 animals had farrowing performance for up to 3 parities. All animals were genotyped for ~28K SNPs. The estimate of rg of S/Poutbreakwith S/PVx was high (rg±SE = 0.72±0.18). Estimates of rg of S/Poutbreak with reproductive performance in F1 sows were low to moderate, ranging from 0.05±0.23 (number stillborn) to 0.30±0.20 (total number born). Estimates of rg of S/PVxwith reproductive performance in non-infected purebred sows were moderate and favorable with number born alive (0.50±0.23), but low (0 to -0.11±0.23) with litter mortality traits. Estimates of rg of S/PVx were moderate and negative (-0.47±0.18) with the number of mummies in PRRSV-infected purebred sows and low with other traits (-0.29±0.18 for total number born to 0.05±0.18 for number stillborn). These results indicate that selection for antibody response following a PRRSV outbreak collected in purebred sows and to PRRSV vaccination collected in commercial crossbred gilts may increase litter size of non-infected and PRRSV-exposed purebred and commercial crossbred sows.

Two experiments were conducted to determine the influence of sources or concentrations of dietary fiber in nitrogen-free diets (NFD) on basal ileal endogenous losses (BEL) of amino acids (AA) and subsequent standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of AA in feed ingredients for pigs derived from such BEL. In Exp. 1, 20 pigs (initial body weight = 46.5 ± 2.97 kg) were assigned to five diets in a quadruplicate 5 × 2 incomplete Latin square design with two periods. Three NFD containing cellulose (insoluble and fermentable fiber), inulin (soluble and fermentable fiber), or carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC; soluble and non-fermentable fiber) at 40 g/kg plus two diets containing soybean meal (SBM) or wheat distillers’ dried grains (WDDG) as the sole source of nitrogen were prepared. Pigs fed NFD containing CMC had greater (P < 0.05) BEL of AA, except for Arg and Pro, than those fed the other NFD. The SID of most AA in SBM and WDDG corrected by BEL of AA from NFD containing CMC were greater (P < 0.05) than those corrected by BEL of AA from the other NFD. Experiment 2 was conducted with 21 barrows (initial body weight = 34.1 ± 2.57 kg) assigned to seven diets in a triplicate 7 × 3 incomplete Latin square design with 3 periods. Seven diets consisted of three NFD containing 4, 8, or 12 g/kg cellulose and four diets containing corn, wheat, SBM, or canola meal as the sole source of nitrogen. There was no difference in the BEL of AA, except for Pro, among pigs fed NFD with increasing concentration of cellulose. The SID of AA in test ingredients were not affected by BEL of AA from NFD containing increasing concentration of cellulose. In conclusion, chemical characteristics of dietary fiber, but not concentration, affect the BEL of AA in pigs.

Fiber ingredients in swine diets have various components that affect the intestinal tract distinctively. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of structural fiber sources on growth performance of nursery pigs. A total of 1,760 weanling pigs (initial BW = 6.12 ± 0.3 kg, 16 reps/trt, 22 pigs/pen) were used in a study with 5 dietary treatments: 1) Complex nursery diet with no additional fiber (CON); 2) CON + 2% rice hulls; 3) CON + 4% rice hulls; 4) CON + 6% wheat middlings; 5) CON + 12% wheat middlings. Fiber ingredients were added at the expense of corn and some processed soybean meal to maintain similar dietary protein levels. Using an in vitro fermentation estimation of fermentation for rice hulls and wheat middlings, diets were constructed to add similar levels of structural (non-fermentable NDF) fiber between low and high additions of rice hulls and wheat middlings. Pens across two barns were randomly allotted independent of one another and within a location block to one of the five treatments on d 0 of a two-phase study (d 0–11 and d 11–20.5 post-weaning). Data were analyzed by general linear model in R. Mortality and removal data were analyzed as a generalized linear mixed model with a binomial distribution. Contrasts tested the effect of additional fiber (CON vs treatments 2–5), effect of medium vs high fiber (treatment 2/4 vs 3/5), effect of source of fiber (treatment 2/3 vs 4/5), and the interaction of level and source of fiber. Overall (Table 1), additional fiber resulted in increased ADFI (P < 0.05) and tended to increase ADG (P < 0.10). Probability of mortality and removal was reduced (P < 0.05) when additional fiber was included. In summary, increasing the level of structural fiber improved performance and livability of nursery pigs.

Limit-feeding cows in confinement can lower feed costs; however, calves have limited time to access feed. This study was designed to evaluate management options to economically improve calf performance. Calves (n = 54) were stratified by age (105 ± 16 DOA) and assigned randomly to one of nine groups, then each group assigned randomly to one of three treatments: 1) kept with dam with access to cow diet only (PAIRS) 2) early-weaned (EW) or 3) kept with dam with access to creep (CREEP). The cow diet was 54% wet distillers grains (WDGS), 37% straw, and 8% corn. This diet was fed to meet dry cow requirements (7.7 kg DM/d) for EW, lactation requirements (10.9 kg DM/d) in CREEP, and lactation requirements plus allow for some calf intake (14.8 kg DM/d) in PAIRS. The calf diet consisted of 51% alfalfa hay, 25% WDGS, and 22% corn. Calves in the EW had greater (P < 0.01) intake (5.0 kg DM/d) than CREEP (4.1 kg DM/d) from 105 to 203 DOA. Calf ADG differed (P < 0.01) among treatments from 105 to 203 DOA, with CREEP (1.29 kg/d) being greater (P = 0.02) than EW (1.01 kg/d) and both being greater (P ≤ 0.02) than PAIRS (0.74 kg/d). At ~203 DOA, PAIRS and CREEP were weaned and all calves were fed a growing diet. Calf intakes during the growing phase (223 to 314 DOA) did not differ (P = 0.39). However, calf ADG tended (P < 0.06) to differ. The ADG of PAIRS (1.13 kg/d) and EW (1.10 kg/d) did not differ (P = 0.67) but were greater (P ≤ 0.05) than CREEP (0.92 kg/d). However, when calf value and total feed costs were considered, creep resulted in the most return over feed costs at weaning as well as at the end of growing.

Background Patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) often seek advice on optimizing their diet to reduce gut inflammation. The relationship between dietary patterns, major food groups and individual nutrients, with disease activity in Crohn’s disease (CD) is incompletely understood and warrants further investigation. Aims 1.To determine whether a diversified (DD) or nondiversified (NDD) dietary pattern is related to biological activity in CD (BACD) in long-term follow up. 2.To determine if specific foods or nutrients are associated with increased BACD. Methods In this retrospective cohort study, forty-six CD patients (52% male) in remission completed 3-day food records between 2015–2017 for a 3-month intervention study and were classified as DD or NDD. Remission was defined by a Harvey Bradshaw Index Results Sixteen patients (35%) had BACD during the mean 42 month follow up (31–54 months,SD ± 6.6). See Table 1 for additional demographics. Based on the random forest prediction model, both vitamins and minerals, food groups and Mediterranean diet cut-points could predict disease activity responses (ROC-AUC = 0.68 and 0.75, respectively). For these models, baseline intake of vitamins E, D, B1, and C and leafy greens, and fruit intake were the most important predictors of BACD. For the univariate analysis, the high disease group had lower intakes of fiber, vitamin E, and C (p = 0.047, 0.066, and 0.09, respectively). A higher proportion of patients consumed a NDD with BACD compared to those without BACD (50% vs. 23.3%, p=0.07). Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first study to assess if dietary patterns, foods and nutrients are able to predict disease activity over a mean 42 month follow up. Further research into the dietary determinants of BACD in CD is warranted. With higher baseline FCP observed in the BACD, multivariate analyses to assess the independent effect of diet to predict BACD is required. Funding Agencies Litwin IBD Pioneers Foundation, Alberta’s Collaboration of Excellence for Nutrition in Digestive Diseases (Ascend)

Background Fecal microbial transplantation (FMT) from lean donors to obese patients with metabolic syndrome (MS) has been associated with promising yet short-term metabolic improvements. The concept of using dietary or fiber supplementation to enhance effects induced by FMT has been much discussed in the literature, but to date no human trials have examined this concept. Aims The aim of this study was to determine if fiber supplementation following FMT was able to enhance or sustain FMT-mediated metabolic benefits. Methods We performed a 12-wk double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial in patients with severe obesity and MS recruited from Edmonton’s Bariatric Clinic from 2018 to 2019. Patients were stratified by sex and block randomized 1:1:1:1 amongst one of four groups: (1) Placebo FMT and a non-fermentable fiber (NF) (2) Placebo FMT and fermentable fiber (FF); (3) FMT and non-fermentable fiber (FMT-NF); and (4) FMT and fermentable fiber (FMT-FF). Patients received a single dose of FMT (50g donor stool) with 20 oral capsules followed by a 6-wk period of daily fiber. The primary outcome was evaluating mean differences (MD) in insulin sensitivity from baseline to 6-wks using the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA2-IR). Results Sixty-eight patients were randomized with 61 completing the primary outcome (NF = 17; FF = 15; FMT-NF = 14; FMT-FF = 15) and evaluated using a modified intent-to-treat analysis. Baseline characteristics were similar with a mean BMI 45 ± 7 kg/m2, a female predominance (83.6%), and a HOMA2-IR of 3.43 ± 2.2. There were no baseline differences in clinical characteristics, metabolic parameters, medications, or dietary intake. FMT-NF had improvements in HOMA2-IR (MD -24.0% ± 12.0%; p=0.02), insulin sensitivity (MD 27.6% ± 12.3%; p=0.02), and insulinemia (MD -25.4% ± 12.3%; p=0.02) from baseline to 6-wks (Figure 1). These benefits were associated with increased microbial richness and improvements in GLP-1 metabolism. Linear mixed model regression revealed that select bacterial taxa including Phascolarctobacterium, Ruminococcaeceae, and B. stercoris correlated with increased insulin sensitivity. Findings occurred in the absence of changes in anthropometric parameters, dietary intake, medication regimen and were not observed in groups receiving fermentable fiber or in any group following cessation of fiber. Conclusions This proof-of-concept trial provides evidence that a single FMT dose combined with daily non-fermentable fiber supplementation can successfully improve insulin resistance in patients with metabolic syndrome and severe obesity on optimized medical therapy. Funding Agencies W. Garfield Weston Foundation

Background Circadian rhythms are autonomously running 24h cycles in bodily processes. In animals these rhythms are driven by a molecular time keeper known as the circadian clock. The clock is a transcription-translation feedback loop composed of the transcription factors Bmal1 and Clock as well as their repressors Per and Cry. The circadian clock regulates over 40% of the genome rhythmically. Chronic circadian disruption, in the case of shift work, can lead to pathologies including cancer. Colorectal cancer is most frequently initiated through a mutation in the Wnt pathway regulator, Apc. Several studies have attempted to provide a mechanistic link between cancer and circadian clock disruption but the use of mice on mixed genetic backgrounds and poor circadian models have made this link unclear. Aims We aim to determine if the circadian clock plays a role in intestinal tumourigenesis. Methods We crossed the Apcmin mouse strain, a common intestinal tumour model, with Bmal1 mutant mice, which lack a functioning circadian clock. After creating an isogenic strain, we examined the number of tumours in control (Bmal1+/+) and clock dead (Bmal1-/-) animals. We derived organoids, a 3D cell culture method, from Apc+/+; Bmal1+/+ (healthy, clock-live), Apc+/+, Bmal1-/-(healthy, clock-dead), Apcmin; Bmal1+/+(adenoma, clock-live), Apcmin; Bmal1-/- (adenoma, clock-live) mouse ileum and collected every 2h from 24-48h after synchronizing their circadian clock. Collected samples were sent for RNA sequencing and assessed for circadian regulated transcripts. This experiment was followed up by in vitro organoid assays. Results The circadian clock controls 41 genes in the intestinal epithelium, including genes like Tead4 which are known to be important in intestinal biology. There are twofold more tumours in Bmal1-/- mice than their Bmal1+/+ littermates, and Bmal1-/- tumours upregulate Tead4 and Hippo pathway targets and downregulate Wnt pathway targets. Bmal1-/- adenoma organoids show increased self-renewal when compared to Bmal1+/+ adenoma organoids. However, this increase in self-renewal is lost when organoids are treated with inhibitors of the hippo pathway. Conclusions The circadian clock is important in maintaining the health of an organism, and disruption of the clock can lead to many health consequences including cancer. We show for the first time that the circadian clock controls the hippo signaling mediator Tead4. Additionally, we show that the loss of the clock leads to an increase in the number of tumours present in the epithelium which are characterized by an increase in hippo signaling. This research shows the important of considering time of day when studying stem cells during homeostasis and in cancer. Funding Agencies CIHRNSERC

Aims SELECTION (NCT02914522) Maintenance evaluated filgotinib (FIL), a preferential JAK1 inhibitor, as maintenance therapy for patients (pts) with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis (UC) who achieved clinical remission or Mayo Clinic Score (MCS) response after 10 weeks of FIL 200mg QD, FIL 100mg QD or placebo (PBO) induction. Methods Pts randomized to FIL induction were rerandomized 2:1 to their induction FIL dose or PBO; pts randomized to PBO induction continued PBO maintenance. Steroid tapering was mandatory. The primary endpoint was clinical remission at Week 58. Key secondary endpoints and exploratory endpoints were assessed at Week 58. Results 664 pts were treated in the Maintenance Study (n=93, 270, and 301 from induction with PBO, FIL 100mg and FIL 200mg); efficacy analyses included only FIL induction pts. Baseline demographics and disease characteristics were generally balanced across treatment arms; 40% were biologic experienced. Significantly higher proportion of pts on FIL 200mg or FIL 100mg were in clinical remission vs PBO. Significantly higher proportions of pts achieved key secondary endpoints with FIL 200mg vs PBO. More pts on FIL 200 mg or FIL 100mg achieved an MCS response and endoscopic improvement vs PBO. Incidences of adverse events (AEs), serious AEs and discontinuations due to AEs were similar across arms. Serious infection ( Conclusions FIL 200mg and FIL 100mg were effective as maintenance treatment for pts with moderately to severely active UC who had achieved clinical response to FIL induction treatment. FIL 200 mg met all key secondary endpoints including endoscopic, histologic and 6-month corticosteroid-free remission. FIL was well tolerated in pts with moderate to severely active UC. Funding Agencies None

Background Up to now, only few data are available regarding the efficacy of anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in patients with plasma cell neoplasia. This ongoing observational study aimed to describe the level of post-vaccination anti-SARS-CoV-2-antibodies depending on B lymphocyte count, current therapy, and remission status of patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and related plasma cell dyscrasias, after the first dose of anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. Methods In this single-center study, patients aged 18 years and older with a confirmed diagnosis of MM, monoclonal gammopathies of clinical significance (MGCS) or systemic light-chain amyloidosis (AL) who were eligible for Anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccination according to the International Myeloma Society recommendations were included. Data were collected between January 1st and May 21th, 2021, at the department of oncology and hematology at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate a possible correlation between antibody titers and CD19+ B lymphocyte count and secondary to identify other possible factors influencing immune response. This study is part of the COVIDOUT trial (NCT04779346). Written informed consent was provided by each patient according to local requirements. Results A total of 82 patients were included in this study. The median age was 67.5 years (range 40-85 years). 78 patients had MM, 2 MGCS, and 2 AL. Overall, 63 patients were vaccinated with mRNA-based and 19 with vector-based vaccines, respectively. At the time of vaccination, 69 (84.1%) patients were under current anti-myeloma treatment. In total, 34 (41%) patients received anti-CD38-targeting therapies and 52 (63%) patients received IMiD-based therapies. 57 (69.5%) patients were in deep remissions (very good partial remission or better) at the time of vaccination. Assessment of anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike protein antibody titer (SP-AbT) took place on a median of 25 days after the first vaccination (SD ± 11.8). A positive SP-AbT was detected in 23% (17/74) of assessable patients. A cut-off value of ≥ 30 CD19+ B cells/µl was significantly positively correlating with higher SARS-CoV-2 SP-AbT. Individuals with current anti-CD38-antibody treatment showed lower SP-AbT and the likelihood for positive titer results was significantly lower in patients with current anti-CD38 treatment compared to those without. Treatment with immunomodulatory drugs did not harm the development of antibody titers. Furthermore, in multivariable linear regression, higher age and insufficiently controlled disease (≤ partial remission) were significantly negatively correlated with SARS-CoV-2 SP-AbT. Conclusion Based on our results, the majority of myeloma patients respond poorly after receiving the first dose of any anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. Since both low CD19+ B lymphocyte count and CD38-directed therapy negatively impact vaccination response, booster vaccination seems therefore of utter importance.

Background Multiple myeloma (MM) patients are immunocompromised due to defects in humoral/cellular immunity and immunosuppressive therapy. Reports indicate that the antibody (Ab) response in MM after 1 dose of SARS-CoV-2 RNA vaccine is attenuated. Vaccine response kinetics in patients with prior COVID-19 and impact of treatment remain unknown. Methods We analyzed SARS-CoV-2 spike-binding (anti-S) IgG level in 320 MM patients receiving COVID-19 vaccination. Blood and saliva were taken at multiple time points. 69 age-matched healthcare workers were used as controls. Results The 320 MM patients (median age 68 years) received two-dose mRNA vaccines (69.1% BNT162b2, 27.2% mRNA-1273). Median time to diagnosis was 60 months with a median of 2 prior treatment lines (range 0-16). We included 23 patients with smoldering MM. 59 patients (18.4%) were not on active treatment; 148 (43.8%) received anti-CD38 mAb-containing treatment and 36 (11.3%) were on BCMA-targeted therapy. 131 patients (40.9%) exhibited a complete response at last evaluation. 260 patients (81.3%) had anti-S IgG measured >10 days after the second vaccine (median 51 days). Of these, 84.2% mounted measurable anti-S IgG levels (median 149 AU/mL). In the control group, Ab levels were significantly higher (median 300 AU/mL). Ab levels in the 38 vaccinated MM patients with prior COVID-19 were 10-fold higher than those of patients without prior COVID-19 (median 801 vs 69 AU/mL, p3 months after CAR T. Multivariate analysis (corrected for age, vaccine type, lines of treatment, time since diagnosis, response status and lymphopenia) confirmed that anti-CD38-containing (p=0.005) and BCMA-targeted treatment (p40 patients in the context of vaccination will be reported at the meeting. Immediate implications are the continuation of non-pharmacological interventions, e.g. masking and social distancing, for vulnerable patients. The findings underscore a need for serological monitoring of MM patients following COVID-19 vaccination and for clinical trials assessing use of prophylactic strategies or studies exploring additional immunization strategies.

Grazing systems perform multiple ecosystem services including food production, climate regulation, nutrient cycling, and erosion control. Ruminants can also express their natural behaviors on pasture, with recent research revealing that dairy cows were more motivated to go outside for grazing than stay indoors consuming fresh TMR offered immediately after the afternoon milking. In addition, consumers often associate grazing systems with “healthier and happier cows” and are willing to pay premiums for “grass-fed” dairy products. However, milk production and nutrient utilization generally decrease in pasture-based compared with confinement systems, which may reduce farm profitability depending on milk pay prices. It should be noted that there is limited research reporting milk N efficiency (milk N/N intake) or methane emissions in confined versus grazing dairy cows using data collected from the same experiments. Therefore, our overarching objective was to build data sets to compare nutrient utilization in dairy cows under confinement or grazing management where milk N efficiency or methane emissions or both were reported in the same study. Dietary strategies to mitigate methane emissions in grazing dairy systems such as the use of high-quality forages (e.g., brassicas, perennial ryegrass), concentrate and seaweed supplementation, and forage species and management will be explored. For instance, Jersey cows grazing forage canola offered at 40% of the total DM emitted 31% less methane than those kept indoors and fed TMR (419 vs. 289 g/d, respectively) in an experiment conducted at the University of New Hampshire. Methane yield and methane intensity also decreased (P < 0.001) by 29.3% and 23.4%, respectively, in the same study. Irish researchers reported that methane production (-37%), yield (-11.5%), and intensity (-13%) decreased significantly in Holstein-Friesian cows offered perennial ryegrass herbage versus TMR. Data from whole-farm models comparing confinement and grazing systems will be presented and discussed.

Performance benefits of monensin have been extensively studied in finishing and stocker cattle, but considerably less published work is available evaluating response to monensin supplementation in cow-calf production systems. Feed additives are more difficult to study in cow-calf production systems due to unstable diet characteristics and cow physiological state throughout the production cycle. This meta-analysis investigated the impacts of monensin on performance of extensively raised beef cow-calf and developing replacement heifers. The replacement heifer analysis was conducted with a maximum of 48 treatment means in 18 experiments. The mature cow analysis included 21 publications and 26 mean comparisons. The metaphor package (version 2.4-0; Viechtbauer, 2010) for R (version 4.0.3; www.r-project.org) was used to determine the overall effect size of monensin compared to a negative control. Each study’s n, means, and SEM or P-value was used to calculate the mean difference and estimate of within study variance for responses of interest. For replacement heifers, average daily gain (+0.03 ± 0.008 kg/d), feed efficiency (+0.013 ± 0.008 gain:feed), and percentage cycling before the breeding season (+15.9 ± 5.13%) were increased (P < 0.01), while dry matter intake (-4.3%) and age at puberty (-8.9 ± 1.48 d) were decreased (P < 0.01). Six studies reporting ad libitum forage intake for mature cows showed that monensin decreased (P = 0.008) DMI by 0.85 ± 0.322 kg/day. Six studies showed monesin increased (P = 0.01) milk yield 0.39 ± 0.15 kg/day by mature cows in early lactation. There were no differences in artificial insemination pregnancy nor total pregnancy for either the heifer or mature cow data sets. This analysis also indicates potential for use of monensin in beef cow production systems, but further research is needed to elucidate the effects on DMI and milk production in beef cows.

Objectives were to test the hypotheses that nutritional extremes during prenatal development interact with postnatal nutrition during the juvenile period of heifers to impact 1) tonic secretion of gonadotropins, and 2) estradiol-17β (E2) negative and positive feedback responsiveness in adulthood. Heifers were selected from a larger population programmed nutritionally using a 3 x 2 factorial arrangement of pre- and postnatal diets. Beginning at 90 days of pregnancy, Bos indicus-influenced cows (n = 95) were fed to achieve body condition scores (BCS; 1–9 scale) of 3–3.5 (L; thin), 5.5–6 (M; moderate), or 7.5–8 (H; obese) by onset of the third trimester and maintained thereafter. Heifer offspring were weaned at 3–3.5 months of age and assigned to either a low- (L; 0.5 kg/day) or high-gain (H; 1.0 kg/day) diet until 8 mo. of age, then fed a common diet until puberty. Heifers (n = 18; 6/grp) representing HH, MH and LL combinations were ovariectomized postpubertally (17.1 mo. of age) and received E2 replacement. In Exp. 1, blood samples were collected at 10-min intervals to evaluate pulsatile secretion of LH and FSH for 5.5 hours. In Exp. 2, heifers received E2 (2.4 ug/kg I.M.), with blood sampling at 30-min to 1-h intervals for 30 h. Heifers in the MH (1.25 ± 0.11 ng/mL) group tended (P < 0.09) to have greater LH pulse amplitude compared to HH (0.91 ± 0.14 ng/mL) and LL (0.96 ± 0.09 ng/mL); otherwise, frequency, amplitude, and mean concentrations of LH and FSH did not differ among groups. Exogenous E2 (Exp. 2) suppressed (P < 0.0001) mean plasma concentrations of LH and FSH equally among groups, then stimulated equivalent surges of LH beginning at 14 ± 0.02 h, with only two FSH surges detected. Neither pre- nor postnatal nutrition affected E2 negative or positive feedback in this study.

Despite numerous process modifications, thiamine retention of canned cat food has not improved. Yeasts possess a binding protein which may provide a thiamine form able to withstand retort processing. Therefore, the objective was to evaluate dried yeasts as thiamine sources in canned cat food. Treatments were arranged as a 2ｘ4 factorial with 2 levels of vitamin premix (with or without) and 4 sources of yeast (none (NY), LBV, BY, or EA). Inclusion of LBV matched the thiamine contribution from the vitamin premix and BY and EA were capped at 5%. Three replicates were processed in a horizontal still retort to an average total F0 of 79.23 minutes. Thiamine degradation was calculated as the difference between pre- and post-retort thiamine contents. Data were analyzed as a randomized complete block design with pre-retort thiamine content as a covariate and production day as a random effect. The Fisher’s LSD post hoc comparison test was performed with ⍺ = 0.05. On average, experimental formulas retained 33.75% thiamine. Thiamine degradation was not affected by the inclusion of vitamin premix (P = 0.0670), but was affected by the inclusion of yeast (P = 0.0232) and the interaction between vitamin premix and yeast (P = 0.0002). Thiamine loss between NY (-31.3 mg/kg DM) and BY (-33.8 mg/kg DM) were similar (P > 0.05) whereas EA (-40.5 mg/kg DM) and LBV (-55.6 mg/kg DM) lost more (P < 0.05) thiamine than NY. The treatment of EA with vitamin premix (-70.3 mg/kg DM) lost more (P < 0.05) thiamine than no yeast, BY, or EA without vitamin premix (average -17.4 mg/kg DM) and all others (average -57.3 mg/kg DM) were intermediate (P > 0.05). Inclusion of vitamin premix with yeast did not minimize thiamine loss and BY exhibited similar thiamine degradation as intrinsic thiamine in standard ingredients.

Our objective was to evaluate the effects of feed additives on ruminal pH of finishing cattle fed a 90%-concentrate diet. Twenty four 18-mo Angus-Nellore crossbred bulls (IBW, 456 ± 6,5 kg) were allocated in a completely randomized design to three treatments with eight replicates each, as follows: 1) Control (MON) - Sodium Monensin (26 mg/kg DM, Rumensin, Elanco Animal Health); 2) Crina® RumistarTM (CR) - a blend of essential oils, 90 mg/kg DM + exogenous α-amylase, 560 mg/kg DM) and 3) CR + HyD® (25-hydroxy-vitamin-D3 at 1 mg/animal/d, CRD, DSM Nutritional Products). The ruminal pH and temperature was monitored individually for 98 days, using a wireless bolus, (SmaXtec Animal Care, Austria). Data were analyzed using the Mixed procedure of SAS and means comparison evaluated by Tukey test at P< 0.05. During adaptation period (i.e. first 14 days), bulls fed CR and CRD had increased rumen mean pH (6.40 and 6.36 vs. 6.16; P < 0.01) and minimum pH (5.89 and 5.87 vs. 5.57; P < 0.01) than bulls fed MON. In addition, rumen pH from bulls fed CR spent less time below 6.0 than bulls fed MON (256.07 vs. 452.62 min/d; P = 0.05). Regarding the total period, bulls fed MON had lower mean (6.22 vs. 6.51 and 6.42, P < 0.01) and minimum rumen pH (5.60 vs. 5.92 and 5.85, P < 0.01) than bulls fed CR and CRD. Additionally, feeding MON increased time duration of rumen pH (390.79 min/day, P < 0.01) and had a larger area below 6.0 (81.52 min x pH units/day; P < 0.01). Moreover, the addition of monensin increased pH time duration below 5.8 (161.10 vs. 121.13 and 122.56 min/day; P = 0.02) compared with CR and CRD, and increased ruminal temperature (39.60 vs. 39.51 and 39.5 °C; P < 0.01). We conclude that feeding Crina® RumistarTM and Crina® RumistarTM HyD® increased the rumen pH of bulls.

Supplementation of ruminant diets with the investigational methane (CH4) inhibitor 3-nitrooxypropanol (3-NOP; DSM Nutritional Products, Switzerland) is as a promising mitigation strategy. However, most studies have examined high grain or mixed forage-concentrate diets. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of supplementing a forage diet with 3-NOP on rumen fermentation, CH4 emissions and apparent total-tract nutrient digestibility. Eight ruminally cannulated beef heifers (BW = 514 kg) were randomly allocated to two treatments in a crossover design with 49-d periods. Dietary treatments were: control, high-forage diet (90% forage DM basis) without 3-NOP; and NOP, control diet supplemented with 150 mg 3-NOP/kg DM. After a 14-d diet adaption, dry matter (DM) intake (DMI) was recorded daily. Rumen contents were collected on days 17 and 28 for volatile fatty acid (VFA) analysis, whereas ruminal pH was continuously monitored from day 20 to 27. Diet digestibility was measured on day 38 to 41 by total collection of feces. Enteric CH4 emissions were measured on days 46 to 49 in chambers. Dry matter intake was lower (P = 0.001) for NOP (10.0 kg/d) as compared with control (10.2 kg/d). However, DM, neutral and acid detergent fiber, and crude protein digestibilities were similar between treatments (P ≥ 0.29). Although total VFA concentration was not affected by treatment (P = 0.19), the reduction in acetate and increase in propionate proportion for NOP lowered (P < 0.001) the acetate to propionate ratio by 18% as compared with control. Mean pH was lower (P = 0.03) for control (6.46) than NOP (6.57). Furthermore, CH4 yield (g/kg DMI) was 21.6% less (P < 0.001) for NOP relative to control (25.5 g/kg DMI). Overall, the results indicate that enteric CH4 emissions were effectively decreased with 3-NOP supplementation of a forage diet without affecting apparent total-tract digestibility of nutrients.

Our objective was to test the effect on milk yield and quality of feeding a combination of chicory-plantain and Se-yeast in lactating ewes subjected to intramammary infection (IMI). For this purpose, we enrolled 28 Polypay ewes from a prior study where they received chicory (CS) or grass (GC) silage and supplemented with 3.6 mg of Se/day as Se-yeast (DiaMune, Diamond V) (Y) or not (C) for 2 months. For the present study, ewes were kept on the original dietary regiment except the CS group received a chicory-plantain silage (50% each). Ewes were milked twice daily and milk was collected for analysis of components and somatic cell count (SCC). IMI was induced by injecting 2×107 CFU of Strep. uberis in both glands. Data were analyzed using GLIMMIX (SAS) with time, silage, and Se and their interactions as the fixed effects and ewe as random effect with significance declared P ≤ 0.05. SCC increased 8-fold 24h post-IMI and remained at that level until the end of the experiment with higher values pre-IMI in GC-Y animals but no difference post-IMI. Milk yield drastically decreased post-IMI but was not affected by treatments. Protein, fat, solids, amount of de novo fatty acids, and amount of C16:0 were larger in milk of ewes fed chicory-plantain compared to grass silage. Supplementation of Se had minor effect on milk components with a tendency (P = 0.07) to decrease fat, solids, and amount of de novo fatty acids. Amounts of C18:0, C18:1, and preformed fatty acids in milk were increased by Se supplementation in ewes fed grass while decreased in ewes fed chicory. The use of Strep. uberis was effective in inducing IMI in ewes with chicory-plantain improving several milk components while Se supplementation had minor effects. The combination of chicory and Se did not improve the response to IMI.

Due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic, most of the universities across United States limited the amount of in person instruction. This brought a challenging situation in animal sciences courses that required laboratory sessions and hands-on experiences. There is not a real solution to replace the in-person labs, however several approaches can be implemented to overcome some of the challenges for laboratory sessions. Some of the on-line approaches implemented in an introductory class of Animal Sciences during the semester of spring and fall 2020 were live (synchronous) laboratory sessions (live interactions with animals, pre-recorded sessions of the laboratory session, and 360-degree videos of tours to the farms). The main objective of the present report is to assess the usefulness and feedback of these approaches to teach laboratory sessions to an undergraduate introductory animal science course. The official (Blue) university student responses in the course were used to determine the perception and feedback to these approaches. A total of 123 responses were recorded (Spring: 42/96, Fall: 81/174). Overall, no significant differences were observed in terms of the student perception. Overall, the responses were positive toward the laboratory sessions even in an online environment. During the spring semester 40/42 (95%), whereas in 72/81 (88%) strongly agree/mildly agree that labs help them to learn respectively. In terms of the videos used in class and labs, during the spring semester 35/41 (85%) and 68/81 (83%) strongly agree/mildly agree that labs help them to learn. In summary, the new reality due to COVID pandemic is very challenging for Animal Science courses that have laboratory sessions that involves hands-on experiences. Despite this, in conclusion some approaches can be implemented to still provide meaningful experiences to undergraduate students to support their learning and engagement in the introductory animal science course.

Approximately 40% of the land use within the Northern Great Plains is dedicated to livestock production, with much of the 89.9 million head of cattle and calves in the U.S. concentrated in this area. Precision livestock management has ushered in a new era of sensors and technology to monitor individual animal’s health, reproductive, and nutritional status in real-time to improve efficiency. Despite these advances, most of the research has been conducted on dairy operations or within feedlot settings. Incorporation on extensive rangeland production systems remains relatively absent (Brennan et al., 2021). This is primarily due to difficulties in studying animals on rangelands caused by heterogeneity of forage resources, variable environmental conditions, and challenges associated with accessing information across vast distances, often without cellular or internet connection. Advances in communication technology are increasingly connecting remote areas, creating new opportunities to improve livestock production efficiency on extensive rangelands using precision technology. Numerous challenges still exist, including applying and integrating multiple technologies across platforms, effectiveness in a real-world setting, technical skills, and knowledge to utilize real-time data, and achieving economic return for livestock producers. Specifically, we discuss the application of precision technologies and mathematical models for improving ruminant nutrition in rangeland systems (Menendez and Tedeschi, 2020). Opportunities exist to refine or develop the next generation of equations/models that more adequately represent nutrient dynamics such as diet selection, supplementation, movement, behavior, water intake, feed conversion efficiency, heat/cold stress, and gain on an individual animal basis. However, effective adoption and adaptability of new technologies/data analytics merit the consideration of potential intended-and-unintended consequences, such as producer dependency on complex hardware and software systems. Hence, precision capabilities coupled with mathematical models are likely the next step to substantially enhance livestock performance in extensive systems when coupled with feasible and reliable long-term strategies.

Identification of inter-individual variations of sperm DNA methylation is very essential for elucidating phenotypic variation of reproduction and production traits. We had generated 28 sperm whole genome sequencing (WGBS) data from healthy individuals. We detected 46 variably methylated regions (VMRs) significantly (P < 5.77 × 10−5) associated with reproduction traits. These significant VMRs were also co-localized (±10 kb) with genes related to sperm motility and reproduction, including ZFP36L1, CRISP2 and HGF. To further identify epigenomic markers associated with reproduction and production traits, we generated WGBS dada for a specific pair of monozygotic twin artificial insemination Holstein bulls with moderately different sperm qualities (Bull1 > Bull2). We found 528 differentially methylated regions between the twin bulls, which spanned or overlapped with 309 differentially methylated genes (DMG). These DMG were particularly associated with reproduction, embryo development and the nervous system. To further obtain DNA methylation markers involved in the diversity of porcine reproduction and production traits due to long-term artificial selection, we profiled sperm DNA methylation of three commercial pig breeds--Duroc, Landrace and Large White. we found the hypomethylated regions (HMRs) were highly conserved among pig breeds, while 1040–1666 breed-specific HMRs were identified and associated with the QTLs of embryonic developmental and phenotypic changes. By integrating reduced representation bisulfite sequencing public data of pig testis, we further defined 1743 conservative HMRs between sperm and testis, which may play a role in spermatogenesis process. Overall, our studies demonstrated associations of sperm DNA methylation with bovine and porcine production and reproduction traits, highlighting the potential of epigenomic information in genomic improvement programs for livestock. (*: yuying@cau.edu.cn)

Nutrition modelling has been the cornerstone of feed formulation and diet optimization in animal production systems for decades. Since the 1970s and 1980s, mechanistic models of nutrient digestion, absorption, metabolism, growth and milk/egg production have been developed and implemented to (1) amass our cumulative biological knowledge and develop theories of regulation, (2) identify knowledge gaps, and (3) propose means to manipulate nutrient dynamics in the animal. At the nutrient and metabolite level, many commonalities exist and parallels found between species. In fact, several second generation models originate from other species or research fields, and many current/existing models may be advanced by examination and consideration of models developed in other species. Many such mathematical models are implemented in practice as ‘decision support systems’ or ‘opportunity analysis tools’, in order to examine a variety of (feeding or management) scenarios for their potential outcomes, with the goal of providing targeted nutrition, improving performance, reducing cost and minimizing environmental impact. More recently, partnering artificial intelligence/machine learning modelling methodologies with newly available big data streams has ushered in a new era of possibilities for data extraction and modelling in animal systems. The niche for this type of modelling in animal production appears to be (1) pattern recognition (e.g. disease detection, activity) and (2) strong predictive/forecasting abilities (e.g. bodyweight, milk, egg production). There also appears strong potential for these two seemingly divergent modelling approaches to be integrated – for example, in precision feeding systems, or in utilizing the abundance of sensor data to better drive or develop causal-pathway based mechanistic models. This talk will broadly review trends and advances in agriculture animal species modelling, and suggest what may be borrowed, stolen or serve as inspiration to advance nutrition models in companion species.

The present study aimed to explore gut microbiota’s overall influence on feeding behavior and identify specific microbes associated with the traits in three commercial swine breeds at different growth stages. Feeding behavior measures were obtained from 651 pigs of three breeds (Duroc, Landrace, and Large White) from 67 to 175 days of age. Seven feeding behavior traits cover the information of feed intake, feeder occupation time, feeding rate, and the number of visits to the feeder. Rectal swabs were collected from each pig at 73 ± 3, 123 ± 4, and 158 ± 4 days of age. DNA was extracted and subjected to 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Sequences were analyzed using the QIIME2. The amplicon sequence variant table was constructed using the DADA2. Mixed linear models were used to perform statistical analyses. Differences in feeding behavior traits among breeds and across time periods were found. The proportion of phenotypic variances explained by the microbiome ranged from 0.10 to 0.26, 0.14 to 0.25, and 0.12 to 0.28 in Duroc pigs, from 0.09 to 0.20, 0.10 to 0.23, and 0.12 to 0.23 in Landrace pigs, from 0.10 to 0.17, 0.11 to 0.19, and 0.10 to 0.31 in Large White pigs at three time points, respectively. A total of 21, 10, and 35 amplicon sequence variants were found to be significantly (q-value < 0.05) associated with feeding behavior traits for Duroc, Landrace, and Large White across three time points. This study demonstrated the importance of the gut microbiome composition in influencing the host feeding behavior and identified multiple microbes associated with the feeding behavior of pigs from either Duroc, Landrace, or Large White breeds at three growth stages. Our study provides insight into the interaction between gut microbiota and feeding behavior and highlights the breed effects in swine microbial studies.

The successful implementation of genomic selection in more genetically diverse populations (e.g., sheep and goats) require larger training populations. Haplotype-based genomic predictions are hypothesized to perform better in comparison to single-SNP methods mainly due to the possibility of better capturing QTL effects in linkage disequilibrium (LD) with the markers. However, most genomic-prediction studies based on haplotypes were performed in populations with low effective population size (Ne < 150). We aimed to investigate alternative approaches for fitting haplotypes using the single-step GBLUP method (ssGBLUP) in a genetically diverse population (Ne = 400). We simulated a composite sheep population, mimicking real populations based on literature parameters, using the QMSim software, with five replicates. We simulated a HD panel (600K) and two traits with different heritabilites (0.10 and 0.30). Pseudo-SNPs from unique haplotype alleles derived from LD blocks with thresholds of 0.1, 0.3, and 0.6 (LD01, LD03, and LD06, respectively) were used in the analyses. The LD-blocks were constructed using a 50K panel designed from the simulated HD. The training population was composed of 60,000 individuals with phenotypes, 8,000 of them also had genotypes, and 2,000 young genotyped individuals were used as the validation set. The genomic relationship (G) in the ssGBLUP was constructed using both independent markers and pseudo-SNPs (haplotypes). A linear mixed effects model was used to test the effect of the G on the accuracies of prediction, followed by the Tukey test with 5% of significance. No blocks were created with LD06. The accuracies with the 50K panel, LD01, and LD03 for the moderate heritability were 0.41(0.00), 0.40(0.01) and 0.41(0.00), respectively, and 0.24(0.01) 0.23(0.01), and 0.24(0.01) for the low heritability scenario. No statistical differences were observed. Based on our findings, haplotype-based predictions did not improve the accuracy of genomic breeding values in genetically diverse populations.

Using over 56,000 pregnancy diagnostic records in beef cattle, a meta-analysis was conducted to objectively determine that 28.4 % of embryos will not develop past day 7 of gestation with most embryonic losses occurring before day 4. Furthermore, by day 30 of gestation, 47.9 % of cows submitted to a single insemination at day 0 will not be pregnant and pregnancy loss between days 32 and 100 was 5.8%. Reproductive success, however, is highly variable and influenced by maternal and paternal factors. Maternal characteristics, including subspecies, parity and reproductive tract size, intersect with breeding management decisions regarding estrus expression and detection to influence conception and pregnancy rates. The maternal endocrine environment, from estradiol associated with estrus around fertilization to elevated prostaglandins during the embryonic to fetal transition period, play critical roles in pregnancy success. Despite the numerous maternal factors involved with pregnancy establishment, sire contribution to reproductive failure should not be overlooked. Sires are reported to influence pregnancy loss during the second month of gestation in both beef and dairy herds. These differences in sire field fertility could not be explained by differences in semen characteristics nor differences in sire conception rate (SCR) score. To understand parental contribution to pregnancy development during the second month of gestation we developed parthenogenetic (PA) embryos (embryos lacking paternal genome). We observed that PA conceptus had well developed trophectoderm tissue at day 31 of gestation but no site of embryo attachment to the endometrium. Moreover, conceptus secretion such as pregnancy-associated glycoproteins and interferon-stimulated genes were not found in maternal circulation. These results suggest that paternal genetics is required for post-elongated embryo attachment to endometrium. Further exploring the maternal vs paternal contribution to pregnancy development can help elucidate the mechanism that drives reproductive failure in cattle.

The use of multiple-breed models can increase the accuracy of estimated breeding values (EBV) when few phenotypes are available for a trait. However, pooling breeds is not always beneficial for genomic evaluations due to the low consistency of gametic phase between individual breeds. The objective of this study was to compare the expected gain in accuracy of single-step genomic breeding values (GEBV) for conformation traits of Canadian Alpine and Saanen goats predicted using single and multiple-breed models. The traits considered were body capacity, dairy character, feet and legs, fore udder, general appearance, rear udder, suspensory ligament, and teats, all recorded by trained classifiers, using a 1 to 9 scale. The full datasets included a total of 7,500 phenotypes for each trait (5,158 Alpine and 2,342 Saanen) and 1,707 50K genotypes (833 Alpine, 874 Saanen). Standard errors of prediction (SEP) were obtained for EBV and GEBV predicted using single-trait animal models on full or validation datasets. Breed difference was accounted for as a fixed effect in the multiple-breed models. Average theoretical accuracies were calculated from the SEP. For Saanen, with fewer records, expected accuracies of EBV and GEBV for the validation animals (selection candidates) were consistently higher for the multiple-breed models. Trait specific gains in theoretical accuracy of GEBV relative to EBV for the selection candidates ranged from 30 to 48% for Alpine and 41 to 61% for Saanen. Averaged across all traits, GEBV predicted from the full dataset were 32 to 38% more accurate than EBV for genotyped animals and the largest gains were found for does without conformation records (49 to 55%) and bucks without daughter records (56 to 82%). Overall, the implementation of genomic selection would substantially increase selection accuracy for young breeding candidates and, consequently, the rate of genetic improvement for conformation traits in Canadian dairy goats.