**-  Pacific West  
-  Fairbanks, Alaska 
Printable VersionE-mail this pageThis site onlyAll ARS Advanced SearchPrograms and ProjectsAquaculture UBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd">	You are here: 					Research /							**Research Project:**Nutritional Value of Fish Oil on Reproductive Performance in Gilts and Sows & Fish Protein Hydrolysates on Immune Indices in Geriatric Dogs
**Location: Fairbanks, Alaska**
**2005 Annual Report**
**4d.Progress report.**								This report serves to document research conducted under a specific cooperative agreement between ARS and Drs. McKeith, Ellis and Fahey of the University of Illinois titled Nutritional value of fish oil on reproductive performance in gilts and sows and effects of fish protein hydrolysates on immune indices in geriatric dog (SCA 5341-31410-002-07S). Additional details of research can be found in the report for the parent CRIS 5341-31410-002-00D.
One use of proteins and peptides from fish processing by-products is as feed ingredients for early weaning pigs. The initial study indicate that young pigs fed the spray-dried animal plasma grew faster; however, there was no effect of dietary treatment on gain:feed ratio suggesting that most of the reduction in overall growth rate with a number of the fish meal based diets resulted from reduced feed intake rather than any reduction in efficiency of nutrient utilization ( the manuscript from this study is currently in the review process). A second trial was initiated in which included a digestibility study and a growth performance study using different levels of the best performing hydrolysate ingredients. The ingredients were produced for the trial from Alaska by-products. After the study was initiated a number of the animals became ill and the trial was stopped and another trials initiated.  This trial is now progressing as planned and will be completed in September 2005.  Other trials involving the use of salmon oil were designed to determine the effect of fish oil on reproductive performance post weaning and its components in gilts and subsequent growth of piglets after birth through weaning.  The trails are currently being conducted at the University of Illinois swine farm and on a farm and will be completed during the fall of 2005. When these studies are completed the livestock feeding component of this project will be completed.  
Uses of Alaska fish processing by-products in pet diets is being explored by Dr. Fahey at the University of Illinois.  A broad range ingredients made from fish processing by-products were evaluated as part of the Masters of Science thesis of Juliana Folador. From this work a trial was initiated using selected ingredients including fish meal, milt meal, and pink salmon hydrolysate made from Alaska by-products.  This study, evaluates the effects of selected ingredients in a high quality dog diet on total tract nutrient digestibilities and immune indices. The trial using senior dogs at the University of Illinois companion animal facilities is in progress, and will be completed in September 2005 and then the data analyzed.
    Project TeamBechtel, Peter  Floyd McKeith - Professor, University Of Illinois  
Project Annual Reports FY 2005 
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