bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PSIII-6 Effects of L-Carnitine Supplemented Throughout Grow-Finish or Only in Late Finishing on Growth Performance and Carcass Characteristics of Pigs
Authors: Faccin Jamil , Tokach Mike D , DeRouchey Joel M , Gebhardt Jordan T , Goodband Robert D , Woodworth Jason C
Published: October 2023

L-Carnitine is a feed additive involved in the transport of fatty acids into the mitochondria to produce energy. With this mechanism, L-Carnitine can enhance the ability to use fat for energy. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of adding L-Carnitine throughout the entire grow-finishing period or just 28 d before marketing on growth performance and carcass characteristics. A total of 1,833 mixed-sex growing-finishing pigs (PIC 337 × 1050; initially 26.5 ± 0.33 kg) were used in a 112-d growth trial to determine the effects of adding L-Carnitine throughout the entire grow-finishing period or just the last 28 d before marketing. There were 26 replicate pens per treatment and 20 (group 1) or 27 (group 2) pigs per pen in a completely randomized design. There were three treatment diets: 1) control with no added L-Carnitine; 2) diets containing 50 ppm of L-Carnitine for the entire trial; or 3) control diet until d 84 and then a diet containing 50 ppm of L-Carnitine. On day 84, one-half of the control pens were randomly assigned to the diet containing 50 ppm of L-Carnitine. The experimental diets were corn-soybean meal-DDGS-based and were fed in 4 phases. From d 0 to 84, statistical analyses compared the 52 pens of pigs fed the control diets with the 26 pens of pigs that were fed diets with L-Carnitine. From d 85 until market, comparisons were made using all 3 treatments. In the first 28 d, pigs fed L-Carnitine had greater (P < 0.002) BW, ADG, and ADFI and similar G:F (P = 0.459) as those fed the control diet (Table 1). From d 0 to 84, pigs fed L-Carnitine had a tendency (P = 0.052) for greater ADFI, but there was no evidence (P > 0.14) of differences for ADG, G:F, removals, and mortalities. From d 85 to market and overall, there was no evidence of differences (P > 0.22) for ADG, ADFI, G:F, or removals and mortalities. For carcass traits, no difference (P > 0.54) in HCW, yield, backfat, lean, and loin depth were detected between treatments. In conclusion, added L-Carnitine improved performance in the early grow-finishing phase compared with control. However, this effect was not detectable at market, with no impact on overall growth performance, removals and mortalities, or carcass characteristics when added for the entire grow-finishing period or just the 28 d before marketing.
PSIII-5 Endosperm Hardness in Corn Affects the Digestibility of Energy and Fiber, and Increased Drying Temperature Reduces Amino Acid Digestibility
Authors: Espinosa Charmaine D , Cabañas-Ojeda Joaquin , Oviedo-Rondon Edgar , Stein Hans H
Published: October 2023

Two experiments were conducted to test the hypothesis that corn source and drying temperature influence the ileal digestibility of starch and amino acids (AA), as well as apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of gross energy (GE) and total dietary fiber (TDF) in diets for growing pigs. Two corn sources (i.e., soft or hard endosperm) were procured, and sources were divided into two drying batches (i.e., 35 or 120 oC). Therefore, four corn sources were used. In experiment 1, ten pigs (67.00 ± 2.98 kg) with a T-cannula installed in the distal ileum were allotted to a replicated 5 × 5 Latin square design with five diets and five periods giving ten replicates per diet. A nitrogen-free diet and four diets containing each source of corn as the only AA source were formulated. Data were analyzed in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments using the MIXED procedure of SAS. The model included corn source, drying temperature, and the interaction between corn source and drying temperature. Results indicated that neither source nor drying temperature influenced the apparent ileal digestibility of starch in corn (Table 1), but the standardized ileal digestibility of most AA was less (P < 0.05) in corn dried at 120 oC compared with corn dried at 35 oC. In experiment 2, 40 pigs (20.82 ± 1.74 kg) were housed in metabolism crates and allotted to four diets with ten replicate pigs per diet. The four corn-based diets used in experiment 1 were also used in experiment 2. Feces and urine were collected using the marker-to-marker approach with 5-day adaptation and 4-day collection periods. Data were analyzed as explained for experiment 1. Results indicated that diets containing hard endosperm corn had greater (P < 0.05) ATTD of TDF compared with diets containing soft endosperm corn. The ATTD of GE and the concentration of metabolizable energy (ME) in hard endosperm corn were also greater (P < 0.05) compared with soft endosperm corn. Diets containing corn dried at 120 oC had greater (P < 0.05) ATTD of TDF compared with diets containing corn dried at 35 oC, but drying temperature did not influence ATTD of GE or ME. In conclusion, endosperm hardness did not influence the digestibility of AA and starch; however, drying corn at 120 oC resulted in reduced digestibility of AA. Hard endosperm corn had greater ATTD of GE and TDF, but drying temperature did not influence energy digestibility.
PSIII-7 Evaluation of Agolin-Pig on Sow and Piglet Performance During Lactation
Authors: Fisk Alexandra , Harlow KaLynn , Scaff Taw , Richert Brian T , DeDecker Ashley , Hoogland Marlin , Parsley Mike , Stewart Kara R
Published: October 2023

Essential oils are being introduced in swine diets as an alternative to antibiotic usage. The objectives of this preliminary study were to determine the effects of Agolin-Pig, a combination of micro-encapsulated essential oils, on sow feed intake, sow health and body condition, piglet growth performance, and future evaluation of microbiota structure. The experimental design consisted of 26 sows randomly allotted to either control (n = 13) or treatment groups (n = 13). Both groups consumed diets that met NRC standards (NRC, 2012), with the treatment group receiving 200 ppm of Agolin-Pig in a premix made in-house for 2 weeks pre-farrowing, and throughout farrowing and lactation. Sow average daily feed intake (ADFI) and piglet average daily gain (ADG) were recorded and calculated to monitor effects of Agolin-Pig. Sow body weights, body condition scores (BCS), and Knauer Sow Caliper measurements were collected at the start of the trial, 1-week post-farrowing, and at weaning to determine the change in sow body condition during lactation. All data were analyzed using PROC Mixed procedure in SAS 9.4 (Cary, North Carolina) with treatment, week, and parity (P1 vs P≥2) as main effects, repeated measures of sows and piglets, and number nursed used as a covariate where appropriate. All sows significantly increased ADFI (P = 0.0001) between weeks 1, 2, and 3 as expected during lactation, regardless of treatment. There was no significant impact of Agolin-Pig treatment on sow ADFI and piglet ADG. Piglets significantly increased ADG each week for 3 weeks (P ± 0.0001). During lactation, Agolin-Pig significantly reduced the loss of body condition as measured by the caliper (P = 0.028). Calipers are proven to detect changes in body condition more accurately than visual, subjective BCS, indicating that the caliper identifies a reduction in body condition that may have been missed by BCS or weight change altered by lactation. The gilts in the control group tended to show a reduction in BCS compared with sows in the control group (P = 0.074). In comparison, there was no significant difference in BCS between gilts and sows in the Agolin-Pig treated group suggesting that Agolin-Pig is effective at reducing the loss of BCS in gilts during lactation. Current analysis of fecal microbiota and milk composition may give greater insight on the effects of Agolin-Pig on sows. Overall, Agolin-Pig was effective at reducing the loss of body condition during lactation, as measured by the caliper. Additionally, Agolin-Pig tended to reduce the difference in loss of body condition of gilts compared with the control group. The findings of this pilot study warrant future studies with greater sample size to determine the efficacy of Agolin-Pig on reducing body condition loss and impacting other performance measures during lactation in sows.
PSIII-18 Effect of Microbial Phytase on Digestibility of Phosphorus in Seven Sources of Sunflower co-Products Fed to Growing Pigs
Authors: Ibagon Jimena A , Stein Hans H , Espinosa Charmaine D
Published: October 2023

An experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis that there are no differences among sources of sunflower co-products on the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of P and Ca and on the standardized total tract digestibility (STTD) of P regardless of where the ingredients were produced. Six sources of sunflower meal (SFM) were obtained from the U.S. (2 sources), Ukraine (2 sources), Hungary, and Italy. A source of sunflower expellers (SFE) from the U.S. was also used. Seven diets were formulated by mixing each source of sunflower co-product with cornstarch; therefore, the sunflower co-product was the only source of P in these diets. Seven additional diets that were similar to the previous seven diets with the exception that 300 units per kg of microbial phytase were added were also formulated. A total of 112 barrows (initial body weight = 17.95 kg ± 1.37 kg) were allotted to the 14 diets using 4 blocks, 2 pigs per diet in each block, and a total of 8 replicate pigs per diet. Pigs were placed in individual metabolism crates to allow for the total collection of fecal materials for 4 days after 7 days of adaptation to the diets. Diets and dried fecal samples were analyzed for dry matter, Ca, and P. Data for Ca and P digestibility were analyzed in a randomized complete block design in a 7 × 2 factorial arrangement using the PROC MIXED function in SAS. Results indicated that diets containing phytase had greater (P < 0.01) ATTD of Ca and P and greater (P < 0.01) STTD of P than diets without phytase (Table 1). Digestibility of P was also greater in one of the sources of SFM from Ukraine compared with the other sources except for the SFM from Hungary (Table 2). Pigs fed the diet containing one of the sources of SFM from the U.S. had greater (P < 0.05) ATTD of Ca compared with pigs fed diets containing the other source of SFM from the U.S. or one of the Ukraine SFM sources. In conclusion, some variability in the ATTD and STTD of P and the ATTD Ca was observed among SFM of different origins, but the ATTD and STTD of P and ATTD of Ca in SFM and SFE were greater if microbial phytase was used.
PSIV-14 Evaluation of a Novel Nutritional Supplement (Furst Protect Direct) Via Drinking Water on Growth Performance in Nursery Pigs
Authors: Kwon Woong Bi , Hartsook Greg , Soltwedel Kevin , Bible Megan , Fischer Robert , Sandberg Fredrik
Published: October 2023

The objective of this experiment was to determine the effect of Furst Protect Direct (FPD) as a nutritional water supplement on growth performance in nursery pigs. A total of 628 DNA-sired nursery pigs (initial body weight: 5.42 ± 0.13 kg) were randomly assigned to 2 water treatments and were blocked by body weight and gender in a randomized complete block design. There were 27 pigs in each pen and 12 replicate pens per treatment. The water treatments were 0 and 25 mL/L of FPD in stock solution supplied by water medicators (1:128 dilution). Pigs were fed conventional corn and soybean meal-based diets throughout the 42-d experiment and the water treatments were provided from d 0 to d 7. Water consumption was measured daily by treatment and body weight and feed disappearance were recorded by pen on d 0, 7, 21, and 42. Data were used to calculate average daily gain, average daily feed intake, and feed efficiency. To simulate commercial practice, pigs were treated with antibiotics through the water medicator after d 7 and injectable antibiotic if required, and those that did not respond were removed and placed in sick pens. At the end of 42 days, the number of dead (mortality) and sick pen pigs (morbidity) were calculated. Data were analyzed using the GLM procedure in Minitab with Fisher’s t-test determining differences between treatments. Results indicated that pigs provided FPD from d 0 to 7 tended to have improved (P = 0.070) average daily gain (68 vs. 86 g) and feed efficiency (1.70 vs. 1.33; Table 1). In addition, mortality tended to be reduced (P = 0.080) for pigs provided FPD (1.9 vs. 0.3 pig). These results suggested providing FPD via drinking water for the first 7 days after weaning tended to improve growth performance and increase livability of nursery pigs.
PSIV-15 Effect of Secondary Iron Injection Timing to Suckling Pigs on Pre- and Post-Weaning Growth Performance and Hematological Parameters
Authors: Lemanski Clara L , Schott Tianna J , Jang Young Dal
Published: October 2023

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of secondary iron injection timing to suckling pigs on pre- and post-weaning growth performance and hematological variables. A total of 22 pigs (initial body weight: 1.62 ± 0.12 kg) from 4 litters were allotted into 3 treatments within litter based on body weight and sex at d 1-3 of age (d 0 of experiment) as follows: 1) Control: intramuscular injection of 150 mg iron-dextran at d 0 of experiment only, 2) Iron14: intramuscular injection of 150 mg iron-dextran at d 0 of experiment and 100 mg iron-dextran at d 10 of experiment (14 d before weaning), and 3) Iron7: intramuscular injection of 150 mg iron-dextran at d 0 of experiment and 100 mg iron-dextran at d 17 of experiment (7 d before weaning). The pigs were housed by litter in the suckling and nursery periods with a common corn-soybean meal-based diet during the nursery period. Body weight, hemoglobin concentrations and hematocrit were measured at d 0, 10, 17, 24 (weaning), 31 and 38 of experiment. The Iron14 treatment tended to have greater final weight at d 38 of experiment than the control treatment (P = 0.07; 10.97 vs. 9.38 kg) and the Iron7 treatment had intermediate value (10.15 kg). The ADG in d 24-31 postweaning tended to be greater in the Iron14 treatment than the control and Iron7 treatments (P = 0.08; 82.6, 151.8, and 53.5 g/d for the control, Iron14, and Iron7 treatments, respectively). In hemoglobin concentrations, the Iron14 treatment had greater levels than the control treatment at d 17 (P = 0.06; 12.24, 13.51, and 11.66 g/dL, respectively), 24, and 31 (P < 0.05; 10.72, 12.74, and 12.77 g/dL, respectively) of experiment whereas the Iron7 treatment had greater concentrations than the control treatment at d 24, 31, and 38 (P< 0.05; 9.46, 10.60, and 11.21 g/dL, respectively) of experiment and less than Iron14 treatment at d 17 and 24 (P < 0.05; 10.63, 12.95, 11.91 g/dL, respectively) of experiment. Hematocrit showed similar response to hemoglobin concentrations in which the Iron 14 treatment had greater hematocrit than the control treatment at d 17, 24, 31 (P < 0.05) and 38 (P = 0.10) of experiment while the Iron7 treatment had greater hematocrit levels than the control treatment at d 24, 31, and 38 (P < 0.05) of experiment. Hematocrit levels only at d 17 of experiment was greater in the Iron14 treatment than the Iron7 treatment (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the secondary iron injection to suckling piglets could improve early postweaning growth when the pigs were injected with iron at 14 d before weaning and increase hemoglobin concentrations and hematocrit regardless of timing, but the differences in hemoglobin and hematocrit values varied depending on the timing of secondary iron injection.
PSIV-16 Impact of Amount and Solubility of Dietary Fiber Fed During Late Gestation and During the Pre-Farrowing Period on Sow Serum Chemistry and Piglet Vitality Index
Authors: Martinez Gabriela E , Leonard Suzanne , van Heugten Eric , Wilcock Pete , Rosero David S
Published: October 2023

This study evaluated the impact of level and solubility of total dietary fiber (TDF) when fed to sows during late gestation and early pre-farrowing on serum chemistry, glucose status and farrowing characteristics. Sows were assigned to a control with no supplement, or a supplement provided once per day at either 0.45 or 0.90 kg. The fiber supplement consisted of either a high soluble dietary fiber (SDF) formulation [9.63% SDF, and 25.25% of insoluble dietary fiber (IDF)] or a high IDF formulation (30.73% IDF and 4.18% SDF). Fiber supplements were formulated using sugar beet pulp and soybean hulls and were provided in addition to a common gestation (12.0% TDF) and lactation diet (11.30% TDF) from day 99 (±1 d) of gestation until parturition. Blood samples were collected from sows on day 110 of gestation immediately before the morning feeding, and 2 and 4 hours after feeding for the analysis of serum chemistry and glucose status, comparing the control and the 0.90 kg SDF and IDF treatments (n = 15 sows). Serological results were within expected ranges. Supplementation with SDF, but not IDF, decreased concentrations of γ-glutamyl transferase (P = 0.003) compared with the control (32.20 vs 39.20 and 44.02 IU/L, respectively) and magnesium tended (P = 0.09) to increase with fiber supplementation. Glucose concentrations measured with a hand-held glucose meter were not affected by time relative to feeding, fiber supplementation, or their interaction (P = 0.94). A pilot study evaluated the impact of the amount of fiber supplemented and the composition of fiber on total duration of fetal expulsion and piglet vitality index (PVI) using video equipment. The PVI scale ranged from 0-3 where 0 = no movement, no breathing; and 3 = good movement, breathing, and able to stand within 1 minute or less. Cameras (n = 12) were placed in the farrowing room the day sows were transferred from gestation (112 ± 1 d). Duration of fetal expulsion ranged from 2.36 to 11.0 hours but was not influenced by fiber supplementation. Partial correlation analysis revealed a negative relationship between the birth interval and PVI (r = -0.24; P = 0.003) and total duration of fetal expulsion and PVI (r = -0.53; P < 0.001), irrespective of treatments. Results suggest that fiber supplementation did not affect serum chemistry and glucose status of sows during late gestation. The pilot study suggested a negative association of duration of fetal expulsion with PVI, but these were not affected by dietary fiber.
PSV-19 Evaluation of Dietary Fiber Inclusion on Body Weight, Body Condition, Fecal Score, and Metabolic Indicators in Mature AI Boars
Authors: Scaff Taw , Richert Jacob A , Richert Brian T , Stewart Kara R
Published: October 2023

This experiment was conducted at the Purdue University swine research and education center. The objective of this study was to determine if the inclusion of fiber (8.48% vs 14.85% NDF) in the diet influenced boar body weight, backfat depth, loin depth, Knauer sow caliper measurement, flank to flank distance, and visual body condition score (BCS). Twenty-seven boars from two age groups (7 months and 18 months) and two genetic lines (maternal and terminal) were utilized over a 12-week period with 1 week before the study data serving as baseline for statistical analysis. Fecal samples were also taken and scored using the Bristol stool scoring system. Timepoints for sample collection were on weeks -1,3,7, and 11. Boars were blocked by age and breed and randomly allotted to receive 2.72 kg/d of corn-soybean meal diet (CON, n = 13) formulated to meet NRC (2012) requirements or an isocaloric (estimated ME = 3,285 Kcal/kg) corn-soybean meal diet with 14.3% soyhulls and supplemental choice white grease (4.65%) inclusions (FIBER, n = 14). Data were analyzed using PROC GLM in SAS 9.4 (Cary, North Carolina) with boar serving as the experimental unit. Weeks were analyzed individually and changes in body weight, backfat depth, loin depth, caliper measurements, flank to flank distance, and BCS were evaluated from week -1 to week 12. Significance was determined at P < 0.05 and a trend was observed at 0.05 < P ≤ 0.10. FIBER boars gained 8.4 kg more than CON boars during the 12-week study (P = 0.0221). On weeks 3 and 11, FIBER boars tended to have increased backfat depth compared with CON boars (P < 0.0950), resulting in FIBER boars gaining 2.9 mm more backfat compared with CON (P = 0.0053) over the 12-week study. No difference in loin muscle depth was observed between treatments. On weeks 7 (3.7 vs 3.4, P = 0.0923) and 11(3.9 vs 3.5, P = 0.0615) FIBER boars tended to have greater BCS score compared with Con boars. FIBER boars on week 11 tended to have larger tape measurements (105.9 cm vs 103.9 cm, P = 0.0945) and larger caliper score (19.4 vs 17.6, P = 0.0029) than CON boars, but no difference in overall 12 week change for both measurements. FIBER boars tended to have softer stools during week 3 of the trial compared with CON boars (P = 0.0535), but the fecal scores were not different at any other week. Overall, boars fed a high fiber diet had increased body weight, backfat depth and BCS indicating an underestimation of the net energy value of soyhulls in limit fed boars. Future research is needed with varying levels and types of fiber inclusion in the diet to understand how to correctly implement fiber into the boar diet and to refine the net energy values of fibrous feedstuffs like soyhulls for boars.
PSVI-15 Effect of Split Iron Injection to Sucking Pigs on Growth Performance and Hematological Variables in Pre- and Post-Weaning Periods
Authors: Lima Gabriella Cristina Veloso , Lemunyete Merit N , Johnson Alaina J , Jang Young Dal
Published: October 2023

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of split iron injection to suckling pigs on growth performance and hematological variables in pre- and postweaning periods. A total of 23 piglets (initial body weight: 2.19 ± 0.15 kg) were allotted into 3 treatments within litter based on body weight and sex. Treatments were: 1) Iron100: 100 mg iron at d 0 of experiment (d 3-4 of age) + no additional iron injection - control), 2) Iron100/100: 100 mg iron at d 0 of experiment + 100 mg iron injection at d 9 of experiment (d 14 before weaning), and 3) Iron200: 200 mg iron at d 0 of experiment + no additional iron injection. The pigs were housed by litter in the suckling and nursery periods with a common corn-soybean meal-based diet during the entire nursery period. Body weight, hemoglobin concentrations and hematocrit were measured at d 0 (initial), 9 (second dose for the Iron100/100 treatment), 16, 23 (weaning), and 36 of experiment. Body weight and average daily gain did not differ among treatments before weaning whereas the Iron100/100 treatment had greater body weight than the Iron100 treatment at d 36 of experiment (P < 0.05; 10.17, 12.55, and 11.45 kg for the Iron100, Iron100/100 and Iron200 treatments, respectively) and the Iron100/100 treatment had greater average daily gain in d 23-36 of experiment than the Iron100 (P< 0.05) and Iron200 (P = 0.08) treatments (0.112, 0.238, and 0.156 kg/d for Iron100, Iron100/100 and Iron200 treatments, respectively). At d 9 of experiment, the Iron200 treatment had greater hematocrit than the Iron100 and Iron100/100 treatments (P < 0.05; 30.35, 29.88, and 33.85% for Iron100, Iron100/100, and Iron200 treatments, respectively) and tended to have greater hemoglobin levels than the Iron100/100 treatment (P = 0.06). At d 16 and 23 (weaning) of experiment, hemoglobin concentrations and hematocrit were greater in the Iron100/100 and Iron200 treatments (P < 0.05) than the Iron100 treatment (9.39, 11.66, and 11.41 g/dL for Iron100, Iron100/100, and Iron200 treatments, respectively for hemoglobin concentrations at d 23 of experiment). At d 36 of experiment, hemoglobin concentrations tended to be greater in the Iron200 treatment than the Iron100 treatment (P = 0.09) and hematocrit were greater in the Iron100/100 (P = 0.10) and Iron200 (P < 0.05) treatments than the Iron100 treatment (29.73, 31.56, and 33.54% for the Iron100, Iron100/100, and Iron200 treatments, respectively) with greater values (P = 0.10) in the Iron200 treatment than the Iron100/100 treatment. In conclusion, the piglets that received low level of iron at birth had decreased growth rate and hematological variable values while split iron injection could increase growth rate after weaning even though it maintained postweaning hematocrit slightly less than high level of iron injection at birth.
PSVI-10 Evaluation of Corn Protein Source on Feed Intake Preference in Nursery Pigs
Authors: Stas Ethan , Goodband Robert D , Tokach Mike D , Woodworth Jason C , DeRouchey Joel M , Gebhardt Jordan T
Published: October 2023

A total of 180 pigs (DNA 600 × 241, initially 7.7 ± 0.73 kg) were used to determine feed intake preference from various corn protein sources. A series of three 5-d preference trials with a different set of 60 pigs in each trial were used with two diets offered within each comparison. To determine feed intake preference, each pen was equipped with two identical feeders containing different diets. Feeders were rotated daily within pen to minimize feeder location bias. Feed consumption was used to determine preference between each diet comparison. There were 6 replicates of each diet comparison with 5 pigs per pen. The corn protein sources utilized in this experiment included: fermented corn protein, high protein dried distillers grains with solubles (HPDDGs), whole stillage solids (approximately 2/3 content of the fermented corn protein), and thin stillage solids (approximately 1/3 content of the fermented corn protein). Fermented corn protein and HPDDGs were included in the diet at 15% as a replacement for corn. Whole stillage solids and thin stillage solids were included in the diet at 10% and 5%, respectively, as a replacement to corn to match its contribution in fermented corn protein. The control diet was a standard nursery diet. Diet comparisons included: 1) Control vs. Fermented corn protein; 2) Whole stillage solids vs. Fermented corn protein; 3) Thin stillage solids vs. Fermented corn protein; 4) HPDDGs vs. Fermented corn protein; 5) Control vs. Whole stillage solids; 6) Control vs. Thin stillage solids. For comparison 1, pigs preferred (P < 0.001) the control diet by consuming 82.5% of their intake with this diet compared with the diet containing fermented corn protein (Table 1). For comparison 2, there was no difference (P > 0.05) in feed consumption of diets containing whole stillage solids and the fermented corn protein. For comparison 3, pigs preferred (P = 0.001) the diet containing thin stillage solids by consuming 75.8% of their intake with this diet compared with the diet containing fermented corn protein. In comparison 4, pigs tended to prefer (P = 0.067) HPDDG as compared with fermented corn protein. In comparisons 5 and 6, the control diet was preferred (P ≤ 0.028) compared with either stillage solids with the greatest difference when compared with whole stillage solids. These results indicate that whole stillage solids is the component of fermented corn protein that negatively affect feed consumption.
PSIV-10 Effects of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Supplementation in Resolvin D1 Concentration in Plasma and Follicular Fluid in Ewes
Authors: Carranza-Martin Ana C , Guerra Alvaro Garcia , Furnus Cecilia , Relling Alejandro E
Published: October 2023

Resolvins are lipid mediators derived from eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid with anti-inflammatory effects. The hypothesis of the current experiment was that supplementation with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) would increase resolvin in plasma and follicular fluid without alterations in the macroscopic ovary observations. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the concentration of resolvin D1 in plasma and follicular fluid in ewes supplemented during summer season with PUFA. In addition, examinate the macroscopic characteristic of the ovaries after PUFA supplementation. During the summer months of 2022, 24 adult ewes were blocked by body weight and body condition score and allotted in pairs into 12 pens. Within block, each pen received one of the three isocaloric treatments: supplementation with 0, 0.5, and 1% PUFA. Body weight, body condition score, and blood samples were collected every 21-days for 3 months. Blood samples were used to analyzed resolvin D1 concentration. Subsequently, ewes were synchronized and superstimulated using 240 mg of FSH administered in six decreasing doses every 12 h, and ovaries were collected by ovariectomy 12 h after the last FSH dose. Ewes were supplemented until the day of the surgery. Ovaries were weighed, measured, and follicles ≥ 5 mm and < 5 mm and corpus luteum (CL) were counted. Blood and follicular fluid samples were collected at the time of the ovariectomy. Data were analyzed as a complete randomize block design considering treatment, time, and their interaction (when possible) as fixed effects, while block and pen within block were included as random effects. Plasma and follicular fluid resolving D1 concentration were correlated using Pearson correlation (Table 1). As a results, no differences were observed in body weight (P = 0.53). There was no difference in plasma resolvin D1concentration between the different PUFA supplementation levels (P = 0.36). Conversely, there was a tendency (P = 0.06) for a lineal increase in follicular fluid resolving concentration when animals increased PUFA supplementation. In addition, there was a positive correlation between plasma and follicular fluid resolvin D1 concentration (r= 0.53; P = 0.01). There were no differences on ovarian weight (P = 0.56), ovarian volume (P = 0.80), number of follicles > 5mm (P = 0.88) or < 5mm (P = 0.32) between treatments. However, there was a quadratic effect in CL (P < 0.01) were 0% PUFA presents more structures than 0.5% and 1%. In conclusion, increasing PUFA supplementation in the diet linearly increases resolvin D1 concentration in follicular fluid, without changes in resolvin D1 concentration in plasma; however, plasma and follicular fluid concentrations of resolvin D1 are correlated.
PSIV-7 Multi-Sire Artificial Insemination of Beef Heifers in the Nebraska Sandhills May Increase Pregnancy Rate Compared with Single-Sire Insemination
Authors: Christenson Dempster M , Funston Rick N , Thomas Jordan M , Kelly Dan J , Maddux John G
Published: October 2023

The objective of these studies was to observe pregnancy outcomes resulting from artificial insemination (AI) with multi-sire semen (MS) compared with single-sire semen (SS) in beef heifers. One study compared MS AI to SS AI and the other study observed the pregnancy rate to AI using sexed MS semen. In the first study, three bulls were selected for AI of 441 heifers in year one. Heifers were synchronized with the melengestrol acetate – PGF2α – GnRH protocol using estrus detection and timed AI. Seventy-five single-sire straws of semen, from each bull, were labeled A, B, or C. Remaining semen was pooled together to form multi-sire semen straws. Heifers were artificially inseminated using alternating treatment of MS or SS; A, B, or C. Ultrasound determined pregnancy rate of heifers by treatment averaged 63% ± 5.5% (SS-A), 64% ± 5.5% (SS-B), 65% ± 5.5% (SS-C), and 69% ± 3.3% (MS). Heifers administered MS averaged 4.5% ± 4.5% greater than SS (P = 0.32) and 5.9% ± 6.4% greater than the least performing sire (P = 0.36). The observed differences between MS and SS pregnancy rate are less than previous research suggests. It is hypothesized the best fertilization period for a sire and dam may differ between individuals and herds leading to variability in pregnancy rates. In the second study, multiple unproven bulls were selected for AI of 868 ± 37 heifers over two years. Heifers were synchronized using the previously mentioned protocol with split-time AI. Semen was collected and sexed to favor heifer progeny at an expected ratio of 9:1. The sexing process has been shown to decrease pregnancy rate due to sperm damage and decreased quantity. Semen from 3 random bulls were pooled together making 4 pools or 3 pools of multi-sire semen straws in year 1 and 2 respectively. Multi-sire sexed semen was only administered to heifers who exhibited estrus. The observed ultrasound determined pregnancy rate of heifers administered multi-sire sexed semen was 65% in year 1 and 75% in year 2, which is 12% and 22% greater than the average pregnancy rate reported in previous studies using single-sire sexed semen. Observed differences lends credence to the possibility of improving pregnancy rate by utilizing multiple sires for AI when semen quality is lower. Ultimately these two studies may suggest that multiple sires may outperform pregnancy rate of single sires to AI. This difference may be more pronounced when semen quality is lower. Further research into semen quality of single sires and pooled semen could lead to optimization of fertilization among individuals within a herd.
PSV-9 Characterization of the Rumen Bacterial Communities of Lambs That Transitioned from Forage to a Concentrate-Based Diet
Authors: Anema Reid F , Fowler Emily , Francis Forest L , Smith Zachary K , St-Pierre Benoit
Published: October 2023

Forage and concentrate-based diets are distinct strategies used in ruminant production. The transition from a forage-based diet to a concentrate-based diet has been shown to have a great impact on the rumen microbiome composition due to vast differences in substrates provided by each diet type. To gain further insight on the nature of the changes that occur in the rumen microbiome as a result of a switch in diet, ruminal bacterial composition was compared between lambs initially fed a forage-based diet and lambs that were switched to a concentrate-based diet for approximately 60 days. From rumen fluid that was collected after slaughter, data were generated by Illumina MiSeq 2X300 sequencing of PCR amplicons targeting the V1-V3 regions of the 16S rRNA gene. Next-Generation Sequence data were analyzed using a combination of custom Perl scripts, and publicly available software (Mothur (v.1.35.1), RDP classifier and NCBI Blast). A total of 10,693 species-level operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were identified across all samples, with 86 OTUs shared between diets. A comparative analysis using the non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test identified 16 highly represented species-level OTUs that differed in abundance across dietary treatments (P < 0.05). Of these, three OTUs, RA-01223, RA1-35340, and RA1-55937, were found to be of particular interest. OTU RA-01223 was at its highest representation in samples from individuals given a concentrate-based diet, with an average abundance of 8.76% compared with 0.80% in samples from animals fed a forage-based diet. RA-01223 was predicted to be a novel species of the family Oscillospiraceae based on its low 16S rRNA gene sequence identity (94.8%) to its closest valid relative, Ruminococcoides bili. OTU RA1-35340, predicted to be a strain of Sharpea azabuensis, was also in much greater abundance in the concentrate-based diet as compared with the forage-based diet (2.83% and 0.05%, respectively). In contrast, RA1-55937, which was predicted to be a strain of Pectinatus haikarae, was at its greatest abundance in samples from individuals given a forage-based diet, with an average representation of 4.91% compared with 0.52% in samples from animals fed a concentrate-based diet. These and other specific ruminal OTUs whose abundance are affected by changes in diet can then be studied further to gain more insight on the effects of the transition from forage to concentrate on rumen physiology.
PSVI-6 Effects of Partial or Total Replacement of Soybean Meal with Urea on Feed Efficiency in Nellore × Red Angus Growing Bulls
Authors: da Silva Julia Travassos , de Filho Sebastião Campos Valadares , Pucetti Pauliane , de Matos Éllem Maria Almeida , Alves Julia Gabriela Baroni , Salles Gabriela Herculano , Ebani Yuri Cesconetto , Swanson Kendall C
Published: October 2023

Soybean meal (SBM) is the primary protein source used worldwide for livestock. but is a high-cost protein source than other alternative protein sources such as urea. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of partial or total replacement of SBM with urea on dry matter intake (DMI), average daily gain (ADG) and feed efficiency of finishing Nellore × Red Angus crossbreed bulls. Nellore × Red Angus crossbred bulls (n = 30; average initial BW = 383.5 ± 8 kg; age = 9 ± 1 mo) were utilized in a completely randomized design for 93 days (9 d adaptation period + 84 d finishing period). Bulls were randomly assigned to receive 1 of 3 dietary treatments containing different replacement levels of soybean meal with urea (diet DM basis): 0% replacement (R-0%); 50% replacement (R-50%); 100% replacement (R-100%). Diets were formulated according to the BR-CORTE system to achieve an ADG of 1.3 kg and to contain 130 g CP/kg DM. The diets consisted of 20% corn silage and 80% concentrate that was formulated with ground corn, soybean meal and/or urea, ammonium sulfate, mineral mix, and virginiamycin. All animals were fed for ad libitum intake using an electronic feeder (INTERGADO, Intergado Ltd., Contagem, Minas Gerais, Brazil) and individual daily feed intake was recorded. The bulls were weighed at the beginning and end and every 28 d throughout the finishing period. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS (SAS Inst. Inc., Cary, NC) assuming the significance level of 0.05. There was no influence on final BW (P = 0.39), DMI (P = 0.22), ADG (P = 0.47), or feed efficiency (P = 0.98; Table 1). These results suggest that SBM can be replaced with urea and may be used as a strategy to reduce diet costs for Nellore × Red Angus crossbred bulls without affecting DMI, ADG, and feed efficiency.
PSIV-6 Impact of Cooling Pads and Dietary Moringa on Measures of Heat Stress in Sows in Late Gestation
Authors: Mannion Eimear C , Casey Theresa , Schinckel Allan P , Sung Jung Yeol , Oogundare Wonders , Stansberry McKeeley , Stwalley Robert M , Minor Radiah , Neeno Samantha , Field Tyler C
Published: October 2023

Gestating sows become more sensitive to high temperatures at the end of gestation. Cooling pads have been developed that reduce the impact of high environmental temperatures on sows. Some of the added heat stress response may be due to oxidative stress which might be reduced with dietary antioxidants. The objective of this study was to evaluate the daily patterns of common measures of heat stress on late gestation sows with or electronic cooling pads (ECP) with or without the addition of Moringa, a plant with antioxidant activity. Sows (n = 24), 2 days before farrowing, were assigned a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments: farrowing crates with or without cooling pads and corn-soybean based diets containing either 0 or 4% Moringa leaf powder. Sows were fed 1.36 kg of feed twice a day and had ad-libitum access to water. The farrowing room was targeted to have a 32°C daytime from 1100 to 1700 h and 26°C nighttime). The ECP flushed 2.0 L of cool water when one of the three temperature sensors reached 26°C. Skin temperature (TS) was measured hourly using an infrared gun 10 cm behind the ear, and hourly respiration rate (RR) recorded from 600 to 2200 h. Rectal temperatures were (TI) taken at 600, 1300, 1600 and 1900 h. Two statistical analyses were conducted. The first was a mixed model including the fixed effects of ECP, diet, hour of measurement and their interactions with sow included as a random effect. Also, mixed model periodic regressions were fitted to the RR and TS data. The RR was impacted by ECT, hour, and ECP × hour interactions (P < 0.001). The final model for RR included the random effect of sow, main effect of ECP, single phase sine/cosine and 2-phase cosine variables and the interaction with the single-phase variables with ECP treatment (P < 0.001). For TS, there was only a tendency for the ECP treatment (32.4 vs. 33.0°C, P = 0.064) and effect of hour of measurement (P < 0.001) The final model for TS using periodic regression included the random effect of sow, ECP treatment (P = 0.12), single-phase sine and cosine and two-phase sine variables (P < 0.001) and interaction of single-phase sine variable by ECP treatment (P = 0.024). Overall ECP reduced internal temperatures by 0.23°C (P = 0.17) with trend for a ECP × time interaction (P = 0.074) with the greatest impact at 1300 h (38.04 vs. 37.53, P < 0.02). The ECP produced greater relative reductions in RR and smaller differences in TI. Daily mid- to late- afternoon increases in RR, TS, and TI were reduced for ECP sows. No significant diet or diet by hour interactions were found.
PSIV-4 Effect of Drip Cooling on Sow Body Weight and Litter Performance During Summer
Authors: Rao Zhong-Xing , Coble Kyle , Tokach Mike D , Woodworth Jason C , DeRouchey Joel M , Goodband Robert D , Gebhardt Jordan T
Published: October 2023

During lactation, maximizing sow feed intake is critical to sustaining sow body weight and milk production for litter growth. However, heat stress can reduce the lactation feed intake of sows during summer. Drip cooling has shown positive effects on reducing the heat stress of pigs, but there are limited data on the effect of drip cooling on lactating sows. Therefore, the objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of drip cooling on lactating sow farrowing performance and litter growth in a hot and humid environment. A total of 300 sows (Line 3, PIC, Hendersonville, TN) were used in this experiment. Five 60-stall farrowing rooms (15 stalls per row and 4 rows per room) were used with tunnel ventilation and evaporative cool cells. At approximately d 110 to 112 of gestation, sows were blocked by body condition score (BCS), parity, and offspring sire (Line 2 or Line 3 sires), then randomly allotted to farrowing stalls with or without drip cooling. Water drippers were located above the stall and aimed at the shoulder region of the sow. The set point of the drip cooling system started at 24°C, and the system ran on a 10-min cycle (2 min on and 8 min off). Evaporative cooling cells started circulating water at 26°C and were used in all farrowing rooms. Drippers were disabled in 3 of every 6 farrowing stalls to balance the environmental effects. The first and third rows of the farrowing rooms started with the first three stalls without drip cooling, while the second and fourth rows started with the first three stalls with drip cooling. After farrowing, sows had ad libitum access to lactation feed. Only piglets from sows bred to Line 2 boars (219 litters) were recorded for litter performance data. Line 3 piglets were not included in litter performance data, but sows of these piglets were included in sow BW and feed disappearance data. Sows with drip cooling had greater (P < 0.05) feed disappearance and litter growth performance, and reduced (P < 0.05) BW change, but also had a marginal difference of decreased (P < 0.10) percentage bred back by d 30 after weaning (Table 1). In conclusion, drip cooling improved sow and litter performance in barns with tunnel ventilation and evaporative cool cells during summer.
PSIV-2 Impact of Vitamins C and E on Sow Mortality and Stillborn Rate
Authors: Knauer Mark
Published: October 2023

The objective of the study was to evaluate late gestation supplementation of vitamins C and E on sow mortality and percentage of stillborn piglets. Sows (n = 466), housed in stalls at a commercial sow farm in eastern North Carolina, were randomly allocated to either receive 35g of a top-dress containing vitamins C and E or no top-dress (Control). The 35g top-dress contained 1.05g of vitamin C (from STAY-C 35), 500 IU of vitamin E (from ROVIMIX E50) and ground corn as a carrier. Vitamins C and E were top-dressed twice per week, from day 87 of gestation until farrowing. At the start of vitamin supplementation, sow body condition was measured using a Knauer sow body condition caliper (Knauer scale: < 12 = “thin”, 12 to 15 = “ideal”, >15 = “fat”). The gestation and lactation diets on the farm were formulated to contain no vitamin C and 66 IU/kg of vitamin E. Sow mortality was evaluated from day 95 of gestation through day 30 post-farrow. Mortality codes recorded by farm technicians included sudden death, lameness, prolapse and farrowing difficulty. Sow mortality traits were analyzed using a Chi-square analysis and percentage of stillborn piglets [stillborns ÷ (number born alive + stillborns)] was analyzed using linear regression. Of the 466 sows, 29 (6.2%) died or were euthanized between day 95 of gestation and 30 days post-farrow. Sows that died had less (P < 0.01) body condition (15.3 vs. 16.4 sow caliper score) and were greater (P < 0.01) parity (2.8 vs. 1.9) than sows that survived. Sows supplemented with vitamins C and E tended (P = 0.11) to die less from sudden death and prolapse when compared with Control sows (6.0 vs. 3.0%). Vitamin C and E supplementation tended (P = 0.08) to reduce the number of sows that died at or before farrowing. There was no difference (P=0.33) in percentage of stillborn piglets between sows supplemented with vitamins C and E when compared with Control sows (6.4 vs. 5.5%, respectively). Yet there was an interaction (P < 0.01) between sow body condition caliper score and vitamin supplementation in relation to percentage of stillborn piglets. Thin and ideal sows supplemented with vitamins C and E, thin and ideal Control sows, fat sows supplemented with vitamins C and E, and fat Control sows had stillborn rates of 8.3, 4.8, 4.4 and 6.1%, respectively. For each additional piglet born, percentage of stillborn piglets increased (P < 0.01) by 0.38%. Results suggest supplementation of vitamins C and E in late gestation may be a strategy to enhance sow livability.
PSI-A-4 The Effects of a Novel Brewer’s Yeast Product on Ruminal Fiber Fermentation in Vitro
Authors: Jensen Vanessa , Linder Haley F , Cecava Michael , McCann Joshua C
Published: October 2023

The objective was to evaluate a novel brewer’s yeast product on ruminal fiber fermentation in vitro. The experiment was a completely randomized design and included 4 treatments. Treatments included a negative control (NCON), a commercial brewer’s yeast product (Emprove MX; EMX), and a prototype concentrated brewer’s yeast (T1R8) fed at low and high inclusions (T1R8-L and T1R8-H, respectively). Inclusions for low and high treatments were 0.0008 and 0.0015 g, respectively, to correspond with 7 and 14 g inclusion in a lactating cow diet. Treatments were evaluated in duplicate flasks in 2 replicated runs for a total of four observations per treatment. Flasks contained 2.5 grams dry matter (DM) of substrate to represent a lactating cow diet (30% haylage, 25% corn silage, 20% corn, 15% canola meal, and 10% soybean hulls), and 150mL of rumen fluid mixture (2 McDougall’s buffer:1 rumen fluid ratio). Four F57 sealed Ankom bags were filled with 0.25 grams DM of substrate each to facilitate measuring in vitro DM and neutral detergent fiber disappearance (IVDMD and IVNDFD, respectively). Flasks were incubated at 39°C for 30 hours with sample aliquots collected at hour 0, 8, 16, and 30 to determine pH and volatile fatty acids (VFA). Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS 9.4 with IVDMD and IVNDFD considered a main effect of treatment while pH and VFA were analyzed with effects of treatment, time, and their interaction. No differences in IVDMD were observed (P = 0.31) among treatments. Treatment affected (P = 0.01) IVNDFD with EMX (50.6%), T1R8-L (48.6%), and T1R8-H (50.3%) being greater than NCON (45.7%). A treatment by hour interaction (P < 0.01) was observed for total VFA concentration; EMX (71.8 mM), T1R8-L (72.6 mM), and T1R8-H (66.0 mM) were greater than NCON (47.8 mM) at h 8, but all treatments were not different at h 16. A treatment by hour interaction (P < 0.01) was also observed for acetate and propionate; EMX, T1R8-H, and T1R8-L were greater than NCON at h 8, but all treatments were not different at h 16. At h 30, greater propionate was observed for T1R8-H compared with all treatments. No effects of treatment or treatment by hour (P ≥ 0.89) were observed for acetate:propionate ratio. Although a treatment by hour interaction was not observed for pH (P = 0.12), a treatment effect (P = 0.03) indicated T1R8-L was the greatest with EMX being intermediate, and NCON and T1R8-H being the least. Novel brewer’s yeast product T1R8 increased the rate of substrate fermentation in the initial 8 h and increased the extent of fiber degradation after a 30 h in vitro fermentation.