The effects of Biomin Product A and vomitoxin on growth performance of nursery pigs

A total of 340 barrows (PIC 1050, initially 25.7 lb ± 0.2 lb BW and 35 d of age) were used in a 28-d growth trial examining the effects on nursery pig growth performance of adding Biomin Product A (Biomin; Herzogenburg, Austria) to diets contaminated with deoxynivalenol (DON), or vomitoxin on nursery pig growth performance. Also, 5% water was added in a diet with Biomin Product A as a means of potentially enhancing the activity of the product. Pigs were allotted to pens by weight, and pens were assigned to 1 of 8 treatments in a randomized complete block design with location in the barn serving as the blocking factor. There were 9 replications per treatment (pens) and 4 to 5 pigs per pen. Initial mycotoxin analyses were conducted on the primary ingredients at Romer Labs5 and served as the basis of diet formulation. Eight dietary treatments were formulated to contain: (1) no vomitoxin or Biomin Product A, (2) 1.5 ppm vomitoxin and no Biomin Product A, (3) 1.5 ppm vomitoxin and 0.15% Biomin Product A (3 lb/ton), (4) 1.5 ppm vomitoxin and 0.30% Biomin Product A (6 lb/ton), (5) 3.0 ppm vomitoxin and no Biomin Product A, (6) 3.0 ppm vomitoxin and 0.30% Biomin Product A (6 lb/ton), (7) 3.0 ppm and 0.45% Biomin Product A (9 lb/ton), and (8) 3.0 ppm vomitoxin and 0.45% Biomin Product A with 5% water added to the diet. Dried distillers grains with solubles containing vomitoxin were used to increase concentrations in the treatment diets. After feed manufacturing, ingredients and diets were analyzed at Romer Labs and NDSU6. DON levels for the low- (1.5 ppm) and high- (3.0 ppm) vomitoxin diets were determined to average 2.5 and 5.2 ppm, respectively. Experimental diets were fed in meal form from d 0 to 21, and a common diet was fed from d 21 to 28 to evaluate performance immediately after removing vomitoxin from the diet. Overall (d 0 to 21), pigs fed high-vomitoxin diets had decreased (P \u3c 0.01) ADG and ADFI compared to pigs fed diets lower in DON concentration. Adding Biomin Product A to diets containing vomitoxin had no effect (P \u3e 0.24) on ADG; however, adding Biomin Product A to low-vomitoxin diets increased (quadratic, P \u3c 0.01) ADFI, resulting in poorer (quadratic, P \u3c 0.01) F/G. Furthermore, there were no differences (P \u3e 0.39) in performance or feed efficiency when 5% water was added to the diet containing Biomin Product A. In conclusion, adding Biomin Product A to the diet did not improve nursery pig performance during the 3-week period during which diets containing low or high concentrations of vomitoxin were fed.; Swine Day, Manhattan, KS, November 18, 201

Nursing Reduction Strategies to Enhance Estrus in Lactating Sows and Effects on Performance of Pigs to Market Weight

A total of 135 sows (PIC 1050), ranging from parity 1 to 5 (2.6 ± 1.4), were used in 5 consecutive farrowing groups (February to August). The objectives were to evaluate different suckling reduction strategies for inducing lactational estrus and the effects on sow fertility and piglet growth. Litter size was equalized within parity (11.5 ± 1.1 piglets) at d 2 after farrowing. At d 18, sows were assigned to 1 of 5 treatments (n = 26 to 28) based on parity, farrowing date, and suckled litter size. Treatments were: 1) control; 2) sows that were paired within parity and placed in adjacent stalls, on d 18 all but 5 of the lightest piglets were weaned, and the remaining piglets were combined and alternated between sows at 12 h intervals until d 25 (ALT); 3) piglets separated from sows for 12 h/d from d 18 to 25 (SEP); 4) all but the 5 lightest piglets weaned on d 18, split-weaning (SW); and 5) piglets separated from sows for 24 h on d 18 (24HR). Controls were weaned at d 21 with other treatments weaned at d 25. All sows were provided nose-to-nose contact with a mature boar for 5 min/d from d 18 until weaning without removing them from farrowing crates. Creep feed and water were provided from d 14 to weaning. Offspring ADG was recorded to market for 2 farrowing groups. Sow backfat and BW losses during lactation were similar across treatments. Of the 106 sows subjected to reduced suckling, 80 (76%) expressed estrus during lactation. The SEP and 24HR sows were in estrus earlier (P \u3c 0.05) than SW sows. A tendency for reduced conception rate was observed in SEP and 24HR sows (P \u3c 0.10) versus control and SW sows. Creep feed disappearance was greatest (P \u3c 0.01) for SEP and 24HR litters, and pig ADG from d 18 to 32 was reduced (P \u3c 0.05). No negative effects (P \u3e 0.05) on final BW or carcass composition were observed for the reduced suckling treatments. Altered suckling treatments differed in their ability to induce lactational estrus and their impact on gain immediately post-weaning. However, no benefits were observed for pig growth to market weight

Effects of Potential Detoxifying Agents on Growth Performance and Deoxynivalenol (DON) Urinary Balance Characteristics of Nursery Pigs Fed DON-Contaminated Wheat

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of detoxifying agents on the growth performance of nursery pigs fed diets contaminated with deoxynivalenol (DON). Naturally DON-contaminated wheat (6 ppm) replaced noncontaminated wheat in diets to achieve desired dietary DON concentrations. Basal ingredients were tested for mycotoxin and amino acid content prior to diet manufacturing. Diets were pelleted at 180˚F with a 45-s conditioning time. A total of 238 barrows and gilts (PIC 327 × 1050; initially 29.6 ± 5.6 lb and 42 d of age) were used in a 21-d growth study. Pens of pigs were allotted by BW to 1 of 5 treatments in a completely randomized design with a 2 × 2 + 1 factorial arrangement. The 5 experimental diets included the following components, 1) positive control (PC; \u3c0.5 mg/kg DON); 2) PC + 1.0% Product X (Nutriquest LLC, Mason City, IA); 3) negative control (NC; 4.0 mg/kg DON); 4) NC + 1.0% Product X; and 5) NC + 1.0% sodium metabisulfite (SMB; Samirian Chemicals, Campbell, CA). There were 6 or 7 replicate pens per treatment and 7 pigs per pen. Chemical analysis indicated a low level of fumonisin (\u3c1 ppm) was present but that all DON concentrations matched calculated values. Analyzed DON concentrations were decreased by 92% when pelleted with SMB. Overall (d 0 to 21), a DON × Product X interaction was observed for ADG (P \u3c 0.05) and ADFI (P \u3c 0.10). Adding Product X to PC diets had no effect on ADG or ADFI; however, when added to NC diets, ADG, and ADFI became worse. As anticipated, DON reduced (P \u3c 0.001) ADG, ADFI, and F/G by 24, 16, and 10%, respectively. Deoxynivalenol-associated reductions in ADG were most distinct (50%) during the initial period (0.42 vs. 0.84 lb from d 0 to 7). Adding SMB to NC diets improved (P \u3c 0.01) ADG, ADFI, and F/G compared to pigs fed the NC alone, and also improved (P \u3c 0.02) ADG and F/G compared to pigs fed PC diets. A concurrent urinary balance experiment was conducted using diets 3 to 5 from Exp. 1 to evaluate Product X and SMB on DON urinary metabolism. A 10-d adaptation was followed by a 7-d collection using 24 barrows in a randomized complete block design. Pigs fed NC + SMB diet had greater urinary output (P \u3c 0.05) than pigs fed NC + Product X, with NC pigs intermediate. Daily DON excretion was lowest (P \u3c 0.05) in the NC + SMB pigs. However, as a percentage of daily DON intake, NC + SMB fed pigs excreted more DON than they consumed (164%), greater (P \u3c 0.001) than pigs fed the NC (59%) or NC + Product X (48%), and indicative of degradation of DON back to the parent DON molecule. Overall, Product X did not alleviate DON effects on growth nor did it reduce DON absorption and excretion. However, hydrothermally processing DON-contaminated diets with 1.0% SMB restored ADFI and improved F/G. Even so, the urinary balance experiment revealed that some of the converted DON-sulfonate could degrade back to DON under physiological conditions. While SMB appears promising to restore performance in pelleted DON-contaminated diets, additional research needs to address handling and long-term supplementation concerns and to evaluate the stability of the DON-sulfonate conversion

Evaluation of Bovine Plasma Source and a Dried Milk Product on Nursery Pig Growth in a Commercial Environment

A total of 360 barrows and gilts (PIC 359 × C29; initially 13.7 ± 3.1 lb and 19 d of age) were used in a 24-d experiment evaluating the effect of different specialty ingredients on nursery pig growth performance. This experiment was conducted in a commercial research nursery (Cooperative Research Farm Nursery; Sycamore, OH). At weaning, pigs were allotted to pens by initial BW and to one of four dietary treatments in a completely randomized design. There were 9 pens per treatment with 10 pigs per pen. Experimental diets were fed from d 0 to 10, with a common diet fed from d 10 to 24. Experimental diets were: 1) Negative control (NC); 2) NC + 5% bovine Plasma A (AP920, APC Inc.; Ankeny, IA); 3) NC + 5% bovine Plasma B (Promax; Protena S.A., Nicaragua); and 4) NC + 5% dried milk (Nutrigold; International Ingredients Corporation Inc., St. Louis, MO). All diets contained 5% fishmeal and were balanced for SID lysine, lactose, and salt. Diets were fed in pellet form. From d 0 to 10, pigs fed either Plasma A or B had greater (P \u3c 0.01) ADG and ADFI than pigs fed the NC or Nutrigold diets. Pigs fed Nutrigold had increased (P \u3c 0.01) ADG compared to pigs fed the NC diet. Also, F/G was improved (P \u3c 0.001) for pigs fed either Plasma A or B and Nutrigold diets compared to those fed the NC. During the common period (d 10 to 24), there were no differences for ADG or ADFI, although the pigs previously fed NC had improved (1.24 vs. 1.31; P \u3c 0.01) F/G compared to those previously fed Plasma A. Overall (d 0 to 24), pigs fed Plasma A and B had greater (P \u3c 0.02) ADG and ADFI than NC pigs. Pigs fed Plasma B had increased (P \u3c 0.04) ADG relative to pigs fed Nutrigold. In summary, both plasma sources increased feed intake and growth with no differences among sources. Nutrigold also improved performance compared to the NC

Validation of Individual Computerized Sow Feeding Systems in Lactation

Two experiments evaluated the accuracy of individual computerized feed delivery systems for lactating sows (GESTAL Solo, JYGA Technologies Inc., St-Lambert-de-Lauzon, Quebec, Canada). The feeders volumetrically dispense feed based on rotations of a screw auger. In Experiment 1, 29 prototype feeders were used across 3 farrowing groups. On d 0, 1 feeder was selected to calibrate the computer system to the bulk density of the lactation diet. Feeders were programmed for 5 feeding periods per day with feeding period allowing up to 4 feed drops triggered by the sow. Sows activate a trigger within the feed bowl to receive a targeted amount of feed (1.5 lb) and the computerized feeder records the delivery amount based on calibration values. In addition, total lactation feed intake was recorded by weighing the quantity of feed provided to the feeding system for each sow throughout lactation. Feed delivered by a single trigger activation on d 0, d 10, and d of weaning was collected and weighed with a scale and compared to the computer record. Additionally, total feed delivered over the lactation period was compared between the recorded computer measurement and scale weight. Average percentage difference between the two measurements ranged from 0.01 to 36.6% for a single trigger event. Computer-recorded total lactation feed intake was marginally less (P \u3c 0.089) than the actual weight of feed delivered (230.3 vs. 239.9 lb; SEM 5.43). Individual feeders had recorded total feed delivery ranging from 77 to 122% of actual weight delivered. Based on these results, a new feeder design, identical to the commercially marketed GESTAL Solo (plastic hopper manufactured with injection mold instead of rotational mold), was tested in Experiment 2. In Experiment 2, 29 feeders were used in a single farrowing group to evaluate the new sow feeders. Feeders were calibrated and data were collected using the same procedures as Experiment 1, except individual feed drops were collected 8 times per feeder throughout lactation. Average percentage difference across all feeders ranged from 3.8 to 13.4%. There was no evidence (P \u3c 0.542) of difference between the computer-recorded total lactation feed and actual weight of feed delivered (279.6 vs. 272.8 lb; SEM 4.03). Individual feeders had recorded total feed delivery ranging from 90.4 to 106.4% of actual weight delivered. Overall, this study shows the new feeder model was less variable in feed drops and total feed delivery than the old prototype

LPS Regulates SOCS2 Transcription in a Type I Interferon Dependent Autocrine-Paracrine Loop

Recent studies suggest that SOCS2 is involved in the regulation of TLR signaling. In this study, we found that the expression of SOCS2 is regulated in human monocyte-derived DC by ligands stimulating TLR2, 3, 4, 5, 8 and 9 signaling. SOCS2 induction by LPS was dependent on the type I IFN regulated transcription factors IRF1 and IRF3 as shown by using silencing RNAs for IRFs. Blocking endogenous type I IFN signaling, by neutralizing antibodies to the receptor IFNAR2, abolished SOCS2 mRNA expression after TLR4 stimulation. Transcription factors STAT3, 5 and 6 displayed putative binding sites in the promoter regions of the human SOCS2 gene. Subsequent silencing experiments further supported that STAT3 and STAT5 are involved in LPS induced SOCS2 regulation. In mice we show that SOCS2 mRNA induction is 45% lower in bone marrow derived macrophages derived from MyD88−/− mice, and do not increase in BMMs from IRF3−/− mice after BCG infection. In conclusion, our results suggest that TLR4 signaling indirectly increases SOCS2 in late phase mainly via the production of endogenous type I IFN, and that subsequent IFN receptor signaling activates SOCS2 via STAT3 and STAT5

SOCS2 Influences LPS Induced Human Monocyte-Derived Dendritic Cell Maturation

Dendritic cells (DCs) are highly specific antigen presenting cells, which link innate and adaptive immune responses and participate in protecting hosts from invading pathogens. DCs can be generated in vitro by culturing human monocytes with GM-CSF and IL-4 followed by LPS induced DC maturation. We set out to study the suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) proteins during maturation and activation of human monocyte-derived DCs from peripheral blood in vitro. We found that the expression of SOCS2 mRNA and protein is dramatically up-regulated during DC maturation. Silencing of SOCS2 using siRNA, inhibited DC maturation as evidenced by a decreased expression of maturation markers such as CD83, co-stimulatory molecules CD40, CD86 and HLA-DR. Furthermore, silencing of SOCS2 decreased LPS induced activation of MAP kinases (SAKP/JNK, p38, ERK), IRF3, decreased the translocation of the NF-κB transcription factor and reduced downstream gene mRNA expression. These results suggest a role for SOCS2 in the MyD88-dependent and -independent TLR4 signaling pathways. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that SOCS2 is required for appropriate TLR4 signaling in maturating human DCs via both the MyD88-dependent and -independent signaling pathway

Stimulation of estrus and ovulation in lactating sows

A total of 53 sows were used to determine the effects of a lactational estrus stimulation strategy on reproductive and litter growth performance. Treatment differences within parity group, multiparous and primiparous, were also considered. Litter size was equalized to 11.6 ± 1.2 pigs at d 2 postfarrowing. At d 18 of lactation, sows were allotted to the control or an altered suckling method (ALT). The ALT sows were placed in adjacent pairs within parity so pigs could be moved between litters by temporarily lifting the divider between the two litters. On d 18, all but the 5 lightest weight pigs from each ALT litter were weaned. The 5 lightweight pigs for each pair of litters formed a combined litter that nursed each sow of the pair 12 h/d from d 18 to 25. Therefore, pigs had nursing access 24 h/d, but each ALT sow was suckled only 12 h/d. Boar exposure was provided to ALT sows for 15 min/d by removing sows to a pen outside the farrowing room. Control and ALT sows were weaned at d 21 and d 25, respectively. Sow weights and litter growth performance during lactation was similar between treatments, although ALT sows had 16% greater total feed intake (P < 0.01) due to the extended lactation length. Primiparous sows lost a greater percentage (7.4 vs. 3.4%) of BW and consumed less feed (P < 0.01) than multiparous sows. A total of 26 ALT sows (93%) were detected in estrus and mated in lactation. Although duration from initiating ALT to estrus was greater (P < 0.001) than the wean-to-estrus interval for controls, ALT sows were in estrus earlier (23.0 vs. 24.6 d; P < 0.001) than controls postfarrowing, with primiparous sows responding more slowly (5.4 vs. 3.8 d; P < 0.01) than multiparous sows for both treatments. Pregnancy rate and subsequent reproductive performance were similar between treatments. In conclusion, ALT sows expressed lactational estrus and performed reproductively similar to sows with conventionally weaned litters

Effects of an altered suckling method on piglet performance during late lactation and the nursery period

The effects of an altered suckling method (ALT) on nursery pig performance were studied in a 14-d experiment encompassing late lactation and the early nursery period. A total of 611 pigs (PIC 327 × 1050) nursing 54 sows were used in 2 farrowing groups. Sows were allotted to treatments on d 18 of lactation when all but the 5 lightest-weight pigs from each ALT litter were split-weaned (SW) and moved to the nursery. The lightweight pigs in the ALT litters were paired within parity group such that two litters were combined. These combined litters rotationally suckled (RS) each sow of the pair for 12 h/d from d 18 until weaning on d 25. Pigs in control litters were weaned on d 21. At weaning, pigs were randomly assigned to pens (7 pigs/pen). All weaned pigs received a common feed budget of 4 lb of Phase 1 followed by a Phase 2 diet. Pigs were weighed on d 18, 21, 25, 28, and 32 of age. Differences in weight gain, variation in growth within litter, and the association between piglet weight category on d 18 and treatment effects were evaluated. An interaction was detected (P < 0.01) for pig weights and weight gain from d 18 to 32 because the RS pigs gained 15% more than lightweight controls, whereas SW pigs were 15% lighter than heavyweight controls on d 32. Overall variation as measured by the changes in CV and SD was 50% less (P < 0.01) within ALT litters compared with controls. When pig weight groups were compared, the ALT treatment benefited (P < 0.001) growth of light (<10 lb) pigs but decreased (P < 0.01) the weight gain of heavy (>14 lb) pigs. Overall, performance was similar between ALT and control pigs, but the apparent improvement in weight variation observed within ALT litters warrants additional investigation