Effect of variety, growing region and growing season on digestible energy content of wheats grown in Western Australia for weaner pigs

An experiment was conducted to examine the digestible energy (DE) content for weanling pigs in a cohort of wheats grown in Western Australia, and to establish relationships between DE content and their chemical composition. The 3 5 3 5 2 factorial experiment examined the wheat variety (Arrino, Stiletto and Westonia), growing location (high, medium and low rainfall zone) and harvest year (1999 and 2000). Pigs (no. = 5 per diet) aged about 28 days were given a diet at a level of 0.05 5 live weight containing 900 g/kg of the wheat and an acid-insoluble ash marker for 10 days, with samples of faeces collected from each pig for the final 5 days. The average live weight of pigs was 6.6 (s.d. 0.77) kg. The DE content of wheats harvested in 1999 varied by up to 1.3 MJ/kg, while wheats harvested in 2000 varied by up to 1.8 MJ/kg. When the 2 years' data were combined, the DE content ranged from 12.5 to 14.4 MJ/kg. Both the variety and growing region significantly influenced (P 0.05) with the wheats harvested in 2000. In addition, the precipitation level (mm) during the growing season of wheats was strongly correlated (r = -0.821, P < 0.01) to the DE content of wheat in year 1999, but was not correlated in 2000. The results indicate that the genetic and environmental conditions during the growth of wheat have a significant impact on the utilization of plant energy in weaner pigs, and that greater attention needs to be paid to these influences in the assignment of energy values for wheats given to weaner pigs

Performance and intestinal responses to dehulling and inclusion level of Australian sweet lupins (Lupinus angustifolius L.) in diets for weaner pigs

A total of 180 entire male weaner pigs weighing 6.4 ± 0.1. kg (mean ± SEM) and housed in pairs was used in a completely randomised block design with 9 dietary treatments (n= 10 pens). Pigs were blocked based on weaning weight. The diets were (i) a wheat-based control diet containing 240. g/kg of milk products (whey and skim milk powder), and (ii) 8 diets containing whole or dehulled lupins (cv. Coromup) that substituted the milk products at 60, 120, 180 and 240. g/kg of diet (replace 25%, 50%, 75%, or 100% of the milk products in the control diets). The diets were isoenergetic [15. MJ digestible energy (DE)/kg], and were formulated to contain the same ileal standardised digestible lysine content (0.85. g/MJ DE) and ideal patterns of other essential amino acids. Pigs receiving 240. g/kg of dehulled lupins grew slower (P<0.05) than pigs fed the other diets mainly due to decreased feed intake. Pigs fed diets containing more than 180. g/kg of dehulled lupins had a higher faecal β-haemolytic Escherichia coli score on day 3 after weaning (P<0.05). Moreover, inclusion of 240. g/kg of whole lupin or more than 180. g/kg of dehulled lupins increased (P<0.001) plasma urea nitrogen (PUN) levels. Total tract apparent digestibility (TTAD) of dry matter decreased (P<0.001) in all lupin diets compared with the control diet. These data indicate that inclusion of dehulled lupin immediately after weaning should be limited to less than 180. g/kg whilst whole lupins can be included up to 240. g/kg without deleterious effects on production and intestinal health

Efficacy of a reduced protein diet on clinical expression of post-weaning diarrhoea and life-time performance after experimental challenge with an enterotoxigenic strain of Escherichia coli

Previous experiments have shown that feeding a reduced protein diet within the first 2 weeks post-weaning reduces gastrointestinal protein fermentation and clinical expression of post-weaning diarrhoea (PWD). However, growth of young pigs receiving a reduced protein diet without crystalline essential amino acids (CEAA) supplementation is depressed after weaning. It has been argued that the short-term performance reduction caused by feeding a reduced protein diet would be compensated and the lifetime performance of pigs would not be affected. An experiment was therefore conducted to examine PWD and lifetime growth of pigs after feeding a reduced protein diet without and with CEAA supplementation for 2 weeks after weaning. Two hundred individually housed pigs weaned at 21 d of age (Large White×Landrace, castrate:female ratio of 1:1, mean±SEM body weight of 5.5±0.05kg) were stratified to one of four dietary treatments (n=50): High protein+antimicrobial compound diet (HP+AMC, 230g crude protein (CP) with 2.5g lincospectin and 3g zinc oxide per kg feed), High protein diet (HP, 230gCP/kg), Reduced protein+amino acid supplemented diet (RP+AA, 185gCP/kg with added CEAA up to HP level), and Reduced protein diet (RP, 185g CP/kg without CEAA supplementation). Pigs were fed the experimental diet for 2 weeks and then all pigs were fed the same series of commercial diets until slaughter. All pigs were experimentally infected with an enterotoxigenic strain of E. coli (6 and 10mL of 1.9×109cfu/mL, serotype O149:K91:K88) at 72, and 96h after weaning. Infection increased plasma haptoglobin levels (P0.05). Carcass characteristics were not affected (P>0.05) by the treatments. The results indicate that although feeding a RP diet without CEAA supplementation decreased performance after weaning, it did not influence lifetime performance or carcass characteristics and reduced the clinical expression of PWD

Economics in plant breeding: A case focusing on doubled haploid technology

With increasing choices in technologies, decision makers responsible for allocating resources in plant breeding programs can benefit from using bioeconomic models. This paper illustrates how such a model works when doubled haploid technology is incorporated into a hypothetical lupin breeding program. The results derived from the model are presented in terms of seed prices required to achieve an 8% return on research. Doubled haploid technology will be used in a breeding program providing the price for seed produced using this technology is less than the seed market price and the estimated price for seed produced using alternative technologies.Crop Production/Industries,

Weather and Wethers: effects of wind, temperature and rain on sheep feedlot production

thermal stress, sheep, shelter, growth rates, bioeconomic model, Agribusiness, Environmental Economics and Policy, Farm Management, Livestock Production/Industries, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Cattle breeding in Northern Australia: Revealing how consumers react to new technologies

In Australia, Bos taurus cattle breeds produce high quality meat, superior in taste and tenderness characteristics. Nevertheless, these breeds do not thrive in the Northern Australian environment. Stem cell transplant techniques could improve northern beef cattle breeding programs by facilitating crossbreeding via natural service. Focus groups were used in this study to explore consumer reaction to reproduction technologies and the implications for buying intentions. Findings suggested that consumers may react negatively to unconventional breeding technologies but the degree of this aversion is contingent upon how the technology is described. These findings are relevant for preparation of choice modeling surveys.Non-market valuation, consumers, focus groups, new technologies, beef,

Invited review: Aspects of gastrointestinal tract growth and maturation in the pre- and postweaning period of pigs

The growth and development of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of the young pig, both before and after parturition, is critical for the ani-mal’s future growth and development, efficiency of feed conversion to body depots, and, ultimately, its survival. The perinatal development of the GIT encompasses a prenatal phase, a neonatal phase, and the postweaning phase, which is associated with the adaptation of the GIT to utilize solid feed after the piglet is weaned. The consumption of colostrum, initially, and then milk after birth provides nutrients and compounds for piglets that are critically important as stimuli and substrates to the GIT that in turn evoke a suite of anatomical, immunological, biochemical, physiological, and regulatory processes that advance the overall maturity of the GIT. However, at weaning the combined influence of the various stressors imposed causes a hiatus in the growth and development of the GIT, such that the newly weaned pig endures a “growth check” while exposing it to a greater disease and health risk. Low and variable feed intake is a major outcome of the weaning process, but nevertheless, there are numerous nutritional/manage-ment interventions producers can implement in an attempt to overcome this major issue. This review summarizes some major aspects of, and influences on, GIT growth, development, and maturation in the pre- and postweaning period of pigs, demonstrating that postnatal influences occur in utero and that evolution of the GIT continues to occur after weaning

Effect of diet type and added copper on growth performance, carcass characteristics, total tract digestibility, gut morphology, and mucosal mRNA expression of finishing pigs

Citation: Coble, K., Burnett, D., Goodband, R. D., Gonzalez, J. M., Usry, J. L., Tokach, M. D., . . . Vaughn, M. A. (2016). Effect of diet type and added copper on growth performance, carcass characteristics, total tract digestibility, gut morphology, and mucosal mRNA expression of finishing pigs. Journal of Animal Science, 94, 140-141. doi:10.2527/msasas2016-299A total of 757 pigs (PIC 337 × 1050; initially 27.6 kg BW) were used in a 117-d experiment to determine the effects of added Cu (TBCC; tribasic copper chloride, IntelliBond C; Micronutrients, Inc., Indianapolis, IN) and diet type on growth performance, carcass characteristics, energy digestibility, gut morphology, and mucosal mRNA expression of finishing pigs. Pens of pigs were allotted to 1 of 4 dietary treatments, balanced on average pen weight in a randomized complete-block design with 26 to 28 pigs/pen and 7 replications/treatment. Treatments were arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with main effects of diet type, a corn-soybean meal-based diet (corn-soy) or a high byproduct diet (byproduct) with 30% distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and 15% bakery meal, and added Cu (0 (10 mg/kg basal) or 150 mg/kg added Cu). There were no Cu×diet type interactions for growth performance. Neither added Cu nor diet type significantly influenced overall growth performance, although adding Cu during the early finishing period tended to increase (P = 0.076) ADG compared to pigs fed none (0.85 vs. 0.83). However, NE caloric efficiency was improved (P = 0.001) for pigs fed the corn-soy diet compared to the byproduct diet (6.76 vs. 7.15 Mcal intake/kg BW gain). Pigs fed the corn-soy diet had improved carcass yield (P = 0.007; 74.33 vs. 73.19%) and HCW G:F (P = 0.011; 0.274 vs. 0.266), and tended to have increased HCW (P = 0.067; 94.60 vs. 92.65 kg) and HCW ADG (P = 0.056; 0.635 vs. 0.615 kg/d) compared to pigs fed the byproduct diet. A Cu×diet type interaction (P < 0.05) existed for DM and GE digestibility in phase 2 as added Cu improved digestibility of DM and GE in the corn-soy diet, but not in the byproduct diet. In phase 4, added Cu tended to increase DM and GE digestibility (P = 0.060) while pigs fed the byproduct diet had decreased DM and GE digestibility (P = 0.001) compared to the corn-soy diet. For gut morphology, pigs fed added Cu had decreased distal small intestine crypt depth (P = 0.017; 207 vs. 225 um) compared to those fed no added Cu. Furthermore, pigs fed added Cu had decreased (P = 0.032; 0.618 vs. 0.935) relative mRNA expression of intestinal fatty acid binding protein (iFABP) compared to those fed no added Cu. In summary, 150 mg/kg added TBCC did not significantly affect overall growth but did influence diet digestibility and some gut morphology or mRNA expression measurements. Feeding a high byproduct diet decreased yield, caloric efficiency, and diet digestibility

The effect of a diet with fructan-rich chicory roots on intestinal helminths and microbiota with special focus on Bifidobacteria and Campylobacter in piglets around weaning

The restrictions on the use of antibiotic and anthelmintic treatments in organic pig farming necessitate alternative non-medical control strategies. Therefore, the antibiotic and parasite-reducing effect of a fructan-rich (prebiotic) diet of dried chicory was investigated in free-ranging piglets. Approximately half of 67 piglets from 9 litters were experimentally infected with Ascaris suum and Trichuris suis in the suckling period (1 to 7 weeks of age) and 58 of the piglets were challenged daily with E. coli O138:F8 for 9 days after weaning to induce weaning diarrhoea. The litters were fed either chicory (30% DM) or a control diet. The effect of chicory on intestinal helminths, intestinal microbiota, especially Bifidobacteria and Campylobacter spp., and E. coli post-weaning diarrhoea was assessed. The weight gain of the piglets was not impaired significantly by chicory. The intestinal A. suum worm burden was reduced by 64% (P=0.034) in the chicory-fed piglets, whereas these same piglets had 63% more T. suis worms (P=0.016). Feeding with chicory elicited no changes among the main bacterial groups in ileum according to terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis. However, the terminal-restriction fragment (T-RF) 208 bp, which may belong to Lachnospiraceae, was stimulated by the chicory feed (P=0.03), and T-RF 370 bp that matches Enterobacter belonging to the Enterobacteria was reduced (P=0.004). Additionally, chicory increased the level of Bifidobacteria (P=0.001) and the faecal Campylobacter excretion level was transitorily reduced in chicory-fed piglets at 7 weeks of age (P=0.029). Unfortunately, it was not possible to assess the effect of chicory on post-weaning diarrhoea as it did not develop. In conclusion, feeding piglets chicory around the time of weaning caused complex changes of the microbiota and parasite communities within the intestinal tract, and feeding piglets chicory may therefore serve as an animal-friendly strategy to control pathogens