How do season, on-farm fasting interval and lairage period affect swine welfare, carcass and meat quality traits?

Abstract: This study was carried out in order to determine the effects of different combinations of on-farm fasting intervals (8, 12, 16, 20 h) and 1.5 h of transport plus lairage periods (1, 3, 6 h) at different seasons summer/winter) on blood stress parameters (cortisol and lactate), stomach content and weight, skin lesion and meat quality in a total of 960 pigs from eight farms. Blood lactate levels were greater in the summer (P < 0.001) and stomach content was affected (P < 0.05) by season, on-farm fasting interval (P < 0.001), lairage time (P < 0.0001). Stomach content weight reduces as the total feed withdrawal time increases up to onfarm fasting of 17 and 1 h of lairage. Stomach content can be influenced by feed and water in different ways according to treatments. Only 8 h of on-farm fasting is not enough to empty stomachs from feed content. However, an on-farm fasting period of 16 h or longer can also increase the occurrence of more water in the stomachs. Carcass lesions caused by fighting were greater (P &#8804; 0.005) in the winter, mainly after 3 and 6 h of lairage (P &#8804; 0.005). Loin and ham pHu was lower (P &#8804; 0.05) for pigs slaughtered after 6 h of lairage during the summer. The application of 12 h of on-farm fasting with 6 h of lairage seemed to be best combination to reduce stomach content weight (feed and water). In the winter, shorter lairage period can be used to reduce percentage of skin lesions and better pork quality traits in pigs. Resumo: Este estudo foi realizado com o objetivo de determinar os efeitos de diferentes combinações de intervalos de jejum na fazenda (8, 12, 16, 20 h) e 1,5 h de períodos de transporte mais de cativeiro (1, 3, 6 h) em diferentes estações do verão / inverno) nos parâmetros de estresse do sangue (cortisol e lactato), conteúdo e peso estomacal, lesão da pele e qualidade da carne em um total de 960 suínos de oito fazendas. Os níveis de lactato sanguíneo foram maiores no verão (P <0,001) e o conteúdo estomacal foi afetado (P <0,05) pela estação, intervalo de jejum na fazenda (P <0,001), tempo de espera (P <0,0001). O peso do conteúdo do estômago diminui à medida que o tempo total de retirada da ração aumenta até o jejum de 17 e 1 h de fazendeiro. O conteúdo do estômago pode ser influenciado pela alimentação e pela água de diferentes maneiras, de acordo com os tratamentos. Apenas 8 horas de jejum na fazenda não são suficientes para esvaziar os estômagos do conteúdo do alimento. No entanto, um período de jejum na fazenda de 16 horas ou mais também pode aumentar a ocorrência de mais água nos estômagos. As lesões da carcaça causadas pelo combate foram maiores (P &#8804; 0,005) no inverno, principalmente após 3 e 6 h de puericultura (P &#8804; 0,005). O pH do lombo e do presunto foi menor (P &#8804; 0,05) para suínos abatidos após 6 h de postura no verão. A aplicação de 12 h de jejum na fazenda com 6 h de plantio pareceu ser a melhor combinação para reduzir o peso do conteúdo estomacal (alimentação e água). No inverno, pode-se usar um período mais curto para reduzir a porcentagem de lesões na pele e melhorar a qualidade da carne suína em suínos.Special issue: Brazilian Congress - Jaboticabal 2017

Efeito da qualidade do tratamento durante a lactação sobre o comportamento dos leitões logo após o desmame.

bitstream/item/56394/1/publicacao-490.pdfProjeto/Plano de Ação: 03.08.06.008

Development and validation of a test for the classification of horses as broken or unbroken

Regulation EC 1/2005 has stricter rules for transportation of unbroken (untamed) vs. broken (tamed) horses, but does not provide adequate tools for their identification. This study aimed to develop and validate such a tool. A behavioural test (Broken/Unbroken Test (BUT)) based on approaching, haltering, and leading was applied to 100 horses. Physiological and additional behavioural data were also collected, and the horses’ status (broken/unbroken) was assessed by the expert who administered the BUT. Each horse’s behaviour during the BUT was scored by four trained observers blinded to the horse’s history. The BUT score showed excellent inter-observer, intra-observer, and test–retest reliability (all intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) &gt; 0.75). It was also negatively associated with respiratory rate, avoidance distance, and time needed to approach, halter, and lead the horse (p &lt; 0.05 for all). The optimal BUT score cut-off for discrimination between broken and unbroken horses (gold standard: expert judgment) showed 97.8% sensitivity and 97.3% specificity. There was almost perfect agreement between BUT-based and expert classification of horses (ICC = 0.940). These findings confirm the BUT’s construct and criterion validity. The BUT could provide officials with a feasible, reliable, and valid tool to identify a horse’s broken/unbroken status and, consequently, direct stakeholders towards correct transport procedures

Comparing 17-β-estradiol supply strategies for applying the XVE-Cre/loxP system in grape gene transfer (Vitis vinifera L.)

Assays for enhancing the performance of 17-β-estradiol induction in the XVE-Cre/loxP system were performed on two transgenic 'Brachetto' plants obtained with the pX6-pKcpGVA construct, which is derived from the chemical-inducible pX6 vector carrying the neomycin phosphotransferase (nptII) gene and the XVE-Cre/loxP sequence. The 17-β-estradiol supply is expected to induce Cre recombinase expression resulting in nptII gene removal. We compared different hormone supply strategies during shoot organogenesis from meristematic proliferative tissue (MPT) or from the cut surface between leaf and petiole (SOLP) or during micropropagation from bud (MB). The effectiveness of the estradiol induction was evaluated on different tissues of the regenerated plantlets by means of nptII copy number quantification with Real time PCR. Results showed that the Cre/loxP inducible system functions effectively – however with different efficiencies- in both root and leaf tissues, and that micropropagation from buds combined with constant wetting with 17-β-estradiol is the most efficient and reproducible strategy for effective in vivo hormone induction.

Struvite crystallization mitigates reactive N losses from swine manure in-vessel composting.

ABSTRACT: We assessed the addition Mg and P salts to promote struvite crystallization and mitigate reactive N losses from a rotating drum (12 m3 ) used for in-vessel composting of swine manure. The tested treatments were: mixture of sawdust and swine manure (baseline) and the same mixture with the addition of magnesium sulfate and phosphoric acid (MgSO4+H3PO4). Struvite crystallization decreased NH3-N and TN losses by 96.5 and 46%, respectively. Higher N2O-N emissions were related with resolubilization of the struvite under lower pH conditions. Further research is needed to assess strategies for the stabilization of struvite crystals, minoring N losses and increasing nutrient concentration value of the organic compost