We hypothesized that supplementation of dietary conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and arginine singly or in combination would increase animal performance and meat quality by decreasing adiposity and increasing lean mass in growing-finishing pigs. Sixteen pigs (80 kg) were assigned to four treatments in a 2 x 2 factorial design, differing in dietary fatty acid and amino acid composition [control: 2.05% alanine (isonitrogenous control) plus 1% canola oil (lipid control); CLA: 2.05% alanine + 1% CLA; arginine: 1% arginine + 1% canola oil; arginine + CLA: 1% arginine + 1 CLA]. Preliminary tests indicated that up to 2% arginine was acceptable without interfering with lysine absorption. Pigs were allowed to feed free choice until reaching 110 kg. There were no significant differences across treatments in feed intake, weight gain, or feed efficiency. CLA tended to decrease carcass length (P = 0.06), whereas backfat thickness tended to be greater in pigs supplemented with arginine (P = 0.08). Arginine decreased muscle pH at 45 min postmortem (P = 0.001) and tended to increase lightness of muscle at 24 h postmortem (P = 0.07). CLA supplementation increased the concentrations of trans-isomers of 18:1 (P = 0.001) and SFA (P = 0.01) in s.c. and r.p. adipose tissue. CLA supplementation increased palmitate incorporation into total lipids in longissimus muscle (P = 0.01). Glucose oxidation to CO₂ in r.p. and s.c. adipose tissue were greater in pigs supplemented with CLA in the absence or presence of arginine (P = 0.03 and P = 0.04, respectively). The volume of s.c. adipocytes in s.c. and r.p. adipose tissues was greater in pigs supplemented with CLA, arginine, or CLA plus arginine than in control pigs (P = 0.001). Neither CLA nor arginine affected the expression of PGC-1[alpha],AMPK, mTOR, CPT-1A, FAS, or SCD (P > 0.05) in any tissues. We conclude that there was no significant interaction between arginine and CLA. Supplementary CLA or arginine to finishing-growing pigs did not modulate growth performance and did not reduce adiposity. CLA increased intramuscular fat content without deteriorating meat quality traits and increased saturated fatty acids and substrate oxidation in adipose tissues. In the presence of 1% of canola oil or CLA in the diet, arginine has the potential to deteriorate meat quality by reducing early postmortem pH and by increasing carcass fatness.

The final implementation of Mandatory Country-of-Origin Labeling has caused some U.S. packing plants and finishing operations to discontinue using Canadian live hogs and feeder pigs in their operations thereby reducing trade. Using a system of simultaneous equations representing U.S. import demand and U.S. price, this thesis estimates the reduction in trade and any possible price effects in both live hogs and feeder pigs associated with the implementation of the final rule of Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling in the United States. It was found that the implementation of Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling reduced the trade of live hogs between the United States and Canada by 37.8 percent. The reduction in feeder pigs was 24.1 percent. It was also found that the implementation of Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling had no effect on the price of both live hogs and feeder pigs in the U.S. market.

Post-weaning diarrhea is a major health challenge in the swine industry and is routinely managed by fortifying pig starter diets with antimicrobials. But there are concerns about antibiotic resistance, hence the need for identifying effective alternatives. The use of spray-dried whole egg powder containing anti-F4 antibodies (SDWE) against recombinant F4 antigens and chitosan oligosaccharide and Enterococcus fecalis probiotic combination (CPRO) was investigated in two trials using enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli K88+ (ETEC) oral challenge model in 21-d-old piglets. Pre-challenge, SDWE supported higher (P < 0.05) piglet performance whereas during the post-challenge period, SDWE and CPRO had no effect on growth performance but diarrhea incidences and severity were reduced (P > 0.05) in SDWE-fed piglets compared to the control. The results show that SDWE supported greater piglet performance pre-ETEC challenge although there was no benefit of SDWE or CPRO supplementation evident during the post-challenge period in early-weaned pigs. / October 2015

No description available.

Object of work. 1. To review and compare the productivity qualities of the pig breeds bred in Vilnius zone (Lithuanian white, Yorkshyre, Landrace, and Pjetren); 2. To determine the impact of the age, sex, and breed on the pig muscularity. Conclusions. 1. The highest muscularity within the weight limit 95-100 kg makes 53.1 percent, and at the weight of 110-115 kg the muscularity amounts to only 47.5 per cent. While the weight of piglets is increasing, the amount of muscles decreases but the amount of fat increases. It was established that at every 5 kg the fat thickness increases by 1 mm. 2. The weight had the highest influence on the piglets of the Landrace and Pjetren breeds. Based on the research, it can be stated that while the weight increases from 90 kg to 110 kg, the fat layer of the Landrace piglets decreases from 16.1 mm to 14.4 mm, and the fat layer of the Pjetren piglets, on the contrary, increases from 11.1 mm to 14 mm. 3. The highest muscularity is achieved when the age of the Pjetren and Landrace piglets is within 175-190 days, making respectively 59.9 percent and 56.2 percent. The lowest muscularity in Pjetren piglets standing at 58.5 percent is found at the age of 205-220 days. Among Landrace, the lowest muscularity of 52.4 percent is fixed at the age of 220-235 days. 4. The muscularity of the Yorkshire piglets is the highest at the weight level of 85-90 kg by making respectively 55.6 percent and 54.9 percent. While the weight is increasing, as provided by the... [to full text]

The consumers of nowadays market can find various products of pork, but in accordance with a higher step of living standards and a lower one of the physical work concerning to human habitual changes, the EU and world market go to the demand for muscle pork. Due to the new price regulation of May 2002, every specialized enterprise has to run the accountance for meat accordingly to new valuation of prices, where the main criteria are as follows: carcass mass, muscularity (quantity of red meat) and thickness of bacon. The muscle-meat with thin slices of bacon is becoming even the higher rating. Therefore the meat corporations have to breed the more muscled fattened-pigs. The mass-production of pork have to run this obligation through a large complex of measures: best of fattening food, optimal micro-climat condition in piggery, consequent use of breeding methods as well as a systematic promoted selection. The aim of work is both to compare some carcass of quality measures of fattened-pigs in agricultural companies and corporate complexes (in connection with carcass weight/kg, bacon thickness/mm, muscularity/% (FOM), muscularity class) and to compare the average measures of carcass of fattened pigs in Lithuania with the average measures of carcass of fattened-pigs in Poland. Research results. The research was completed in 7 agricultural companies “A”, “B”, “C”, “D”, “E”, “F”, “G”, as well as in the corporate complexes: “H”, “I”, “J”, “K”, “L”, “M”, “N”. There were gathered... [to full text]

The study presents evaluation of pig genetic markers (MHS and MC4R) associated with performance traits in the Lithuanian White pig breed. The study presents a direct approach the testing and explanation of the quantitative part of the trait and QTL with marker based on estimated breeding values in the Lithuanian White population. Information about the strategies for association analysis and improvement can be applied for further characterization of the Lithuanian White population. The use of breeding values instead of single measurements reduces the bias in the recorded performance traits, therefore, the results obtained by using the marker for the Lithuanian White population gives animal breeders the opportunities for realization of a short-term goal in their selection criteria.

Neutrophils are one of the main effector cells of innate immunity and were shown to kill bacteria by phagocytosis more than 100 years ago. Neutrophils are also capable of antimicrobial activity by producing extracellular structures named neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). This thesis is an investigation of porcine neutrophils and their ability to produce NETs, as well as the antimicrobial ability of secretions from activated porcine neutrophils in combating a variety of common porcine pathogens. Porcine neutrophils were found to produce NET-like structures, and secretions from activated neutrophils were found to possess variable bactericidal activity against common pathogens of swine. Antimicrobial proteins dependent on elastase activity were shown to be partially responsible for the bactericidal activities of activated neutrophils. Several antimicrobial proteins and peptides were identified via proteomic techniques. This work allows for better understanding of innate immunity in swine, and identification of potential targets for addressing porcine health. / Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food & Rural Affairs, Ontario Pork, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada

This thesis is an investigation of two common skin conditions of pigs: exudative epidermitis (EE) and ear necrosis (EN). The cause of exudative epidermitis and risk factors are well understood, however the study was prompted because of reports of treatment failure. A survey of veterinary practitioners (n=15) and pork producers (n=58) was conducted to determine which treatments are commonly used. Amongst farmer respondents topical treatments were often used and in serious cases injectable penicillin G was administered. Thirty farms with a history of EE were visited and skin samples taken from affected pigs. The antimicrobial resistance pattern for isolates of Staphylococcus hyicus and Staphylococcus aureus revealed that almost all isolates were resistant to penicillin G and ampicillin. In addition, certain isolates of S. hyicus as well as S. aureus were shown to possess the mecA gene which is associated with resistance to methicillin. The presence of widespread resistance to penicillin G among staphylococci isolates suggests a reason for poor treatment response. The presence of the mecA gene in staphylococci other than S. aureus recovered from pigs has not been reported before and is of interest from a public health standpoint. A second study investigated EN. The causative agent(s) and the associated risk factors are not well understood. Eleven case farms were visited and skin biopsies and oral swabs taken from pigs in early, mid and late stages of the disease. Bacteriological culturing was performed for staphylococci and spirochetes as well as histological examination of the biopsy samples. Farm-level risk factors were assessed on 14 case farms and 9 control farms. Staphylococci were generally recovered in abundance from the majority of samples but spirochetes were not cultured and only identified microscopically in a small number of tissue samples. Histology revealed that the disease appeared to occur first as a lesion on the epidermal surface that caused tissue damage and led to subsequent invasion of the dermis. This pathogenesis was consistent with the hypothesis that staphylococci colonize the skin surface and produce exfoliating toxins. Ear biting was noted to be commonly present and may be an important contributing factor. / Ontario Pork Animal Health Strategic Initiative Fund Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs(OMAFRA) Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph

This thesis examined effects of dietary supplementations (0.75%) of the prebiotics of retrograded resistant cornstarch, fibersol-2 and inulin, and oat β-glucan in replacing feed antibiotics on growth performance, plasma urea concentrations, total tract dry matter (DM) and lactose digestibility, fecal scores, proximal jejunal and serum alkaline phosphatase (AP) kinetics and large intestinal fermentation in weanling pigs fed corn and soybean meal-based diets. There were no differences (P > 0.05) in the growth performance, plasma urea concentrations, DM and lactose digestibility and the volatile short-chain fatty acid concentrations in the cecal and fecal samples among the treatment diets. Dietary lactose was completely digested in the weanling pigs. Supplementations of fibersol-2, inulin and β-glucan significantly affected some of the jejunal and serum AP kinetics. In conclusion, lactose was a highly digestible carbohydrate and dietary supplementations of the three prebiotic and β-glucan at 0.75% had little effects on growth performance and plasma urea concentration but might affect gut and the whole body health status via influencing the AP detoxification kinetics in the weanling pigs. / Ontario Pork, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Agriculture Adaptation Council