<p>The first four months of a dairy calf’s life provide the foundation for future production and health. Therefore, it is critical that calves are managed to optimize both health and growth, to maximize their potential. Calf morbidity, which leads to less productive animals and is an economic impact on producers, continue to be areas of opportunity in the dairy industry. In addition, the animal agricultural community is working to reduce the use of antibiotics, due to a growing concern regarding antibiotic resistant bacteria. This provides researchers with the challenge of identifying strategies to reduce calf morbidity and mortality, while also decreasing reliance on antibiotics. The objective of this dissertation was to evaluate nutritional strategies supplemented to calves as well as maternal factors that impact colostrum. The studies focused on strategies to improve the innate and adaptive immune responses and growth of the calf, ultimately reducing reliance on antibiotics. Chapters 2 and 3 discuss feeding dairy calves <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i> fermentation products in milk replacer and solid feeds until 4 months of age. This study concluded that feeding <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i> fermentation products to calves improves average daily gain and feed efficiency post-weaning and reduces antibiotic treatment incidence for respiratory disease. It also increases the evenness of the fecal microbiome and the acute innate immune response, as determined by increased TNF-α, glucose, and respiration rate during a lipopolysaccharide challenge. Chapter 4 evaluated the effects of feeding dairy calves medium chain fatty acids (C8:0 and C10:0) in milk replacer until 60 days of age. Feeding C8:0 and C10:0 to calves reduced plasma NEFA concentrations around weaning, suggesting the mobilization of less adipose tissue to meet the energy demands of the calf. This trial also determined that vaccinating calves at 3 weeks of age with ovalbumin combined with an aluminum hydroxide adjuvant, is an effective way to evaluate their adaptive immune responses. </p> <p>Supplementing calves directly is not the only way to impact calf growth and health, maternal factors also impact calf nutrition through colostrum consumption. Last, chapter 5 explored maternal factors that influence the lipidome of colostrum and therefore the lipid intake of the newborn calf. This study concluded that the metabolic status of the cow affects circulating lipids and the lipid content of colostrum. Also, the lipidome of colostrum is distinct from the circulating lipidome of the calf, which is similar to the circulating lipidome of the cow, except for phosphatidylglycerol, where it appears that colostrum serves as the source for the phosphatidylglycerol present in the circulation of the calf. There are many different nutritional strategies that can impact the health and productivity of calves. Calves can be directly supplemented with nutraceuticals like <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i> fermentation products or medium chain fatty acids, or calf nutrition can be influenced by the maternal factors through the consumption of colostrum. </p>

From birth and throughout their lives, dogs experience a variety of potentially stressful stimuli. Early neurologic stimulation (ENS) is believed to improve the ability of animals to handle stress, however its effects on dogs have not yet been fully explored. This study aimed to evaluate the effects and potential welfare implications of providing ENS to puppies in commercial breeding kennels. Seventy-six puppies, comprising two cohorts in one kennel were studied. Puppies were assigned to one of three treatment groups: ENS, held, or control, and then were marked for identification, and handled daily Monday through Saturday for 21 days, beginning on day three post-partum. ENS puppies received five “Bio Sensor” exercises (Battaglia, 2009). Puppies in the held treatment group were held for 30 seconds, which was the same length of time that was required to apply the Bio Sensor exercises to ENS treated puppies. Control puppies received identification marks daily and health assessments weekly, but otherwise were handled as normal for the breeder’s management plan. To evaluate treatment effects on physical health, all puppies received physical health assessments weekly, and additionally before and after transport to a distributor. To evaluate effects of treatment on behavioral responses to stressors, puppies were assessed shortly before and after transport (a known stressor), using three stranger approach tests and a 3-minute isolation test. Puppies were found to be generally healthy and clean throughout the study. A three-way interaction was observed between treatment, sex, and week of life, which affected puppies’ weights over the first eight weeks of life at the breeder’s kennel prior to the application of stressors (<i>p</i> = 0.006). Female ENS puppies were found to weigh more than their held and control counterparts, while for male puppies, held and control puppies weighed more than ENS puppies. A two-way interaction was observed between treatment and isolation on behavior for a single step of the multi-step stranger approach test performed at the breeder’s kennel (<i>p</i> = 0.025). While more puppies showed affiliative behavioral responses to the experimenter reaching for them after isolation than before, the change was greater in ENS and held treatment groups than controls. Treatment also directly affected the time puppies spent performing fearful behavior during the isolation test (<i>p</i> = 0.041). Handled puppies spent more time performing fearful behaviors than control puppies. No other significant effects of treatment were observed for the behavioral or physical health parameters measured. However, the finding that ENS and held-groups tended to show greater increases in the number of puppies displaying affiliative behavior than controls (though it was only significant for one step) suggests that handling treatments primed puppies to view people as a form of social support during stress. The additional finding that ENS and held group puppies spent more time performing fearful behaviors (e.g., escape attempts, low postures) during isolation than control puppies, further supports this theory. While these results do not support the purported effects of ENS, they indicate that early handling may still benefit puppies by providing them positive interactions with humans. These interactions potentially prime developing puppies to view humans as safe sources of social support, perhaps increasing their likelihood of forming secure attachments with people later in life. Further, findings from this study suggest that simply holding puppies daily for short periods may be sufficient to produce beneficial effects. Future studies should incorporate measures of recovery in response to stress testing puppies receiving ENS treatment and should consider evaluating ENS in conjunction with attachment theory to provide more information on the potential welfare effects of early handling of puppies in commercial breeding and other kennel types.

Heat stress (HS) is one of the consequential important problems facing the swine industry. The negative effects of HS include reduced growth performance, reproductive efficiency, and carcass quality as well as increased morbidity and mortality. Although, the swine industry has developed several abatement strategies (i.e., fans, cooling pads, sprinklers, etc.), these approaches may be ineffective in the future as global temperatures continue to rise and the frequency of more severe heat waves increases in regions where animal agriculture is prevalent. These extreme heat events put pigs (especially those approaching market weight) at risk for acute hyperthermia that can lead to death unless body temperature is rapidly returned to euthermia and thermoregulatory function is restored.Therefore, evaluating mitigation strategies to promote recovery from acute hyperthermia is of utmost importance for improving pigs’ health and well-being and ensuring profitability and food security. In four experiments, the existence of microclimates in grow-finish barns during late summer was ascertained and a rapid cooling technique using cold water dousing and feed removal to promote recovery from acute hyperthermia in pigs was evaluated. In the first study, it was determined that microclimates exist in grow-finish barns and that pigs raised in pens that were not located directly below air inlets and ventilation fans had greater body temperature and reduced feed efficiency despite similarities in the in-barn ambient temperature and relative humidity. These data exemplifythe importance of adequate ventilation systems in swine barns and the impact of microclimates on pigs’ health and productivity during warm summer months. In the second study, grow-finish pigs that did not have feed access were exposed to acute HS and then rapidly or gradually cooled. Following the acute HS and recovery phase, all pigs were maintained under thermoneutral conditions and then euthanized over three days to determine the temporal effects of the cooling treatment on body temperature and intestinal integrity. The results showed that rapid cooling following acute hyperthermia in pigswas effective in returning body temperature to euthermia more rapidly compared to gradual cooling and rapid cooling prevented further intestinal damage. Based on these results, it was hypothesized that feed removal may have played a role in the effectiveness of rapid cooling. Therefore, a third experiment was conducted in which grow-finish pigs with or without access to feed were exposed to an acute HS challenge and then rapidly cooled. This study concluded that feed access was a determinant factor in the cooling outcome, as the gastrointestinal temperature returned to euthermia during the rapid cooling period more rapidly when feed was removed. Finally, a fourth study was conducted to evaluate the effects of feed removal in the absence of rapid cooling on the systemic inflammatory response and short-term growth performance of grow-finish pigs. However, it was determined that feed removal alone did not reduce the inflammatory response as expected. Overall, these studies demonstrate the risk forgrow-finish pigs during summer heat events and the potential use of rapid cooling in combination with feed removal for promoting recovery from acute hyperthermia in pigs.

<p>Gastrointestinal health in the young pig is a constant challenge for the swine industry. Weaning introduces many stressors such as a new solid diet, being separated from their mother, new pen mates, transportation, and an entirely new environment. Therefore, this dissertation primarily focuses on research aiding the pig immediately post-weaning. In chapter 2, a developmental bacillus direct fed microbial (DFM) was added to nursery pig diets to evaluate its effects on pig growth and health in two 35-d experiments, both randomized complete block designs based on initial BW and sex. Experiment 1 used 376 weaned pigs (17.8 d of age; 5.99±0.18 kg initial BW) allotted to one of four diets. 1) Negative Control (NC; no antibiotics with pharmacological Zn or Cu), 2) NC+DFM 0.275x109 CFU, 3) NC+DFM 0.55x109 CFU, 4) NC+DFM 1.1x109 CFU. Experiment 2 used 420 weaned pigs (20.1 d of age; 6.11±0.34 kg initial BW) allotted to one of four diets: 1) Negative Control (NC; no antibiotics with pharmacological Zn or Cu), 2) NC+DFM 0.55x109 CFU, 3) NC+DFM 1.1x109 CFU, 4) NC+BioPlus 2B 1.1x109 CFU. Experiment 1; during week 1 there were no treatment effects. During week 3 ADFI (P=0.053) quadratically increased while G:F (P=0.028) quadratically decreased as DFM increased in the diet. During d21-35 of experiment 2, ADG (P=0.092) quadratically increased and G:F (P=0.014) quadratically decreased as DFM increased.  Overall, for Experiment 1, ADFI numerically increased (4.3%) with no increase in ADG, resulting in a quadratic decrease in G:F (P=0.010) as the DFM increased in the diet.  For Experiment 2, during week 1, DFM fed pigs tended to have linearly decreased ADFI (P=0.092) and linearly increase G:F (P=0.072). Pigs fed the Bioplus2B bacillus had greater ADFI (P=0.018) than the same dose of the experimental bacillus. During week 2 pigs fed the experimental bacillus at 1.1x109 CFU tended to have improved G:F (P=0.084) than the similar DFM concentration from, the Bioplus 2B. During week 4 ADG tended to linearly (P=0.057) improve with increasing DFM in the diet and the average of all DFMs tended to have improved ADG (P=0.075) over the NC. During week 5 ADFI linearly increased (P=0.029) as DFM increased in the diet and all DFM treatments had greater ADFI (P=0.009) than the NC.  During d 21-35 of experiment 2, DFM fed pigs had linearly increased ADG (P=0.04) and ADFI (0.090). All pigs fed DFM had improved ADG (P=0.068) and ADFI (P=0.032) compared to NC fed pigs. Summarizing these two studies, the DFM product had its greatest effect improving gain feed intake and efficiency during late nursery when simplest diets are fed.</p> <p>In chapter 3, Dacitic tuff breccia (DTB) and poultry by-products (PBP) were added to nursery pig diets to evaluate their effects on growth performance and jejunal characteristics in a 35 d experiment. PBP were added as a replacement for fishmeal and was expected to provide an increased immune challenge to the newly weaned pigs. DTB was added as a functional trace element source and was hypothesized to ameliorate some of the negative impacts of PBP on the gut. A randomized complete block design based on BW and sex was used. Newly weaned pigs (N=564, 20.1±1.2 d of age, 6.18±1.13 kg initial BW). allotted to four diets (15 replicates/treatment; 9 or 10 pigs/pen): 1) Control (C; no DTB or PBP), 2) C+DTB (0.5% inclusion), 3) C+PBP (4% chicken by-product meal + 2% feather meal – replacing fishmeal, corn, and synthetic amino acids in the C), 4) C+DTB+PBP. Phase 1-3 were each 7-d and Phase 4 was from d 21-35. One barrow/pen was harvested 11d post-weaning. Jejunal tissue and mucosa were collected for histological measures and gene expression. In week 2, pigs fed DTB tended to increase ADG (323 vs. 303 g/d; P=0.068) and ADFI (376 vs. 356 g/d; P=0.055) compared to pigs not fed DTB and pigs fed PBP tended to have increased ADG (P=0.093). In week 3 pigs fed PBP had reduced ADG (460 vs 483 g/d; P=0.011) and G:F (0.689 vs. 0.723; P<0.001), and there tended to be an interaction for G:F (P=0.083) with DTB improving G:F when fed in combination with PBP but reducing G:F in the control diet.  In week 4, feeding PBP decreased ADG (384 vs 415 g/d; P<0.01) and ADFI (629 vs 666 g/d; P<0.01) compared to pigs fed no PBP.  For Phase 4 (d21-35) pigs fed PBP had decreased ADG (479 vs 497 g/d; P=0.041) and tended to have reduced ADFI (P=0.092) compared to pigs fed no PBP. Overall (d 0-35), there were no significant differences among treatments in pig growth performance.   Pigs fed PBP had increased jejunal expression of interferon-alpha (P=0.041) and interleukin-10 (P=0.037) and tended to have increased expression of claudin-1 (P=0.076).  Pigs fed DTB tended to have decreased jejunal expression of interferon-gamma (P=0.079).  Jejunal gene expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and nuclear factor kappa-beta did not differ among treatments. In conclusion, DTB improved nursery pig growth performance early and pigs fed PBP had decreased ADG and feed efficiency late in the nursery period. Feeding PBP had minimal effects on jejunum architecture but increased the gut immune response.</p> <p>Chapter 4 focuses on weaning age in addition to dietary treatments. Changes in weaning age and diet complexity can impact pig growth post-weaning. 432 weanling gilts and barrows (Topigs Duroc Ⅹ (US York X Landrace)) from the same farrowing group were utilized for a 30 or 35 d growth trial to compare early (EW) versus late weaning (LW) and high or low levels of specialty proteins in nursery diets. 216 pigs were EW (18 or 19 d, avg. age=18.4 days, avg. BW=5.96 kg) and 216 pigs were LW 5 days later (24, 25 or 26 d, avg. age=24.6 d, avg. BW=7.50 kg). At weaning pigs were blocked by weaning age, BW, sex and litter, and randomly allotted to 48 pens with 9 pigs/pen. Pigs at each weaning age were fed a High Complexity (HC) or a Low Complexity (LC) diet. The trial was conducted as a 2X2 factorial design: 1) EW+HC; 2) EW+LC; 3) LW+HC; 4) LW+LC. Pigs and feeders were weighed on d 0, 7, 14, 21, 28, and 35 for EW, and on d 0, 7, 14, 21, 28, and 30 for LW.  LW pigs had improved ADG and ADFI from d 0-7, 7-14, 14-21, and the final week of the nursery (P<0.05). G:F decreased for LW pigs from d 21-28 (P<0.01) compared to EW pigs, however for the overall nursery trial LW pigs had increased G:F (P=0.01). LW pigs had increased overall nursery ADG vs EW pigs (452.5 g/d vs 400 g/d; P<0.01). End of nursery BW was greater for LW vs EW pigs (21.70 kg vs 20.74 kg; P=0.001).  There was a weight block by weaning age interaction, EW heavy pigs had lower ADG compared to LW heavy pigs, however when comparing light weight pigs, the EW light pigs had improved ADG compared to LW light weight pigs (P=0.017). EW pigs were lighter at market (approximately d146 of age) compared to LW pigs (120.78 vs 124.16 kg; P=0.014). An interaction between weaning age, nursery diet, and sex (P<0.07) was observed for market weight, EW barrows fed LC diets were lighter at market (120.77 kg) than EW barrows fed HC diets (126.54 kg).  Whereas for LW barrows fed LC had higher market weights (130.04 kg) than LW barrows fed HC diets (127.59 kg). A similar, but non-significant pattern was observed for gilts. Weaning age and feeding pigs the correct diet for their age in the nursery can have a lifelong effect on the pig. </p> <p>In conclusion, feeding a DFM containing bacillus licheniformis did not impact nursery pig growth performance early in the nursery period. From d21-35 ADG and ADFI was improved in both experiments 1 and experiment 2. While the growth results were sporadically improved throughout the nursery period, the DFM’s greatest effect was it ability to improve ADFI. The improvement in the late nursery phase may be due to the need for the DFM to establish itself in the GIT. DTB tended to improve ADG and ADFI in week 2 of the nursery period, however there were no differences for growth overall. PBP reduced ADG in week 3 of the nursery period, as well as reduced ADG and ADFI in week 4 of the nursery. While there were differences in individual weeks of the trial there were no overall differences in growth performance. However, when looking at gene expression in the jejunum at d11 post-weaning, there was an increase in IFN-α and IL-10 in pigs fed PBP. In pigs fed DTB there was a decrease in IFN-γ jejunal gene expression as well. Feeding a high complexity and low complexity diet had no impact on the nursery pigs growth performance, in hindsight the low complexity diet was perhaps not low enough in specialty proteins. When comparing weaning age, pigs weaned later had increased ADG and ADFI from d0-21 post-weaning. For the overall nursery performance, LW pigs had a higher ADG, and ended the nursery period 0.96 kg heavier than the EW pigs. Comparing pigs of similar bodyweight at weaning, EW pigs were 1.5 kg heavier than LW pigs at the end of the nursery period, but the LW pigs were more feed efficient. There was a weight block by weaning interaction in this trial, as the heaviest LW pigs had higher ADG compared to the heaviest EW pigs. However, when looking at the lightest pigs, the EW pigs outperformed the LW pigs. Looking at market weights of each age group, LW pigs were 3.5 kg heavier on average at d146 of age. Although there was not a difference in diet found in the nursery phase, interestingly there were interactions discovered between treatments at market weight. Barrows are more sensitive to nursery diet compared to gilts, as LW barrows fed the low complexity diet performed better than the LW high complexity fed barrows. EW barrows were heavier at market when fed the high complexity diet, compared to EW barrows fed the low complexity diet. This shows that while the diet didn’t appear to have an impact in the nursery, feeding the pig the proper diet for their age has a lifelong impact on the pig.</p>

<p>  </p> <p>There is a clear need for more research detailing how to manage birds in cage-free housing systems. Although management guides for birds in cage-free systems focus on adult hens, previous research has established that the pullet phase is important to success later in life. Past research regarding the effects of stocking density on behavior has focused on caged adult hens, and often deals with confounding factors such as group size, limiting its interpretation. The goal of this project was to investigate the impacts of stocking density on behaviors of pullets in cage-free housing systems. </p> <p>A 2x2 randomized complete block design with two strains (Lohmann LB-Lite (Brown) and Lohmann LSL-Lite (White)) and two stocking densities (619.1 (high stocking density; HSD) and 1,248.9 (low stocking density, LSD) cm2/bird) was utilized. Videos of 6 pens for each strain by stocking density combination (59 birds/pen, n = 1416) were recorded for 2 consecutive days at 12 and 16 weeks of age (WOA). Behaviors of interest were recorded every 10 minutes for 1 hour in the morning, afternoon, and evening. Most behavior data were analyzed using a mixed model, PROC GLIMMIX, in SAS 9.4 with main effects of stocking density (SD), strain, age and time of day (TOD). Behaviors that were infrequent or that could not be transformed to meet normality assumptions were analyzed as binomial data (occurred or did not occur) and odds ratios were calculated using PROC LOGISTIC.</p> <p>Stocking density influenced every behavior examined. The LSD had fewer birds that performed eating and drinking behaviors, but more birds performed inactive, locomotion, exploratory and comfort behaviors compared to the HSD. Additionally, birds in the HSD were more likely to participate in pecking and piling behaviors compared to LSD. These results suggest that LSD may provide welfare benefits to the pullets. However, producers may face economic barriers when attempting to decrease stocking densities. Further research is needed in this area, but these results could help to achieve a stocking density that maximizes the range of behaviors pullets are able to perform within the scope of a producer’s resources. Future directions may consider collecting behavior data across the life cycle in addition to examining the relationships among behavior and welfare parameters such as feather quality, foot condition and keel bone fractures.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Consistent intake and feeding behavior records collected on a per-cow basis are useful measures for optimization of feed efficiency, production, and ultimately, resource and economic sustainability of dairy operations. However, current methods for collection are often labor-intensive and impractical to maintain for both individual- and group-housed cows. Across the dairy industry, total mixed rations (TMR) are fed to promote balanced nutrient intake and satisfy evolving energy requirements. TMR intake is an extensively investigated phenotype of dairy cattle and is known to be highly variable due to both intrinsic and extrinsic determinants, which can include composition and palatability of offered TMR, intensity of environmental stressors, and biological aspects of the individual animal. Reductions in TMR intake negatively impact health and production; thus, industry demand has heightened for precise intake monitoring systems. Cyber-physical systems that employ cameras as a sensing device are proposed solutions to ambiguity in existing feeding strategies. Prior studies have demonstrated the efficacy of camera systems to monitor other phenotypes of dairy cattle including body condition, locomotion and gait, social interaction, and early detection of negative health events. In this study, an OAK-D PoE stereo vision camera system was employed to estimate volume of TMR and monitor feeding behavior in a dynamic barn environment. The system leveraged open-source Python software to measure relative depth in near real time and autonomously estimate the amount of TMR present in a feed bunk. Image data were processed to generate a point cloud for which volume of TMR was estimated at a rate of approximately 50 estimates/min. Two experiments were conducted in which mass, volume, and density of TMR, as well as feeding behavior (exclusive to Exp. 2) were manually recorded to be compared to volume estimates of TMR output by the camera system. In Exp. 1, diet type (high-density vs. low-density; HD and LD, respectively), lighting (10,000 Lm vs. existing barn lighting; on vs. off, respectively), and shape of offered TMR (undisturbed vs. simulated post-meal bout; no divot vs. divot, respectively) were assessed for impact on system accuracy across five intervals of known TMR volume. In Exp. 2, system volume estimates were evaluated over time when a cow was present and exhibiting normal feeding behavior. The system accurately estimated volume of TMR across evaluated conditions in Exp. 1, despite significance of the divot condition. As TMR disappeared over time in Exp. 2, system volume estimates decreased with a similar pattern. When the cow was removed and measured TMR volume was unchanged at 2 h collection timepoints in Exp. 2, system volume estimates also remained unchanged and consistent. Post-collection of replicates in Exp. 2, frequency and duration of meal bout events were estimated based on differences in volume when cows were eating. Estimated frequency and durations were similar to manually recorded data and indicated feasibility of behavioral monitoring as an opportunity for further system development. Prior studies have integrated machine learning approaches for refinement of camera monitoring systems and mitigation of reported environmental impact on accurate quantification of TMR volume. Further development of the current system through integration of machine learning applications will improve accuracy and industry applicability as an automated feed bunk management tool for collection of TMR intake and behavioral data on a per-cow basis.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Boars in the swine industry are one of the select animals subject to limit feeding. Limit feeding boars occurs once boars are selected to enter the boar stud. Before selection boars are <i>ad libitum</i> fed like a nursery or grow finishing pig. Research involving boar nutrition and the impact it has on growth, development, and semen characteristics are limited compared to the rest of the swine industry. The objective of these studies conducted at Purdue University were to determine how varying nutritional feeding strategies impact semen quality and quantity as well as growth and development of artificial insemination boars.</p><p dir="ltr">Feeding fiber is a commonly used strategy in gestating sow nutrition to mitigate some of the negative side effects of limit feeding animals. A variety of fiber sources are available to the swine industry, however most of the common sources used are wheat bran, alfalfa meal, sugar beet pulp, and soybean hulls. Soyhulls are one of the more easily accessible sources of fiber in Indiana and the Midwest U.S. due to large amounts of soybean production and processing which will continue to grow with bi-energy demands. Boars fed the fiber diet (14.3% soyhulls) had increased bodyweight and body condition changes over the twelve-week period. Additionally, fiber inclusion in the diet had no impact on semen characteristics but semen was impacted by the age and breed of the boar. Salivary cortisol levels were reduced in boars fed fiber as well as some changes in behavior were observed.</p><p dir="ltr">The addition of fiber had impacts on growth and development but no impacts on semen. Since boars are limit-fed for so long from selection after the grow-finish period until they are culled this drew up the question if feeding boars different levels after selection (1.8 kg/d or 2.7 kg/d) impacted trainability, first time semen collection characteristics, growth and development of young boars. No differences were observed for feeding level impacting trainability with 92% of all boars regardless of treatment being successfully trained. Semen volume was increased in boars fed 2.72 kg/d by approximately 50% but no other semen characteristics were impacted. Boars fed 2.72 kg/d also had increased bodyweight and body condition score measures.</p><p dir="ltr">The boars subject to the training study unknowingly arrived at the farm naturally infected with porcine circovirus three (PCV3). Research has been conducted on the ability of viruses (PRRSv, PEDv) to be detected and transmitted through semen. Porcine circovirus three is a relatively new variant of circovirus so the opportunity to evaluate the question of if this virus was able to be detected in seminal plasma and the impacts it has on semen characteristics was presented. Serum and semen samples were collected for polymerase chain reaction analysis of detection of PCV3 conducted at Purdue Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory. Porcine circovirus three was able to be detected in the serum of positive boars however no positive detection occurred for seminal plasma samples. Morphological abnormalities such as distal midpiece reflex, distal droplets, and head and tail differed between infected and non-infected boars. Young boars sero-positive for PCV3 had decreased total sperm, total normal sperm motility, and head and tail abnormalities but had decreased distal midpiece reflex abnormalities when compared to PCV3 negative young boars. Young boars were also able to maintain the virus for 98+ days, while some old boars were able to clear the virus withing 14 weeks of becoming positive.</p><p dir="ltr">The next chapter evaluated maintenance energy equation listed in the swine NRC 2012 and if it was still accurate for sexually active boars and if weight management through the use of this equation impacted boar performance. Boars were subject to three treatments (150%, 100%, 80%) of maintenance energy for the first nine-week period and 150% and 80% diets were switched for second nine-week period while 100% stayed the same the entire time in a cross-over design. Semen, bodyweight, and body condition parameters were analyzed throughout the two nine-week periods. Boars fed 80% of maintenance had the largest reduction in semen parameters compared to 150% and 100% maintenance fed boars. Additionally, switching 80% feed intake boars to 150% maintenance feed intake, boars were able to recover some of the negative impacts, however they were not able to fully recover in the second nine-week period. Boars fed 100% and 80% maintenance energy lost weight regardless of age. The loss of body weight of the 100% maintenance fed boars indicates the swine NRC 2012 equation is underestimating the modern AI boar maintenance needs. Old boars were able to handle changes in weight and body condition better than young boars as there was reduced variation in serum metabolites analyzed with old boars compared to young boars.</p><p dir="ltr">The last chapter of this thesis focused on a big data project from commercial sow farms. The objective of this study was to determine if breeding gilts at first signs of estrus or after has an impact on sow performance and economic value to parity three. A regression model was developed from on farm data to determine the difference in total born piglets to parity 3 between gilts bred on their first estrus or after. Gilts bred on their first estrus had six fewer total piglets to parity three compared to gilts who were bred after the first estrus. Also, gilts bred after their first estrus had a larger percentage of sows being profitable compared to gilts bred on first estrus. This model data was compared to actual data for comparison between the two. The model with the limited variables inputted and compared to the actual data was fairly accurate with economic profitability and with more refinement the accuracy can be increased.</p><p dir="ltr">Overall, nutrition of the boar needs to be an area of interest in the swine industry to continue improving efficiency of production. Feeding fiber to boars has minimal impact on semen characteristics but can be used to reduce stress in boars that are limit-fed for weight and body condition management. Limit feeding boars beginning at selection reduces growth and development and had negative impacts on first time semen collection volume. Porcine circovirus 3 was not found in the seminal plasma of naturally infected boars when serum analysis was positive. Boars fed below maintenance levels listed in the swine NRC 2012 have negative impacts on semen, bodyweight, and body condition parameters. Once diets were changed boars were able to recover from the feed restriction but not meet baseline measures prior to feed restriction. Young boars are more sensitive to feeding changes than old boars, this could be due to the young animal still growing while the older animal is closer to mature size. Big data projects can aid producers in making production changes decisions to estimate the economic impact it can have to an individual farm or the entire production system.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Maximizing growth performance in swine production, in the face of larger litter sizes and potential milk limitations, is crucial. This thesis explores the impact of various nutritional strategies, including creep feeding, dietary sweeteners, glutamine supplementation, sensory additives, and low crude protein diets on piglet lactation and nursery growth performance. Data in this thesis were analyzed using the GLM procedure in SAS 9.4. In the first study (Chapter 2), fifty-one sows and their litters (17/creep treatment) were used to evaluate the effects of creep feeding and nursery diets on piglet growth. Ten days prior to weaning, litters were assigned to three treatments: control creep feed (CF-CON), CON + garlic-based flavoring (50 ppm Allium XL; CF-ALL-XL), and no creep feed (NO-CF). Post-weaning, 506 pigs were allotted to either control (CON) or flavored (ALL-XL) nursery diets in a 3x2 factorial design with 10 pens/treatment, each containing 7 or 8 pigs. Nursery dietary treatments were fed in phases 1 and 2, followed by common phase 3 and 4 diets. Weekly body weights (BW) and feed intake were recorded to calculate average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), and feed efficiency (G:F). Creep feeding treatment during lactation did not affect litter or piglet BW gain pre-weaning. ALL-XL did not affect total creep feed intake (CON=114 g/pig vs. ALL-XL=110 g/pig). Providing CF-CON or CF-ALL-XL during lactation increased ADFI on d 2, 3, and 4 post-weaning (P<0.013). Pigs fed either CF-CON or CF-ALL-XL increased week 1 nursery ADFI (8.8%; P<0.02), numerically increased ADG (5.2%), and greater d7 BW (P=0.055). Overall (d0-35), pigs fed CF-CON had greater ADG (P<0.05) and ADFI (P<0.05) than CF-ALL-XL with No-CF pigs being intermediate in ADG and greater ADFI (P<0.05) than CF-ALL-XL fed pigs. Final BW (P<0.05) was greater for CF-CON fed pigs than CF-ALL-XL fed pigs with No-CF pigs being intermediate (23.5 kg, 23.0 kg, 23.3 kg, respectively). Nursery dietary flavoring treatment (CON vs ALL-XL) did not affect post-weaning ADG, ADFI, or G:F at any point during the study (P>0.12). In the second study (Chapter 3), fifty-seven sows and their litters were used to test the effects of creep feed and a dietary sweetener (Taktik) on piglet lactation and nursery performance in low lactose diets. Six days prior to weaning, litters were assigned to either control creep feed (CF-CON), control + sweetener (50 ppm Taktik; CF-TAK), or no creep (No-CF). Post-weaning, 550 pigs were assigned to control (CON) or sweetened (Taktik, 50 ppm; TAK) nursery diets in a 3x2 factorial design with 10 nursery pens per treatment, each containing 9 or 10 pigs. There were no significant differences in litter weight, weight gain, or piglet weight during lactation due to CF treatment. However, CF-CON pigs tended to have higher litter feed intake (P=0.060) and ADFI per pig (P=0.059) during lactation. During the first week post-weaning, CF-CON pigs had higher ADFI (P<0.05), ADG (P<0.05), and d7 BW compared to CF-Tak pigs and No-CF pigs. During d 6-14 CF-CON pigs had greater ADG (P<0.05) and ADFI (P<0.05) than CF-Tak pigs and the No-CF pigs tended (P<0.10) to also have greater ADFI than CF-Tak pigs. Overall (d0-34), CF-CON pigs had higher ADG and ADFI compared to CF-Tak pigs (P<0.05) and No-CF pigs tended (P<0.10) to have greater ADG than CF-Tak pigs. There were no significant differences (P>0.15) in ADG, ADFI, or G:F between CON and TAK nursery diet treatments. In the third study (chapter 4), thirty-one sows and their litters were utilized to test the effects creep feed and nursery diets supplemented with or without glutamine on lactation and nursery performance as well as creep feeder type impacts. During lactation there were three dietary treatments: control creep feed (CF-CON), control creep feed + glutamine (0.40%; CF-GLUT), or no creep feed (No-CF). There were two creep feeder types: plastic (PLAST) or stainless steel (SS), that were evenly distributed between the creep feed treatments. Post-weaning 270 pigs were allotted to either control (CON) or control + glutamine (0.40%; GLUT) nursery diets with pigs previously given or not glutamine creep feed continuing to receive similar glutamine treatment in the nursery period and the No-CF pigs being evenly split to CON and GLUT nursery diets. Litter weights and creep feed intake were recorded on d -7 and 0 (weaning). During nursery there were 7 pens/treatment with 6 or 7 pigs/pen, blocked by initial BW within creep treatment. Neither glutamine creep feeding treatments affected litter or piglet weaning weights (P>0.24). Pigs given creep feed during lactation had increased ADFI during the first week post-weaning (P<0.03) but did not result in greater overall nursery growth performance. The inclusion of glutamine in creep feed or nursery diets did not improve growth performance at any point during the study. In the fourth study (chapter 5), 416 weanling pigs were used to test the effects of a sensory feed additive (SA; Luctamax) on control (CON) and low crude protein (LCP) nursery diets in a 2x2 factorial design (CON, CON+SA, LCP, LCP+SA) with 15 replicate pens of 6 or 7 pigs/pen. Decreased dietary CP (4%) was achieved by removing or decreasing fish meal and soy concentrate in phases 1 and 2 and reducing soybean meal in phase 3 and adding synthetic amino acids to maintain amino acid ratios (NRC 2012). The SA was included at 0.1% in Phase 1 and 2 diets and 0.05% in Phase 3 diets. During PH1 (d 0-7) pigs receiving the CON diets tended (P=0.065) to have a higher G:F compared to pigs receiving LCP diets. For the remainder of this study there were consistent interactions between dietary CP and SA. When SA was added to the LCP diet ADFI slightly increased but when SA was added to CON diet ADFI decreased and these changes in feed intake often led to similar dietary interactions in ADG. During PH2 (d 7-21), pigs fed CON or LCP+SA diets had higher ADFI (P=0.032) and tended to have a higher ADG (P=0.094) but reduced G:F (P=0.100) compared to pigs fed CON+SA or LCP diets. In PH3 (d 21-36), pigs fed CON or LCP+SA diets had a higher ADG (P=0.027) and ADFI (P=0.011) compared to CON+SA or LCP diets. During PH3 pigs fed LCP diets had higher ADFI (P<0.001) but reduced G:F (P<0.0001) than pigs fed CON diets. Overall (d0-36), pigs fed CON or LCP+SA diets had higher ADFI (P=0.016) and tended to have a higher ADG (P=0.059) but reduced G:F (P=0.067) compared to pigs fed CON+SA or LCP diets. For the entire nursery period, pigs fed CON diets had a higher G:F (P<0.001) compared to pigs fed LCP diets, while LCP pigs tended to have a higher ADFI (P=0.054) compared to CON pigs. Feeding LCP diets during PH2 decreased feed costs/kg of gain but feed cost were increased (P<0.0001) during PH3 when LCP diets were fed compared to CON diets. These studies highlight the potential benefits and limitations of various nutritional strategies in enhancing piglet growth performance. Creep feeding, dietary sweeteners, glutamine supplementation, sensory additives, and low crude protein diets can potentially influence post-weaning performance, but their effectiveness depends on specific conditions and formulations. Further research is needed to optimize these strategies for improved swine production efficiency.</p>

<p dir="ltr">The production cycle of lactating dairy cattle consists of physiological adaptations and changes in body tissue reserves as energy and protein requirements shift and may not be able to be met by feed intake. Tissue reserves are mobilized in early lactation and accreted thereafter, which can be used as a pool of labile amino acids and energetic substrates used at the beginning of the subsequent lactation. Nutritional strategies can be employed to mitigate extensive tissue loss and gain as a management tool to enhance dairy performance. The first study's objective was to evaluate the effects of high oleic soybean oil (HOSO) supplementation on milk production, body composition, and apparent total tract digestibility variables. A cross-over design with 21-d periods was employed with thirty Holstein cows (n = 16 primiparous, n = 14 multiparous at 87 ± 26 DIM at start of trial). Treatments consisted of a control (CON) with no added soybean oil and a HOSO diet with 1.5% diet dry matter (DM) of high oleic soybean oil added. Milk production and DM were collected on the last 7 d of each period. Body weights (BW), milk, and fecal samples were collected on the last 3 d of each period. Ultrasound scans of the <i>longissimus dorsi </i>muscle and body condition scores (BCS) were collected on the last d of each period. Dry matter intake, milk production, and milk component yields were not impacted by HOSO supplementation, although milk fat concentration tended to be greater for HOSO cows. A treatment by parity interaction and treatment by parity tendency were observed for BCS and BW, respectively, with multiparous HOSO cows having increased BCS and BW compared to CON with no effect on primiparous cows. Compared with CON, HOSO increased backfat depth (BFD) by 0.44 mm as well as apparent total tract fat digestibility by 12 percentage units with no differences observed in muscle<i> </i>depth. The second study’s objective was to evaluate changes in <i>longissimus dorsi </i>depth and its impact on production parameters in cows with two muscle phenotypes. Forty multiparous dairy cows were categorized into two muscle phenotype groups of high muscle (HM; n = 18) and low muscle (LM; n = 22) as determined by <i>longissimus dorsi </i>depth immediately after parturition. Ultrasound images of the <i>longissimus dorsi </i>and body weights were collected monthly from 0 to 300 DIM. Blood samples were collected from the coccygeal vessels on d 7, 150, and 300 and analyzed for 3-methylhistidine (3-MH), creatinine, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), and insulin. Milk weight data was collected daily using AfiFarm and milk components were collected from monthly DHIA test day data. Neither BW nor BFD were different between HM and LM cows at any timepoint, although, a DIM effect was observed. Cows lost BW from 0 to 60 DIM and BFD from 0 to 90 DIM and began increasing thereafter until 300 DIM. A muscle group by DIM interaction was observed where HM cows had more <i>longissimus dorsi </i>depth (LDD) at 0 and 300 DIM and tended to have more at 60 DIM compared to LM cows, with no differences at any other timepoint. In both muscle groups, LDD was decreased from 0 to 60 DIM but substantial LDD accretion did not occur until 240 DIM. No differences were observed between muscle groups for blood analytes; however, significant DIM effects were observed and corresponded to the observed changes in body tissue reserves. Daily milk production was grouped by stage of lactation with DIM groups consisting of early lactation from 0 to 60 DIM, mid-lactation from 60-240 DIM, and late lactation from 240 to 300 DIM. There was a muscle group by DIM group interaction for daily milk yield as HM cows produced more milk/d in early and mid-lactation but produced less milk in late lactation compared to LM cows. The results of these studies indicate that oleic acid can be supplemented to lactating dairy cattle to increase adipose tissue reserves with no effect on muscle reserves. This could potentially be caused by the lack of muscle accretion throughout mid-lactation whereas adipose tissue is gained. These results also describe that nutrition and muscle phenotype play a role in body composition throughout lactation.</p>

O principal objetivo desta pesquisa foi avaliar as condições microclimáticas da sala de pintos de um incubatório comercial e suas interações com os diferentes tempos de espera, e a influência da etapa pré-porteira sobre o desempenho inicial de frangos de corte. Para isso, realizou-se um experimento dividido em duas fases: incubatório e granja de criação. Na primeira fase foram pesados e selecionados 1440 ovos férteis, todos provenientes de mesma granja matrizeira, divididos em três lotes iguais, referentes às idades de matrizes de 46(A), 54(B) e 64(C) semanas, da linhagem Cobb 500. Todos os ovos foram estocados e incubados sob as mesmas condições. Após o nascimento, seleção e sexagem, o total de 882 pintos foi dividido em 18 tratamentos. Cada tratamento continha em média 50 animais, referentes ao sexo (S), idade da matriz (M) e tempo de espera (E) no incubatório (0h, 14h e 28h). Adotou-se um delineamento inteiramente casualizado (DIC), num esquema fatorial (2x3x3) para S, M e E. As variáveis respostas foram mortalidade (Mo), refugagem (R), peso (P), temperatura cloacal (TC), temperatura superficial média (TSM) e frequência respiratória (FR). Os dados foram submetidos à análise da variância e comparação múltipla de médias por meio do teste de Tukey (p<0,05). Uma caracterização microclimática da sala de pintos foi realizada por meio de perfil térmico de temperatura e umidade relativa. A segunda fase ocorreu em um aviário comercial climatizado, do tipo dark-house, com ventilação em sistema de pressão negativa, localizado no município de Cerquilho, estado de São Paulo. Foram utilizados os 882 pintos provenientes da primeira fase. Ao chegarem do incubatório à granja, os pintos foram imediatamente alojados e separados em 18 boxes, de acordo com os tratamentos. Consumiram ração e água ad libitum, e foram submetidos aos mesmos procedimentos de manejo, dietas nutricionais e condições microclimáticas durante todo o período experimental. Foi realizada uma caracterização microclimática da granja por meio do perfil térmico de temperatura e umidade relativa. As aves foram pesadas ao 7°, 14° e 21° dias. Adotou-se um DIC, num esquema fatorial (2x3x3), para S, M e E. Os dados de P foram submetidos à análise da variância e comparações múltiplas de médias por meio do teste de Tukey (p<0,05). Para as variáveis respostas Mo, R, mortalidade total (MT), ganho médio de peso diário (GPD), conversão alimentar (CA) e índice de eficiência produtiva (IEP), foi realizada uma análise descritiva. As condições microclimáticas, a matriz (M), o sexo (S) e o tempo de espera (E) influenciaram a qualidade de pintos de um dia. Considerando-se P como o parâmetro de avaliação, o tempo de E de 0h foi o melhor. Pintos oriundos da matriz C apresentaram menores perdas de peso. As condições climáticas, a idade das matrizes, o sexo e o tempo de espera, influenciaram no desempenho dos frangos aos 21 dias. Para frangos de corte aos 21 dias, os pintos da matriz B e o tempo de E de 14h, apresentaram os melhores resultados de IEP. / The main objective of this research was to evaluate microclimatic conditions of chicks room from a commercial hatchery and its interactions with different lairage times, and the influence of post-hatching phase under the performance in the starter phase of broiler chickens. Thereunto, an experiment divided in two distinct phases was done: in the hatchery and in the poultry house. In the first phase 1440 fertile eggs were weighted and selected, from the same poultry farm, divided in three equals groups, related to breeders age of 46(A), 54(B) and 64(C) weeks, from Cobb 500 strain. All eggs were stocked and incubated under the same conditions. After birth, chicks were selected and sexed, and the total of 822 one-day-old chickens was divided in 18 treatments. Each treatment had an average of 50 animals, relative to gender (G), breeders age (B) and lairage time (L) in the hatchery (0h, 14h and 28h). A completely randomized design (CRD) was adopted, in a factorial scheme (2x3x3), to G, B and L. answer variables were mortality (Mo), waste (Wa), weight (We), cloacal temperature (CT), mean surface temperature (MST) and respiration rate (RR). Data were submitted to analysis of variance and multiple comparison of means by Tukeys test (p<0,05). A microclimatic characterization of chicks room was done through thermal profile of temperature and relative humidity. The second phase was performed in an acclimatized dark-house poultry house, with ventilation in a negative pressure system, located in the city of Cerquilho, state of São Paulo, Brazil. The same 822 one-day-old chickens from the first phase were studied in this phase. After the transportation from hatchery to the farm, chicks were immediately housed and divided in 18 pens, in accordance to the treatments. Animals consumed diet and water ad libitum, and were submitted to the same handling procedures, nutritional diets and microclimatic conditions through experimental period. A microclimatic characterization of the poultry house was done through temperature and relative humidity thermal profile. Birds were weighted at 7th, 14th and 21st days of life. Was adopted a CRD, in a factorial scheme (2x3x3), to G, B and L. We data were submitted to analysis of variance and multiple comparison of means by Tukeys test (p<0,05). To answer variables Mo, Wa, total mortality (TM), average daily weight gain (DWG), feed: weight gain ratio (FWGR) and productive efficiency index (PEI), a descriptive analysis was done. Microclimatic conditions, breeder (B), gender (G), and lairage time (L) influenced the quality of one-day-old chickens. Considering We as evaluation parameter, lairage time of 0h was considered the better one. Chicks from breeder C presented the lower losses of weight. Climatic conditions, breeders age, gender, and lairage time, influenced performance of broilers at 21 days of age. Considering PEI to broilers at 21 days, one-day-old chickens from breeder B and L time of 14h, presented better results.