Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Reza Rezaei, Ana San Gabriel, Guoyao Wu
Summary: This study found that dietary supplementation with high concentrations of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) can increase milk production by lactating sows and promote the growth and survival of their piglets.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Julia Neu, Nina Goeres, Jelena Kecman, Barbara Voss, Frank Rosner, Hermann H. Swalve, Nicole Kemper
Summary: The study demonstrated that behavioral tests are effective in characterizing sow behavior towards humans and piglets, particularly important in systems without fixation. Sows exhibited varied behavior responses in different tests, such as calm reactions, defensive responses, and joyful reunion reactions.
Article
Microbiology
Leli Wang, Qihang Liu, Yuwei Chen, Xinlei Zheng, Chuni Wang, Yining Qi, Yachao Dong, Yue Xiao, Cang Chen, Taohong Chen, Qiuyun Huang, Zongzhao Zhai, Cimin Long, Huansheng Yang, Jianzhong Li, Lei Wang, Gaihua Zhang, Peng Liao, Yong-Xin Liu, Peng Huang, Jialu Huang, Qiye Wang, Huanhuan Chu, Jia Yin, Yulong Yin
Summary: A study identified a potentially probiotic strain of Pediococcus in sow milk that confers antioxidant capacity by activating the Nrf2-Keap1 signaling pathway in piglets. The findings provide useful resources for understanding the relationship between maternal microbiota and offspring.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Reza Rezaei, Ana San Gabriel, Guoyao Wu
Summary: This study investigated the effects of increasing dietary content of glutamate through the addition of monosodium glutamate (MSG) on milk production by lactating sows and the growth of their offspring. The results showed that dietary supplementation with 1-2% MSG enhanced milk production, as well as the milk intake and daily weight gains of the piglets. These findings suggest that dietary supplementation with MSG can support the growth of sow-reared piglets by promoting milk production.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Dierck-Hinrich Wiechers, Swetlana Herbrandt, Nicole Kemper, Michaela Fels
Summary: The study compared the impact of farrowing pens with crates and without sow confinement on nursing behavior. The results showed that sow nursing behavior in loose-housing pens resembled that of sows in semi-natural conditions, with shorter nursing durations and more nursing terminations by the sow. This suggests that sows in loose-housing pens are more likely to exhibit natural nursing behavior.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Yalei Liu, Xinlin Jia, Junlei Chang, Xunjing Pan, Xuemei Jiang, Lianqiang Che, Yan Lin, Yong Zhuo, Bin Feng, Zhengfeng Fang, Jian Li, Lun Hua, Jianping Wang, Mengmeng Sun, De Wu, Shengyu Xu
Summary: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation of sows with yeast cultures (XPC) on the immune performance of their weaned offspring under lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stress. Maternal dietary supplementation with XPC significantly reduced the concentration of inflammatory factors in the plasma and thymus of weaned piglets. In summary, injection of LPS induced an inflammatory response in weaned piglets and destroyed the intestinal barrier, while maternal dietary supplementation of XPC improved the immune performance of weaned piglets by inhibiting inflammatory responses.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Lu-min Gao, Gang-yi Liu, Hong-ling Wang, Teketay Wassie, Xin Wu
Summary: Maternal supplementation with pyrimidine nucleoside can regulate the metabolism of neonatal piglets, affecting glucose, fatty acids, and amino acids levels, and improving the growth and reproductive performance of piglets.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lianpeng Zhao, Wei Lu, Zhengyu Mao, Daolin Mou, Long Huang, Min Yang, Dajiang Ding, Hui Yan, Zhengfeng Fang, Lianqiang Che, Yong Zhuo, Xuemei Jiang, Shengyu Xu, Yan Lin, Jian Li, Chao Huang, Yuanfeng Zou, Lixia Li, De Wu, Bin Feng
Summary: Maternal VD3 supplementation during gestation can improve intestinal health and microbiota in suckling piglets, including increasing the length and height of intestinal villi, enhancing the expression levels of intestinal protective proteins, and increasing the abundance of beneficial bacteria and the content of probiotics in the intestine.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Qiming Li, Ifen Hung, Kaiwen Bai, Tian Wang
Summary: Maternal nucleotide (NT) supplementation has positive effects on intestinal morphology and immune function in newborn piglets, improving LPS-induced intestinal inflammatory responses through the TLR4/I kappa B alpha/NF kappa B pathway.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xiongkun Yuan, Xiangyu Zhang, Yujun Wu, Dongsheng Che, Hao Ye, Yu Pi, Shiyu Tao, Junjun Wang, Dandan Han
Summary: Supplementing AAMs during late gestation and lactation improves the antioxidant capacity of sows and colostrum composition, thereby enhancing antioxidant status and the growth performance of piglets.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Guanglun Guo, Tiantian Zhou, Fengyun Ren, Jingzhan Sun, Dun Deng, Xingguo Huang, Teketay Wassie, Izhar Hyder Qazi, Xin Wu
Summary: Maternal CAT supplementation can decrease the intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) rate, improve antioxidant status, and modulate mineral transport in pregnant sows and their piglets.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hernan D. Laviano, Gerardo Gomez, Rosa Escudero, Yolanda Nunez, Juan M. Garcia-Casco, Maria Munoz, Ana Heras-Molina, Clemente Lopez-Bote, Antonio Gonzalez-Bulnes, Cristina Ovilo, Ana I. Rey
Summary: This study evaluates the effects of dietary supplementation of vitamin E, hydroxytyrosol, or the combination of the two on gut health and piglet growth. The results suggest that vitamin E supplementation is superior to hydroxytyrosol supplementation in improving intestinal homeostasis and piglet growth.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Qianqian Zhang, Je Min Ahn, In Ho Kim
Summary: The study found that feeding sows varying doses of micelle silymarin had positive effects on piglet growth and sow milk production, with 0.2% micelle silymarin being the optimal dose for achieving the best results.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
C. Kobek-Kjeldager, V. A. Moustsen, L. J. Pedersen, P. K. Theil
Summary: Increasing the number of piglets per litter reduces average daily weight gain and body fat percentage. The main factor affecting piglet body fat is the frequency of suckling, while milk replacer intake falls between high and low suckling frequencies in terms of body fat and water content.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Yue Wang, Yusheng Qin, Wei Zhao, Fusheng Yao, Wenjing Wang, Xiao Hu, Linghua Cheng, Lei An, Jianhui Tian
Summary: Sildenafil dietary supplementation improves the reproductive performance of sows and gilt and enhances the growth performance of neonatal piglets. Sildenafil supplementation during the mid-to-late gestation period shows the most significant improvement in litter performance.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
C. Kobek-Kjeldager, V. A. Moustsen, L. J. Pedersen, P. K. Theil
Summary: Increasing the number of piglets per litter reduces average daily weight gain and body fat percentage. The main factor affecting piglet body fat is the frequency of suckling, while milk replacer intake falls between high and low suckling frequencies in terms of body fat and water content.
Review
Veterinary Sciences
Yaneth Gomez, Anna H. Stygar, Iris J. M. M. Boumans, Eddie A. M. Bokkers, Lene J. Pedersen, Jarkko K. Niemi, Matti Pastell, Xavier Manteca, Pol Llonch
Summary: Several precision livestock farming (PLF) technologies have been developed to continuously monitor the physical and behavioral changes of animals, aiming to optimize farming processes. A total of 83 PLF technologies for pigs were identified, with only a small percentage having undergone external validation. The most commonly validated technologies included vision-based solutions, load-cells, accelerometers, microphones, thermal cameras, photoelectric sensors, RFID, and pyrometers, measuring various aspects of pig behavior and health.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Dan Borge Jensen, Lene Juul Pedersen
Summary: Pen fouling in slaughter pigs is an undesired behavior that can lead to increased labor costs, worsened hygiene and welfare, and negative environmental impacts. This study proposes a novel method using a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) to monitor pig positioning behavior in pens for early warning of fouling events. The trained CNN performs well on unseen test pens, and fine-tuning through transfer learning can improve model performance.
COMPUTERS AND ELECTRONICS IN AGRICULTURE
(2021)
Review
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Cecilie Kobek-Kjeldager, Anna A. Schonherz, Nuria Canibe, Lene Juul Pedersen
Summary: Tail biting is a major challenge in pig production and can be influenced by diet. The communication between gut microbiota, intestinal health, and the brain through the microbiota-gut-brain axis is important in understanding the development of tail biting. This review connects the current research on the microbiota-gut-brain axis with dietary risk factors for tail biting and suggests the potential pathways involved. It also suggests that an imbalance in the microbiota-gut-brain axis influenced by diet could be considered as a pathway for the development of tail biting.
APPLIED ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
J. F. M. Winters, L. Foldager, L. J. Pedersen
Summary: Abrupt weaning of four-week-old pigs is associated with multiple stressors. Housing pigs in intact litters can reduce the stress of moving and mixing unfamiliar pigs. A heavier pig hybrid and weaning intact litters in the farrowing pen resulted in better postweaning growth.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Guilherme A. Franchi, Mona L. V. Larsen, Ida H. Kristoffersen, Jeanet F. M. Winters, Lene Juul Pedersen, Margit Bak Jensen
Summary: This study examines the effects of weight gain, feeding behavior, and drinking behavior on play behavior in piglets. The results show that well-nourished piglets are more likely to engage in play behavior, supporting the hypothesis that play behavior is an indicator of positive animal welfare.
APPLIED ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Ali Alameer, Stephanie Buijs, Niamh O'Connell, Luke Dalton, Mona Larsen, Lene Pedersen, Ilias Kyriazakis
Summary: This study presents a novel framework for monitoring pig interactions within groups, without the need for individual pig tracking/identification. By modifying and optimizing deep learning models, the system is able to accurately score and monitor pig interactions using inexpensive camera-based data capturing infrastructure. The method has potential applications in monitoring pig health status and detecting abnormal behaviors.
BIOSYSTEMS ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Cecilie Kobek-Kjeldager, Lene Juul Pedersen, Mona Lillian Vestbjerg Larsen
Summary: Crushing of piglets by sows is a significant welfare challenge in outdoor pig production. This observational study identified crushing events on video recordings and found that the major fatal posture changes leading to crushing were rolling, standing to sternal lying, and standing to lateral lying. These findings suggest that inadequate maternal behavior, inappropriate housing conditions, and low piglet vitality could contribute to crushing events.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Mona Lilian Vestbjerg Larsen, Lene Juul Pedersen
Summary: This study investigated the use of drinkers and water by finisher pigs and its relationship with drinker location, age, time of day, stocking density, enrichment provision, and tail damage. The results showed that water usage increased gradually over a 9-week period, with peaks during the pigs' active period. Decreasing stocking density increased water usage and activation frequency, suggesting that pigs may be restricted in their access to drinking cups under standard conditions. Pigs also appeared to prefer the drinking cup closest to the feeder.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Cecilie Kobek-Kjeldager, Mona Lillian Vestbjerg Larsen, Lene Juul Pedersen
Summary: High piglet mortality is a welfare challenge in organic pig production. This study investigated the litter characteristics of two hyper-prolific hybrids, DanBred and Topigs Norsvin (TN70), in an organic commercial herd. TN70 sows had more functional teats and their offspring had higher birth weights compared to DanBred. The results showed that TN70 had a higher survival rate and heavier litter weight at weaning, despite a lower number of total born piglets.
ANIMAL SCIENCE JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Guilherme A. Franchi, Mona L. V. Larsen, Jeanet F. M. Winters, Margit Bak Jensen, Lene Juul Pedersen
Summary: The study found that genetic hybrids with higher birth and weaning weight, as well as keeping litters intact in a familiar environment after weaning, can reduce weaning stress in pigs. Furthermore, it demonstrated that play behavior can be used as an indicator of animal welfare.
FRONTIERS IN ANIMAL SCIENCE
(2022)