• Animal Bioscience
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• v.36 no.10
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• pp.1584-1595
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• 2023

Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of a low-protein diet on growth performance, carcass traits, nutrient digestibility, blood profiles, and odor emissions in growing-finishing pigs. Methods: A total of 126 crossbred pigs ([Yorkshire×Landrace]×Duroc) with an average body weight (BW) of 38.56±0.53 kg were used for a 14-week feeding trial. Experimental pigs were allotted to one of 6 treatments in 3 replicates of 7 pigs per pen in a randomized complete block design. Pigs were fed each treatment diet with different levels of crude protein (CP). Phase 1 (early growing): 14%, 15%, 16%, 17%, 18%, 19%; phase 2 (late growing): 13%, 14%, 15%, 16%, 17%, 18%; phase 3 (early finishing): 12%, 13%, 14%, 15%, 16%, 17%; phase 4 (late finishing): 11%, 12%, 13%, 14%, 15%, 16%. All experimental diets in each phase were contained the same concentration of lysine (Lys), methionine (Met), threonine (Thr), and tryptophan (Trp). Results: Over the entire experimental period, there was no significant difference in BW, average daily feed intake, and gain-to-feed ratio among all treatments (p>0.05), but a quadratic effect (p = 0.04) was observed in average daily gain (ADG) during the late finishing phase with higher ADG in Group D. Blood urea nitrogen concentration linearly increased with an increase in dietary CP levels (p<0.01). Regarding nutrient digestibility, excreted nitrogen in urine and feces and nitrogen retention linearly increased as the CP level increased (p<0.01). A linear effect was observed with increasing CP levels in amines, ammonia, and hydrogen sulfide in odor emissions (p<0.01). No significant effects were observed in the measurements of carcass traits and meat characteristics (p>0.05). Conclusion: In phase feeding, reducing the CP level to 14% in early-growing pigs, 13% in late-growing pigs, 12% in early-finishing pigs, and 11% in late-finishing pigs is recommended.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.15 no.7
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• pp.1026-1030
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• 2002

A trial was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary NMA on several growth associated hormones and fat metabolism in finishing pigs. A total of 84 crossbred finishing pigs (average initial BW of $56{\pm}$0.37kg) were divided into 6 pens, 14 pigs per pen (7 gilts and 7 barrows per pen). 3 pens of pigs were fed with control diet (corn-soybean meal) and the others were fed control diet addition with 50 mg/kg NMA. During the trial, all pigs were given free access to feed and water. After 44 days trial, 8 pigs from each treatment (4 gilts and 4 barrows, weight similar to average group weight, $86.94{\pm}0.71kg$ for control group, and $90.55{\pm}1.51kg$ for NMA treated group) were sacrificed to collect the sample of the liver, longissimus muscle, subcutaneous fat (10th rib). The addition of NMA in diet increased the IGF-I, Insulin, T3, T4 levels in serum by 50.68% (p<0.05), 38.36% (p<0.05), 123.33% (p<0.01), 60.58% (p<0.03), respectively. Meanwhile, IGF-I level in the liver and the muscle were increased with 17.83% (p<0.03) and 26.00% (p<0.03) with addition of NMA. The data from subcutaneous fat (10th rib) analysis showed that supplement of 50 mg/kg NMA decreased the total activities of malic dehydrogenase (MDH) by 20.54% (p<0.05), glucose-6- phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-DPH) by 16.97% (p<0.05), and decreased the specific activities of MDH and G-6-DPH by 37.46% (p<0.01) and 35.06% (p<0.01), respectively. The hormone sensitive lipase (HSL) total activity was increased by 25.00% (p<0.05) in NMA treated pigs. These results indicated that addition of 50 mg/kg NMA to diet can induce the endocrine great change in finishing pigs, furthermore, inhibit the fat synthesis through suppressing lipogenic enzymes and promote the fat degradation by elevating HSL activity in finishing pigs.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.62 no.3
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• pp.313-320
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• 2020

This research was performed to investigate the hypothesis that dietary mono-component protease (PRO) might improve growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and carcass characteristics of growing-finishing pigs. A total of eighty-four pigs [Duroc × (Landrace × Yorkshire), 25.3 ± 2.16 kg initial body weight] were randomly assigned to three dietary treatments (7 replicates/treatment; 2 barrows and 2 gilts/replicate) in a randomized complete block design (block = sex). The dietary treatments were prepared as follows; (1) a positive control (PC) as a typical growing-finishing diet based on corn and soybean meal, (2) PC added with 0.015% of PRO (PCPRO), and (3) a negative control (NC) added with 0.015% of PRO (NCPRO). The NC had a lower concentration of crude protein (CP) compared with PC. The PRO was a commercial product that contained 75,000 protease units/g and derived from Nocardiopsis prasina produced in Bacillus licheniformis. Dietary treatments were offered to pigs during growing and finishing periods. Measurements were growth performance, apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of nutrients, and carcass characteristics. The PCPRO and/or NCPRO increased average daily gain (ADG) and gain to feed ratio (G:F) during growing (p < 0.10), finishing (p < 0.05), and growing-finishing periods (p < 0.10) compared with PC. Furthermore, pigs fed PCPRO and NCPRO had higher (p < 0.05) ATTD of CP and energy during growing and/or finishing periods than those fed PC. In conclusion, the supplementation of PRO in diets improved growth performance and protein digestibility of growing-finishing pigs.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.639-646
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• 2022

The present experiment was conducted to assess the effect of Buttiauxella-derived phytase in finishing pigs fed corn/soybean meal diets with an increase in the calcium (Ca)/total phosphorus (P) (Ca/tP) ratio and a reduction in net energy on the growth performance and nutrient digestibility on the finishing pigs. A total of 90 crossbred ([Yorkshire × Landrace] × Duroc) finishing pigs with an average initial body weight (BW) of 56.94 ± 2.43 kg were used for an 11-week feeding trial. The pigs were randomly allotted to one of three dietary treatments (six replication/treatment and five pigs/pen) in a randomized complete block design according to their BW and gender. Dietary treatments consisted of supplementation of phytase (0.05, 0.07, and 0.1% in the control, Trt1 and Trt 2 diets, respectively) maintaining the Ca/tP ratio (1.67 : 1, 1.84 : 1, and 2.19 : 1 in control, Trt1 and Trt 2 diets, respectively) and reducing the net energy by 1% in Trt1 and Trt2 diets compared with the control diet. The results showed that dietary supplementation with phytase in the energy-reduced diet had a similar (p > 0.05) effect on the BW, average daily gain, average daily feed intake, and gain/feed ratio of the finishing pigs. Also, there were no effects (p > 0.05) of treatment matrixes on the nutrient digestibility of dry matter, nitrogen calcium, phosphorus, and gross energy. In conclusion, the increase of phytase and Ca/tP ratio and the reduction of net energy in the corn/soybean meal diet resulted in comparable growth performance and nutrient digestibility of finishing pigs relative to pigs fed the control diet.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.538-544
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• 1998

One hundred and twenty-eight finishing pigs (51.3 kg average initial body weight) were used to determine the effects of adding cellulase enzymes and lactobacillus acidophilus to sorghum-based diets on growth performance, carcass merit, and nutrient digestibility in finishing pigs. Treatments were: 1) corn-soybean meal-based positive control; 2) sorghum-soybean meal-based negative control; 3) Diet 2 with celluloytic enzymes; and 4) Diet 2 with a bacterial feed additive (lactobacillus acidophilus). There was a trend for greater average daily gain (ADG) in pigs fed com versus the sorghum treatments for day 0 to 28 (p < .09), but there was no effect of treatment (p > .15) on overall ADG (i.e., day 0 to 63). Feed consumption was not affected by treatment during the experiment (p > .19). Pigs fed the corn-soybean meal-based diet had 3.5% greater overall gain/feed than pigs fed the other diets (p < .009). Dressing percentage was not affected by treatment (p > .22), but there was a trend for backfat thickness at the last rib to be greater for pigs fed com versus the sorghum treatments (p < .09). Pigs fed the sorghum treatments had 1 % greater fat free lean index (p < .10) compared to pigs fed the corn-soybean meal-based positive control. Pigs fed com had greater apparent digestibilities of DM, N, and GE than pigs fed the sorghum treatments (p < .03), and greater DE intake (p < .07) suggesting that the increased carcass fatness for pigs fed the corn-based control diet resulted from greater energy status of those pigs. In conclusion, pigs fed the corn-soybean meal-based control diet had no improved growth performance but tended to be fatter than pigs fed sorghum. Adding cellulolytic enzymes or a bacterial feed additive to diets for finishing pigs did not affect growth performance, carcass merit, or nutrient utilization.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.595-602
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• 2023

Feed processing methods can substantially enhance the nutrient value of feed. The aim of our study was to compare the effects of mash or crumble feed on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, back-fat thickness, and carcass quality of growing-finishing pigs. In total, 50 ([Landrace × Yorkshire] × Duroc) growing pigs with initial body weight of 46.24 ± 3.57 kg were randomly assigned to two dietary treatment groups. The two dietary treatments were: 1) mash and 2) crumble feed forms for 14 weeks of trials. Five replication pens per treatment, comprised five pigs (2 males and 3 females) each. Growth performance, nutrient digestibility, back-fat thickness, and carcass quality were observed at different weeks. There were no significant differences in growth performance, nutrient digestibility, back-fat thickness, and carcass quality throughout the experimental trial. Further study is required to understand the effects of mash and crumble feed on growing-finishing pigs.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.107-114
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• 2011

This study was designed to determine the effect of season and split-sex feeding on performance, stress and carcass quality of finishing pigs. Two hundred and seventy cross-bred finishing pigs $(82.1{\pm}0.82kg)$ were randomly divided into six groups in 2 seasons (summer and winter) ${\times}$ 3 split-sex feeding (female only, castrated male and mixed) factorial arrangement of treatments. In winter, feed intake and weight gain of finishing pigs were better than summer (p<0.05). Split-sex feeding was affected the feed conversion, feed conversion of finishing pigs were superior in winter and mixed groups. Plasma concentrations of cortisol as a stress indicators was greater in the mixed groups vs female only and castrated male groups. There were no interactions between the season and split-sex feeding in their effects on these blood variables. The season was affected the carcass characteristics and PSE incidence of the finishing pigs, PSE incidence was low in winter and mixed groups. Meat quality did not show any significant difference due to the difference of season and split-sex feeding of finishing pigs. There was no significant difference in the pH, drip loss and meat color of pork loin between the season and split-sex feeding of finishing pigs. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that we need more precise on-farm management practice in summer and application of split-sex feeding skills to reduce the stress and improve welfare status of finishing pigs.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.21-29
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• 1998

Four feeding trials with 260 pigs were conducted to evaluate the effects of supplementing the diet with different amino acids on growth performance and blood metabolites for weanling, growing and finishing pigs. One hundred twenty weanling pigs (Exp. 1, BW 8 kg), eighty growing pigs (Exp. 2. BW 20 kg), thirty growing pigs (Exp. 3, BW 29 kg) and thirty finishing pigs (Exp. 4, BW 50 kg) were randomly allotted to different dietary treatments according to sex and body weight. Pigs weight and feed consumption were measured at initiation and termination of each trial with 4 weeks. At the end of trial, blood samples from three pigs selected in each pen (Exp. 1) and each pig (Exp. 2) were obtained to determine the level of blood urea nitrogen, glucose, insulin and cortisol in the serum. In Exp. 1, pigs fed diet supplemented both with lysine and methionine had the best feed conversion ratio (p < 0.05), but no significant differences (p > 0.05) were observed in ADG and ADFI. Pigs receiving control diet obtained the obtained the optimal ADG (p < 0.05), ADFI (p < 0.05) and F/G for the whole period. No differences were detected in serum glucose, insulin and cortisol concentrations. In Exp. 2, pigs receiving the control diet exhibited the lowest serum urea nitrogen (p < 0.05), ADG, F/G and serum insulin concentration increased linearly (p < 0.05) with the inclusion of lysine, methionine, threonine and tryptophan in diets. No significant differences (p > 0.05) were detected for glucose and cortisol content in pigs serum among dietary treatments. In Exp. 3 and 4, pigs growth rate increased linearly (p < 0.01), and feed conversion efficiency was also improves by addition of lysine, methionine, threonine and tryptophan. In conclusion, pigs fed diets supplemented with lysine, methionine, threonine and tryptophan together obtained optimal growth performance in growing and finishing periods.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.275-282
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• 2020

Two experiments were conducted to examine the effects of the difference in energy concentration in diets on performance and nutrient digestibility of growing-finishing pigs. The experimental diets were as follows: 1) a normal energy level corn-soybean meal-based diet (CON) and 2) high-energy diet compared with the CON (HE). Pigs had free access to their feed and water ad labium for 6 weeks during each experimental period. In experiment 1, 60 growing pigs (initial body weight [BW] of 23.85 kg) were randomly allotted to 2 treatment groups with 5 replications (6 pigs·pen^-1). In experiment 2, 48 finishing pigs (initial BW = 65.13 kg) were randomly assigned to 2 treatment groups with 6 replications (4 pigs·pen^-1). The growth performance was measured at the beginning and end of each period. The apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) was determined by chromium oxide as an indigestible marker during the last 7 days of each experiment. In experiment 1, the dietary treatments did not affect the growth performance and ATTD of energy and nutrients. In experiment 2, no differences in growth performance were observed for pigs fed CON and HE throughout the experimental period. Additionally, dietary treatments did not affect the ATTD. In conclusion, the high energy content in diets for the growing-finishing period had no effect on the growth performance or digestibility, indicating that a wide range of energy content changes in diets would be required to affect the performance and digestibility of grower-finisher pigs. It is also necessary to understand the characteristics of components used to adjust the dietary energy concentration.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.28 no.9
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• pp.1345-1353
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• 2015

This study was conducted to investigate the influence of dietary rapeseed meal (RSM) on growth performance, blood profiles, nutrient digestibility and economic benefit of growing-finishing pigs. A total of 120 growing pigs ($[Yorkshire{\times}Landrace]{\times}Duroc$) with an initial body weight (BW) $29.94{\pm}0.06kg$ were used in this experiment. Pigs were randomly allotted into 1 of 5 treatments in a randomized complete block design and 6 replicates with 4 pigs per pen. Treatments were divided by dietary RSM supplementation levels (0%, 3%, 6%, 9%, or 12%) in growing-finishing diets. A linear decrease (p<0.05) of BW and average daily gain (ADG) were observed at 13th wk of finishing and overall periods of pigs. Additionally, gain-to-feed ratio (G/F) tended to decrease by dietary RSM supplementation in growing-finishing diets (linear, p = 0.07 and quadratic, p = 0.08). Concentrations of serum triiodothyronine and thyroxine were not influenced by dietary RSM treatments whereas thyroid gland and liver weight were increased at 13th wk of finishing period (linear, p<0.05; p<0.01) by increasing dietary RSM supplementation level. In blood profiles, serum total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations were not differed by dietary treatments at 13th wk of finishing period whereas concentration of serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol was affected by the supplementation level of RSM, resulting in a linear RSM level responses (p<0.05). Serum blood urea nitrogen concentration tended to decrease (linear, p = 0.07; p = 0.08) at 6th wk of growing and 13th wk of finishing periods and digestibility of dry matter tended to decrease by dietary RSM (linear, p = 0.09). Crude protein, crude fat and nitrogen retention, whereas, were not affected by dietary RSM supplementation level. In the economic analysis, feed cost per weight gain was numerically decreased when RSM was provided up to 9%. Consequently, RSM could be supplemented to growing-finishing diets up to 9% ($3.07{\mu}mol/g\;Gls$) without detrimental effects on growth performance of growing-finishing pigs.