• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.783-789
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• 2020

This study was conducted to evaluate growth performance of weaned pigs using diets based on ideal protein of the Korea swine feeding standard (KFS) and US the nutrient requirements of swine (NRC). A total of 96 weaned (initial body weight of 6.12 ± 1.21 kg) pigs were randomly allocated into 2 dietary groups with 12 pens per diet (4 pigs·pen-1) in a completely randomized design. The dietary treatments were corn and soybean meal-based diets formulated by the KFS and NRC nutrient requirements estimates for weaned pigs. Experimental diets were fed for 6 weeks in 2 phases feeding program based on age: 1) Phase 1 = week 1 to 3 (21 days); 2) Phase 2 = week 4 to 6 (21 days). During Phase 1 and 2, there were no differences (p > 0.05) for the initial and final body weights between the KFS and NRC groups. Additionally, the average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), and gain to feed ratio (G : F) during overall experimental period were not different between the groups. In conclusion, weaned pigs fed the diet based on the KFS had a similar body weight and growth performance to those fed the diet based on the NRC. This suggests that the Korea swine feeding standard may be used for the diet formula of weaned pigs in Korea swine production compared with the US nutrient requirements of swine.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.425-430
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• 1999

Complex environmental control systems were developed, which control properly the pig's environment in windowless pig-housing based on the thermoregulatory behaviors of pigs and concentrations of noxious gases (CO2 and NH3). The this study was conducted to assess the performance of complex environmental control systems by raising weaned piglets and growing pigs under different seasonal conditions. Average daily gain of pigs in the experimental pig-housing was slightly higher than that of pigs in the conventional pig-housing. Average daily gain was not significantly different in winter and spring(P＞0.05), but was significantly different in summer(P＜0.05). Feed conversion rate of pigs in the experimental pig-housing was smaller than that of pigs in the conventional pig-housing. Feed conversion rate was not significantly different in environment for weaned piglets and growing pigs resulted in the improved daily gain, feed conversion rate, and carcass quality of the finishing pigs. These results showed that the performance of the complex environmental control systems in windowless pig-housing was excellent for weaned piglets and growing pigs.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.16 no.12
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• pp.1770-1776
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• 2003

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of dietary glutamine (Gln) supplement on the performance and villus morphology of weaned pigs. In Exp. 1, 48 pigs were fed diets supplemented with 0, 0.5, 1.0, or 1.5% Gln for 28 days. Dietary Gln supplemented levels did not influence performance and plasma Gln concentration of weaned pigs. In Exp. 2, 48 weaned pigs were fed the same treatment diets of Exp. 1 for 7 or 14 days. Dietary Gln supplement reduced the ratio of small intestine weight to empty carcass weight at d 14 postweaning. However, the villus height and villus height/crypt depth ratio at the duodenum were increased. IgA and protein in the bile from d 7 and d 14 postweaning were higher in the pigs fed the diet supplemented with 0.5% Gln. Plasma IgA concentration was not influenced by dietary Gln levels. In conclusion, dietary Gln supplement might benefit the development of the small intestine and bile IgA production in weaned pigs.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.64 no.3
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• pp.462-470
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• 2022

The addition of dietary proteases (PRO) to weaner diets hydrolyzes soybean-based anti-nutritive factors and improves weaned pig's dietary digestibility and growth performance. Therefore, this study explores the effects of PRO in a lower crude protein (CP) level diet than that in a commercial diet on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and intestinal morphology of weaned pigs. A total of 90 weaned pigs were randomly assigned to 3 dietary treatments with 6 pigs per pen and 5 replicated pens per treatment using a randomized complete block design (block = body weight [BW]): 1) a commercial weaner diet as a positive control (PC; phase1 CP = 23.71%; phase2 CP: 22.36%), 2) lower CP diet than PC as a negative control (NC; 0.61% less CP than PC), and 3) an NC diet with 0.02% PRO. Pigs fed PC and PRO had higher (p < 0.05) final BW, average daily gain, and/or gain to feed ratio for the first three weeks and the overall experimental period than NC. The PC and PRO groups had greater (p < 0.05) apparent ileal digestibility of dry matter, CP, and energy than the NC group. Moreover, pigs fed PC and PRO increased (p < 0.05) apparent total tract digestibility of CP compared with those fed NC. In addition, the PRO group had a higher number of goblet cells than the PC and NC groups. However, pig fed PC and PRO increased (p < 0.05) villus height and height to crypt depth ratio in the ileum compared with those fed NC. In conclusion, PRO supplementation in a commercial weaner diet with low CP levels improves growth rate and nutrient digestibility by modulating the intestinal morphology of weaned pigs.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.33 no.8
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• pp.1301-1309
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• 2020

Objective: To evaluate the use of nurse sows and post-weaning nutrition strategies for low wean weight (WW) pigs on lifetime growth and efficiency. Methods: Animals (n = 270) were assigned to one of five treatments at 28 d. Low WW pigs (<6 kg) were either weaned and offered a special dietary regime recommended for low WW pigs (WEAN) or placed on a nurse sow (NURSE) and weaned at 49 d. Normal WW pigs (9 kg) (NORM) were also weaned at 28 d. After weaning, NORM and NURSE pigs were offered either a 'high' (4 kg/pig of starter 1 diet followed by 8 kg/pig of starter 2 diet) or 'low' (8 kg/pig of starter 2 diet) starter diet allowance in a 2×2 factorial arrangement. A typical grower diet was then offered, followed by a typical finisher diet until 147 d of age. Results: NORM pigs where heavier throughout their life compared to NURSE pigs (91.4 kg vs 76.2 kg at 147 d; p<0.001). WEAN pigs were heavier at 70 d compared to NURSE pigs (23.9 kg vs 21.0 kg; p<0.001), but there was no significant difference at 147 d between NURSE and WEAN treatments. NURSE pigs had reduced feed intake throughout the finishing period (1.6 kg/d; p<0.001) compared to WEAN (2.0 kg/d) and NORM (1.9 kg/d) pigs. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) of NURSE (2.20) was lower than NORM and WEAN during the finishing period (2.40 and 2.79, respectively). Conclusion: Extended (up to 49 d) nursing for low WW pigs resulted in improved FCR during the finishing period, but no overall improvement in growth rate compared to low WW pigs weaned at 28 d and offered a specialised starter regime. Normal WW pigs where significantly heavier than low WW pigs throughout the study.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.513-518
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• 2017

Soybean, one of most widely used swine feed component in the world, contains non-starch polysaccharides (NSP). The digestive system of weaned pigs is not yet fully developed, and thus weaned pigs cannot easily digest diets based on corn and soybean meal. Dietary exogenous enzymes supplementation has been intensively investigated to assist digestion of anti-nutritional factors, such as NSP. This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary enzyme cocktail on growth performance, intestinal morphology, and nutrient digestibility of weaned pigs. A total 36 weaned pigs ($5.92{\pm}0.48kg\;BW$; 28 d old) were randomly allotted to 2 dietary treatments (3 pigs/pen, 6 replicates/treatment) in a randomized complete block design. The dietary treatments were a typical diet based on corn and soybean meal (CON) and CON with 0.05% enzyme cocktail (Cocktail; mixture of xylanase, ${\alpha}-amylase$, protease, ${\beta}-glucanase$, and pectinase). Pigs were fed their respective diets for 6 wk. Growth performance, morphology of ileum, apparent ileal digestibility (AID) and apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of dry matter, crude protein, and energy of weaned pigs were measured. No significant differences (p > 0.05) were observed for growth performance for the duration of the experimental period, and morphology of ileum, and nutrient digestibility between CON and Cocktail treatment groups. Therefore, the results from the current study indicated that enzyme cocktail supplementation in diets had no influence on growth performance, intestinal morphology, and nutrient digestibility of weaned pigs.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.440-452
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• 2007

The low feed intake immediately after weaning is responsible for villous atrophy and reduced growth rate in newly-weaned pigs. Overcoming this drawback will produce beneficial results for swine producers, and this warrants an understanding of the factors affecting the feed intake in newly-weaned pigs. In fact, a plethora of factors exert influences on feed intake in newly-weaned pigs, and these factors encompass health status, creep feeding, weaning age, mixing of litters, environment, dietary nutrient level and balance, palatability of ingredients, forms of diet presentation, water supply and quality, and stockmanship. Due to the complexity of the factors that affect the feed intake of weaned pigs, a comprehensive approach should be adopted to overcome the low feed intake problem right after weaning. It warrants mention that it is almost impossible to completely restore the feed intake just after weaning to pre-weaning level in terms of energy intake through dietary means which are available for being practiced economically and/or technically in current swine production. However, a refined dietary regime will certainly alleviate the low feed intake problem in the immediate postweaning period.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.976-987
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• 1999

The process of weaning, no matter how carefully managed, results in changes in the gut of the pig that make it more susceptible to digestive upset, diarrhea and impaired appetite. The objective in developing feeding programs is to recognize these unique needs and facilitate a smooth transition to a dry feed. How well this is accomplished, has a significant impact on future performance. This paper provides a review of recent research on the nutrients required by early weaned pigs and examines what feedstuffs are available to provide those nutrients in a form that can be best utilized by the early weaned piglet.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.264-276
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• 2020

Objective: Two experiments were conducted to evaluate tetrabasic zinc chloride (TBZC) on the health of weaned pigs, and to determine the optimal supplemental concentrations and whether dietary TBZC could replace the pharmacological concentrations of dietary zinc oxide (ZnO) to improve growth performance and decrease Zn excretion in weaned pigs. Methods: In Exp. 1, 180 weaned pigs (8.92±1.05 kg body weight [BW]) were randomly assigned to 1 of 5 treatments, including the basal diet containing 125 mg/kg zinc sulfate (ZnSO₄), and the basal diet with 1,200, 1,800, 2,400, or 3,000 mg/kg TBZC supplementation. In Exp. 2, 240 weaned pigs (7.66±1.09 kg BW) were randomly assigned to 1 of 5 treatments, including a negative control diet without Zn supplementation, a positive control diet (2,250 mg/kg ZnO), and 3 experimental diets with different concentrations of TBZC supplementation (1,000, 1,250, and 1,500 mg/kg). Results: In Exp. 1, the average daily gain (ADG), feed efficiency (G:F) and diarrhea incidence responded quadratically (p<0.01) as the TBZC supplemental concentrations increased, and pigs fed 1,200 and 1,800 mg/kg TBZC showed the best growth performance. Moreover, 1,800 mg/kg TBZC supplementation showed the greatest (p<0.01) total antioxidant capacity and glutathione peroxidase activities in liver of pigs. Histopathological examination revealed lesions in heart, liver, lung and kidney, and mild or severe histological lesions mainly occurred with the supplementation of 2,400 and 3,000 mg/kg TBZC. In Exp. 2, 1,000 and 1,250 mg/kg TBZC supplementation in diets significantly (p<0.01) increased ADG and G:F of weaned pigs, reduced Zn excretion in feces, and had no effect on diarrhea-reducing compared to 2,250 mg/kg ZnO supplementation. Conclusion: The TBZC is a potential alternative to ZnO. The recommended concentration of TBZC in weaned pig diets is 1,000 to 1,250 mg/kg.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.29-35
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• 2001

The protective effects of egg yolk atibodies obtained from chickens immunized with fimbrial antigens from ETEC 987P were evaluated in 14 and 21 d old pigs in which ETEC diarrhea was induced. For the Exp. 1, eight early-weaned pigs($5.00{\pm}0.5kg$ average BW and 14 d average age) and eight weaned pigs($6.00{\pm}0.5kg$ average BW and 21 d average age) were used to examine influence of egg yolk antibodies on growth performance and resistance to ETEC 987P infection. Dietary treatments included 1) administered of commercial egg yolk(14 d of age; CEY14), 2) administered of egg yolk antibodies(14 d of age; EYA14), 3) administered of commercial egg yolk(21 d of age; CEY21), 4) administered of egg yolk antibodies(21 d of age; EYA21). The 14 and 21 d old pigs were challenged with 2 ml of ETEC 987P at a dose of $10^{10}\;CFU\;ml^{-1}$ per weaned pigs. Weaned pigs treated with egg yolk antibodies recovered and pigs treated with egg yolk antibodies tended to increase average daily gain(P<0.05). Also, EYA12 and EYA21 treatments were reduced coli-form bacteria concentration and increased Lactobacilli sp. concentration from feces. For the Exp. 2, sixteen weaned pigs($6.00{\pm}0.5kg$ average daily gain BW and 21 d average age) were used to examine influence of yolk or white from egg containing antibodies on growth performance and resistance to ETEC 987P infection. Dietary treatments included l) administered of commercial egg yolk(CEY), 2) administered of commercial egg white(CEW), 3) administered of egg yolk antibodies(EYA), 4) administered of egg white antibodies(EWA). Pigs treated only with EYA showed signs of recovery. Also, EYA treatment showed the best average daily gain without significant differences (P>0.05). EYA treatment was reduced coli-form bacteria concentration increased and Lactobacilli sp. concentration from feces. In conclusion, egg yolk antibodies have protective effects from pigs in which ETEC diarrhea was induced.