Effect of litter size, milk replacer and housing on behaviour and welfare related to sibling competition in litters from hyper-prolific sows

The aim of this review is to examine the effect of milk supplementation on pigs’ carbohydrate metabolism. These parameters regulate the growth of piglets, the nutrient intake and the period of pre-weaning. Due to the increased litter size, the sow milk yield reaches an individual maximum. The individual maximum has not increased proportionally with the number of piglets born alive. The use of liquid milk supplementation may give the opportunity to keep these large litters. The examined hormones are insulin, insulin-like growth factor, growth hormone, growth hormone releasing hormone, ghrelin and leptin. This review seeks to find these hormones’ interactions.

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Effects of Increased Dietary Protein and Energy on Composition and Functional Capacities of Blood Mononuclear Cells from Vaccinated, Neonatal Calves

International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research ◽

10.1024/0300-9831.75.5.357 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 75 (5) ◽

pp. 357-368 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Foote ◽

Nonnecke† ◽

Waters ◽

Palmer ◽

Beitz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Weight Gain ◽

B Cell ◽

Dietary Protein ◽

Crude Protein ◽

Interleukin 2 ◽

Milk Replacer ◽

Standard Diet ◽

Gamma Delta ◽

Ifn Gamma ◽

Functional Capacities

Effects of increased protein and energy provided by an intensified milk replacer on the antigen-specific, cell-mediated immune response of the neonatal calf were examined. Calves were fed a standard (0.45 kg/day of a 20% crude protein, 20% fat milk replacer; n = 11) or intensified (1.14 kg/day of a 28% crude protein, 20% fat milk replacer; n = 11) diet from 0 to 6 weeks of age. All calves were vaccinated with Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) at 1 week of age. The daily weight gain of intensified-diet calves (0.62 kg/day) was greater than the weight gain of standard-diet calves (0.29 kg/day). Liver, kidney, heart, thymus, and subcervical lymph nodes from intensified-diet calves were heavier than the same organs from standard-diet calves. Flow cytometric analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) populations indicated that CD4+ cells, gamma delta TCR+ cells, and monocyte percentages, although unaffected by diet during the first 5 weeks of the study, were higher in intensified-diet calves at week 6. The decline in gamma deltad TCR+ cell percentages and increase in B cell percentages with increasing age seen in all calves are characteristic of the maturing immune system of the calf. CD8+ T cell or B cell percentages were not affected by diet. In intensified-diet calves, percentages of CD4+ expressing interleukin-2 receptor increased and percentages of gamma delta TCR+ cells expressing interleukin-2 receptor decreased with time. The same populations in standard-diet calves did not change with time. Percentages of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, and B cells expressing MHC class II antigen, were unaffected by diet or age. Although mitogen-induced interferon (IFN)-gamma and nitric oxide (NO) secretion increased with age for all calves, PBMC from intensified-diet calves produced less IFN-gamma and more NO than did cells from standard-diet calves at week 6 of the study. Antigen-induced secretion of IFN-gamma and NO also increased with age but was unaffected by diet. Antigen-elicited delayed-type hypersensitivity was unaffected by diet, suggesting increased dietary protein and energy did not alter adaptive immunity in vivo. Overall, these results suggest that feeding calves a commercially available, intensified milk replacer affects minimally the composition and functional capacities of PBMC populations. Additional research is necessary to determine whether these subtle effects influence the calf’s susceptibility to infectious disease.

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Pituitary and ovarian response to transient doe-litter separation in nursing rabbits

Reproduction ◽

10.1530/reprod/118.2.361 ◽

2000 ◽

pp. 361-366 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

E Ubilla ◽

PG Rebollar ◽

D Pazo ◽

AI Esquifino ◽

JM Alvarino

Keyword(s):

Pituitary Gland ◽

Litter Size ◽

Artificial Insemination ◽

Ovarian Response ◽

Major Effect ◽

Free Access ◽

Plasma Prolactin ◽

Follicular Waves ◽

Higher Sensitivity

The effects of a transient doe-litter separation on plasma prolactin, FSH and oestradiol concentrations, as well as the effect on LH response to exogenous GnRH administered at the time of artificial insemination, were determined in nursing rabbits. The effects on fertility, and litter size after parturition, as well as litter survival after doe-litter separation, were also studied. Control does (n = 12) had free access to nursing, whereas biostimulated does (n = 12) were separated from their litters for 48 h before artificial insemination. Plasma prolactin concentrations were decreased 24 h after the doe-litter separation (P < 0.05). The response of prolactin to suckling reached 10 times the basal values measured on day 10 after parturition (P < 0.0001). Increased oestradiol concentrations were found during the 48 h after the doe-litter separation: at 0 h, before artificial insemination (P< 0. 0001), 1.0-2.0 h after artificial insemination (P < 0.001), at 2.5 h (P < 0.05), 3.0 h (P < 0.01), and at 3.5 h (P < 0.05) after artificial insemination. Exogenous GnRH administered at the time of artificial insemination caused a greater LH response in does previously separated from their litters during 48 h (P < 0.01). The transient doe-litter separation did not affect plasma FSH concentrations, fertility, litter size or litter survival. These results suggest that a transient separation of nursing does from their litters before artificial insemination results in a decrease in plasma prolactin concentrations that could promote growth of follicular waves, and high steroidogenesis activity, leading to increased oestradiol concentrations and inducing higher sensitivity of the pituitary gland to exogenous GnRH. These findings associated to the absence of suckling episodes would lead to higher LH response and, therefore, exert a major effect on fertility.

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Effects of Fetus Weight, Dam Strain, Dam Weight, and Litter Size on the Craniofacial Morphogenesis of CL/Fr Mouse Fetuses Affected with Cleft Lip and Palate

The Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal ◽

10.1597/1545-1569_1997_034_0325_eofwds_2.3.co_2 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 34 (4) ◽

pp. 325-330 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Kazuaki Nonaka ◽

Yasunori Sasaki ◽

Yoshihisa Watanabe ◽

Ken-ichi Yanagita ◽

Minoru Nakata

Keyword(s):

Litter Size ◽

Cleft Lip ◽

Cleft Lip And Palate ◽

Craniofacial Morphology ◽

Strain Effect ◽

Craniofacial Growth ◽

Lateral Cephalogram ◽

Mouse Fetus ◽

Mouse Fetuses ◽

Craniofacial Morphogenesis

Objective: This study examined the factors related to the morphogenesis of the craniofacial complex of the CL/Fr mouse fetus affected with CLP based on the findings of a lateral cephalogram. Design: Embryo transfer experiments were performed to determine the effect of the fetus weight, dam strain, dam weight, and litter size on the intra-uterine craniofacial morphogenesis of CL/Fr mouse fetuses. On the 18th gestational day, each pregnant dam that had received CL/Fr mouse embryos was laparotomized to remove the transferred fetuses that had developed in the uteri of the cleft lip and palate (CLP)-susceptible CL/Fr strain dam and the CLP-resistant C57BL strain dam. A cephalometric observation of the craniofacial morphology of each fetus was subsequently performed. Results: Based on a multiple regression analysis, the standardized partial regression coefficients of the affected fetus weight, the dam weight, and the litter size on the maxillary size of the affected CL/Fr fetus were 0.71 (p < .01), 0.03, and −0.07. According to a least-squares analysis of variance, the dam strain effect in addition to the effect of the affected fetus weight on the maxillary size and the cranial size of the affected fetuses was significant (p < .01 for cranial size, p < .05 for maxillary size) and close to a significant level (p = .09) for the mandibular size of the affected fetuses. The adjusted maxillary size and cranial size after statistically eliminating the effects of the affected fetus weight, dam weight, and lifter size on each original craniofacial size of the affected fetuses that had developed in the CL/Er dam strain were also significantly smaller than those of the affected fetuses that had developed in the C57BL dam strain. Conclusions: The present results indicate that the craniofacial growth of the CL/Fr mouse fetus affected with CLP increased in proportion to the fetus weight. The dam strain effect, in addition to the effect of the affected fetus weight, could thus not be ignored when the etiology of the spontaneous CLP was examined, while the uterine environment, provided by the CL/Fr strain dam, retarded the intra-uterine craniofacial growth of the affected fetuses. It was therefore concluded that the dam strain effect, as well as the effect of the affected fetus weight, both play an important role on the craniofacial morphogenesis of the CL/Fr strain of the affected fetuses that developed in both strain dams.

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