Growth Performance and Clinicopathological Analyses in Lambs Repetitively Inoculated with Aluminum-Hydroxide Containing Vaccines or Aluminum-Hydroxide Only

Aluminum (Al) hydroxide is an effective adjuvant used in sheep vaccines. However, Al-adjuvants have been implicated as potential contributors to a severe wasting syndrome in sheep—the so-called ovine autoimmune-inflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants (ASIA syndrome). This work aimed to characterize the effects of the repetitive injection of Al-hydroxide containing products in lambs. Four flocks (Flocks 1–4; n = 21 each) kept under different conditions were studied. Three groups of seven lambs (Vaccine, Adjuvant-only, and Control) were established in each flock. Mild differences in average daily gain and fattening index were observed, indicating a reduced growth performance in Vaccine groups, likely related to short-term episodes of pyrexia and decreased daily intake. Clinical and hematological parameters remained within normal limits. Histology showed no significant differences between groups, although there was a tendency to present a higher frequency of hyperchromatic, shrunken neurons in the lumbar spinal cord in the Adjuvant-only group. Although Al-hydroxide was linked to granulomas at the injection site and behavioral changes in sheep, the results of the present experimental work indicate that injected Al-hydroxide is not enough to fully reproduce the wasting presentation of the ASIA syndrome. Other factors such as sex, breed, age, production system, diet or climate conditions could play a role.

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Effects of Supplementation with a Quebracho Tannin Product as an Alternative to Antibiotics on Growth Performance, Diarrhea, and Overall Health in Early-Weaned Piglets

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani11113316 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (11) ◽

pp. 3316

Author(s):

Min Ma ◽

James K. Chambers ◽

Kazuyuki Uchida ◽

Masanori Ikeda ◽

Makiko Watanabe ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Growth Performance ◽

Hematological Parameters ◽

Average Daily Gain ◽

Feed Conversion ◽

Weaned Piglets ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Vegetable Extract ◽

Diarrhea Incidence ◽

Quebracho Tannin ◽

Mucosal Thickness

This study assessed the feasibility of using a vegetable extract, MGM-P (quebracho tannin product), as an alternative to antibiotics for weaned piglets; it investigated MGM-P effects on growth performance, diarrhea, and overall health in early-weaned piglets. In total, 24 piglets were allocated to three treatment groups fed basal diets supplemented with 0, 0.2%, or 0.3% MGM-P for 20 days. The addition of 0.3% MGM-P to the diet of early-weaned piglets improved diarrhea incidence, hematological parameters, and intestinal mucosa structure. Furthermore, the addition of 0.2% or 0.3% MGM-P to the diet of early-weaned piglets did not affect their overall health. Importantly, MGM-P had no effects on average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), or feed conversion ratio (FCR). Gut morphology analysis showed that treatment with 0.3% MGM-P enhanced the jejunal villus height (p < 0.05) while reducing the ileal crypt depth (p < 0.05) and colon mucosal thickness (p < 0.05). Collectively, the findings suggested that the use of MGM-P as an alternative to dietary antibiotics could improve diarrhea incidence in early-weaned piglets without negative effects on growth performance or overall health.

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Genetic correlations between growth performance and carcass traits of purebred and crossbred pigs raised in tropical and temperate climates1

Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.1093/jas/skz229 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 97 (9) ◽

pp. 3648-3657 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Rodrigo M Godinho ◽

Rob Bergsma ◽

Fabyano F Silva ◽

Claudia A Sevillano ◽

Egbert F Knol ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Growth Performance ◽

Average Daily Gain ◽

Genetic Correlations ◽

Direct Selection ◽

Environment Interaction ◽

Finishing Pigs ◽

Genetic Progress ◽

Climate Conditions ◽

Pork Production ◽

Commercial Farms

Abstract In pig breeding, selection commonly takes place in purebred (PB) pigs raised mainly in temperate climates (TEMP) under optimal environmental conditions in nucleus farms. However, pork production typically makes use of crossbred (CB) animals raised in nonstandardized commercial farms, which are located not only in TEMP regions but also in tropical and subtropical regions (TROP). Besides the differences in the genetic background of PB and CB, differences in climate conditions, and differences between nucleus and commercial farms can lower the genetic correlation between the performance of PB in the TEMP (PBTEMP) and CB in the TROP (CBTROP). Genetic correlations (rg) between the performance of PB and CB growing-finishing pigs in TROP and TEMP environments have not been reported yet, due to the scarcity of data in both CB and TROP. Therefore, the present study aimed 1) to verify the presence of genotype × environment interaction (G × E) and 2) to estimate the rg for carcass and growth performance traits when PB and 3-way CB pigs are raised in 2 different climatic environments (TROP and TEMP). Phenotypic records of 217,332 PB and 195,978 CB, representing 2 climatic environments: TROP (Brazil) and TEMP (Canada, France, and the Netherlands) were available for this study. The PB population consisted of 2 sire lines, and the CB population consisted of terminal 3-way cross progeny generated by crossing sires from one of the PB sire lines with commercially available 2-way maternal sow crosses. G × E appears to be present for average daily gain, protein deposition, and muscle depth given the rg estimates between PB in both environments (0.64 to 0.79). With the presence of G × E, phenotypes should be collected in TROP when the objective is to improve the performance of CB in the TROP. Also, based on the rg estimates between PBTEMP and CBTROP (0.22 to 0.25), and on the expected responses to selection, selecting based only on the performance of PBTEMP would give limited genetic progress in the CBTROP. The rg estimates between PBTROP and CBTROP are high (0.80 to 0.99), suggesting that combined crossbred–purebred selection schemes would probably not be necessary to increase genetic progress in CBTROP. However, the calculated responses to selection show that when the objective is the improvement of CBTROP, direct selection based on the performance of CBTROP has the potential to lead to the higher genetic progress compared with indirect selection on the performance of PBTROP.

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Effect of Physical Form and Level of Wheat Straw Inclusion on Growth Performance and Blood Metabolites of Fattening Goat

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani10101861 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 1861

Author(s):

Muhammad I. Malik ◽

Muhammad A. Rashid ◽

Muhammad S. Yousaf ◽

Saima Naveed ◽

Khalid Javed ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Growth Performance ◽

Wheat Straw ◽

Hematological Parameters ◽

Average Daily Gain ◽

Neutral Detergent Fiber ◽

Blood Metabolites ◽

Ruminal Acidosis ◽

Physical Form ◽

Dietary Treatments ◽

Daily Gain

The inclusion of straw in high concentrate total mixed rations (TMRs) of male fattening goats can provide the necessary fiber to prevent ruminal acidosis and maintain growth. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the physical form (PF) of the diet (pelleted vs. conventional) and the straw level (SL) of wheat straw (WS) (15% versus 25%) in total mixed rations on feed intake, growth, total tract digestibility, and blood metabolites of fattening goats. Thirty-two male Beetal goats (27.4 ± 0.28 kg body weight (BW)) were divided randomly into the following four dietary treatments with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement (n = 8/treatment): (1) CTMR15 (conventional TMR containing 15% WS), (2) CTMR25 (conventional TMR containing 25% WS), (3) PTMR15 (pelleted TMR containing 15% WS), and (4) PTMR25 (pelleted TMR containing 25% WS). Both conventional and pelleted 15% WS TMR had 33.7% neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and 19.3% acid detergent fiber (ADF), whereas in 25% WS TMR the NDF and ADF contents were 38.7% and 22.9%, respectively. The experimental diets were formulated to be iso-nitrogenous (crude protein (CP) = 15%). The dry matter intake (DMI) (1.265 vs. 1.044 kg/day) and average daily gain (ADG) (0.176 vs. 0.143 kg/day) were higher (p < 0.05) in pelleted vs. conventional TMR-fed goats. Irrespective of the PF of the TMR, the 15% WS-fed animals had greater (p < 0.05) DMI (1.206 vs. 1.102 kg/day) and ADG (0.172 vs. 0.144 kg) when compared to those fed on 25% WS diets. Furthermore, feed-to-gain ratio (F:G) was higher (p < 0.05) in the 25% WS-fed goats when compared with the 15% WS-fed animals. Digestibility coefficients, nitrogen balancing, hepatic enzymes, blood metabolites, and hematological parameters were similar (p > 0.05) across all treatments. In conclusion, feeding pelleted TMR with WS improved DMI and growth performance as compared to those fed conventional TMR, and 15% WS performed better than 25% WS without exerting any adverse effects on blood metabolites, liver enzymes, or hematological parameters.

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The Effects of Single or Combined Supplementation of Probiotics and Prebiotics on Growth Performance, Dietary Energetics, Carcass Traits, and Visceral Mass in Lambs Finished under Subtropical Climate Conditions

Biology ◽

10.3390/biology10111137 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (11) ◽

pp. 1137

Author(s):

Alfredo Estrada-Angulo ◽

Octavio Zapata-Ramírez ◽

Beatriz I. Castro-Pérez ◽

Jesús D. Urías-Estrada ◽

Soila Gaxiola-Camacho ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Growth Performance ◽

Average Daily Gain ◽

Live Weight ◽

Climatic Conditions ◽

Feed Ratio ◽

Energetic Efficiency ◽

Net Energy ◽

Subtropical Climate ◽

Visceral Mass ◽

Climate Conditions

The aim of this trial was to test the effects of the use of eubiotics (pro- and prebiotics) alone or in combination in the diet of lambs finished under subtropical climate conditions. For this purpose, 40 Pelibuey × Katahdin lambs (29.5 ± 4.8 kg initial live weight) were used in a 93 day growth-performance experiment. Dietary treatments consisted of a cracked corn-based finishing diet supplemented with (1) no eubiotics (control), (2) 3 g of probiotics (live Saccharomyces cerevisiae, SC), (3) 3 g of prebiotics (mannan oligosaccharide plus b-glucans, MOS), and (4) a combination of 1.5 g of SC and 1.5 g of MOS (SC+MOS). Throughout the study, the average temperature humidity index (THI) was 78.60. Compared to controls, supplementation with SC or MOS, alone did not affect average daily gain (ADG), but enhanced feed efficiency by 5.6% and 6.9% (gain-to-feed ratio, G:F) and dietary net energy by 4.6% and 5.9%, respectively. Compared to controls, SC+MOS enhanced ADG (10%), G:F (9.5%), and dietary net energy (7.2%). Lambs fed SC+MOS had also greater ADG, G:F, and dietary net energy compared to lambs fed SC alone. When compared to MOS, the combination enhanced ADG (10.4%, p = 0.04). This effect could be attributed to the increased dry matter intake (7.6%, p = 0.06), as neither G:F nor dietary energy was significantly affected. Compared with controls and SC, supplementation with MOS alone and SC+MOS increased kidney–pelvic–heart fat, while SC supplementation tended (p = 0.08) to reduce 4.1% the relative intestinal mass (as a proportion of empty body weight) when compared to controls. Treatment effects on the other carcass measures were not significant. In the present study, supplemental probiotics and/or prebiotics improved dietary energetic efficiency in lambs finished under subtropical climatic conditions. The combination of probiotics with prebiotics reinforced this positive effect.

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The effect of anti-microbial peptide on the performance, survival rate, and diarrhea ratio the pig: A meta-analysis

Journal of the Indonesian Tropical Animal Agriculture ◽

10.14710/jitaa.46.3.270-281 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 46 (3) ◽

pp. 270-281

Author(s):

D. N. Adli ◽

O. Sjofjan ◽

M. M. Sholikin ◽

N. Qamariyah ◽

T. R. Priambodo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Body Weight ◽

Survival Rate ◽

Growth Performance ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Phase 1 ◽

Average Daily Gain ◽

Daily Intake ◽

In Vivo Studies ◽

Feed Conversion ◽

Total Phase

A meta-analysis conducted to determine effect of anti-microbial peptide (AMP) form on the per-formance of pig. A database was designed based on data published that reported used probiotic on pig. The method used in the selection of articles was based on the systematic review center for laboratory animal experimentation (SYRCLE's) method. The final database consisted of 41 in vivo studies with 241 treatments. The analysis statement in the system were R Version 3.6.30. In general, in the total phase, body weight and survival rate increased (p <0.05; quadratic) due to AMP administration. In continued of the phase 1, growth performance parameters [eg, body weight, average daily gain (ADG), and average daily intake (ADI), feed conversion ratio (FCR)] increased (p <0.05; quadratic) and FCR decreased (p <0.05; quadratic) due to SAP administration. In the total phase, parameters such as body weight, ADG, and survival rate increased (p <0.05; quadratic) while ADI tended to increase (p <0.1; linear) due to the increase in the CAP dose. Meanwhile, other parameters in the total phase, i.e. FCR decreased (p <0.05; quadratic). The optimal dose of CAP for the total phase was 21.406 mg/kg of feed with a predicted minimum FCR of 1.47. The AMP forms (SAP and CAP) improved (p <0.05) the pa-rameters of body weight, ADG, ADI, FCR, diarrhea ratios, and survival rate at each phase. In sum-mary, both form and dosage of the anti-microbial help to beneficial effect on the growth performance of pigs.

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47 Effects of Lactobacillus and Bacillus Probiotics on Pre-ruminating Calf Growth Performance and Efficiency

Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.1093/jas/skab054.255 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 99 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 149-150

Author(s):

Sydney M Bowman ◽

Steven T Quantz ◽

Tom Rehberger ◽

Kellen Habib ◽

Kristen Smith ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Growth Performance ◽

Block Design ◽

Average Daily Gain ◽

Daily Intake ◽

Feed Ratio ◽

Milk Replacer ◽

Average Weight ◽

Average Growth ◽

Calf Growth ◽

The Impact

Abstract Lactobacillus and Bacillus probiotics may serve as an alternative to antibiotics in milk replacer for pre-ruminant calves by altering gastrointestinal microflora to prevent the proliferation of harmful bacteria. However, there are limited studies evaluating their impact on calf growth and efficiency. The objective of this trial was to discover the impact of probiotic-containing milk replacer on pre-ruminating calf growth performance. A total of 44 pre-ruminant calves (50% Angus/50% Holstein, average weight 39.3 kg + 7.5 kg) were fed milk replacer with either no probiotic or 1.25x10^9 colony forming units/head/day of a probiotic blending containing Lactobacillus and two different Bacillus species (Church & Dwight Animal Nutrition (Princeton, NJ). Calves were blocked by age and randomly assigned within block to one of two treatments in a randomized complete block design. Calf was the experimental unit, with 22 calves per treatment. Calf weight and hip height was measured on d 0 and 30 to calculate average daily gain (ADG) and average growth per day. Calves were offered 1.36 kg milk replacer [15% dry matter (DM)] twice daily and up to 0.5 kg starter feed (88% DM) once daily. Refusals were recorded to calculate average daily intake and gain to feed ratio (G:F). Initial weight differed (P = 0.020) between treatments, and was therefore used as a covariate in all response criteria. Calves fed milk replacer with probiotic had greater (P < 0.05) ADG (0.53 vs. 0.42 kg/d, respectively) and G:F (0.50 vs. 0.41, respectively) than those fed the control. There was no evidence (P >0.05) that probiotic inclusion impacted hip height on d 30 or daily intake. In summary, Lactobacillus and Bacillus probiotic inclusion in milk replacer improved calf growth performance without impacting intake. Subsequent research is warranted to elucidate mode of action and evaluate impact relative to an antibiotic-containing positive control.

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Effects of inorganic and organic selenium sources on the growth performance of broilers in China: A meta-analysis

Open Life Sciences ◽

10.1515/biol-2021-0007 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

pp. 31-38

Author(s):

Chunbo Wei ◽

Xiuwei Lin ◽

Ying Zhang ◽

Xuanchen Wan ◽

Haotong Wu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Growth Performance ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Scientific Journal ◽

Average Daily Gain ◽

Random Effect ◽

Random Effect Model ◽

Daily Intake ◽

Feed Conversion ◽

China National Knowledge Infrastructure ◽

Organic Selenium

Abstract This study aims to investigate the effects of different selenium (Se) sources on the growth performance of Chinese broilers and provide a scientific rationale for adding Se additives to broiler feed. Relevant studies that meet standard inclusion criteria were identified and extracted from China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Wanfang and Chinese Scientific Journal (VIP) databases. A total of 9 studies with 539 subjects were included. A meta-analysis was performed with STATA15.0 to estimate the combined standardized mean difference (SMD) with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Heterogeneity test of articles was examined by Q-test, and the results showed that P values of feed conversion ratio, average daily gain (ADG), and average daily intake were all less than 0.05, suggesting a strong heterogeneity among the selected literature. Therefore, the random effect model is selected to calculate the SMD of the three indexes. The combined SMDs (95% CI) of feed:gain, ADG, and average daily feed intake (ADFI) were −0.39 (−1.03, 0.25), 0.26 (−0.29, 0.81), and −1.45 (−3.09, 0.20), respectively, and the P values were all less than 0.05. This study shows that the absolute differences in the growth performance (feed:gain, ADG, and ADFI) of broilers fed with either organic or inorganic Se supplements at the same dose were quite small. The P values of Egger’s test were 0.770, 0.089, and 0.426, respectively, for the above indexes, showing no significant publication bias. Sensitivity analysis ensured the stability and reliability of the results. In summary, the effects of organic and inorganic Se in feed on the growth performance of broilers are statistically equal.

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Effect of γ-aminobutyric acid on growth performance, behavior and plasma hormones in weaned pigs

Canadian Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.4141/cjas2013-148 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 95 (2) ◽

pp. 165-171 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Y. H. Li ◽

F. Li ◽

M. Liu ◽

J. J. Yin ◽

B. J. Cheng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Growth Performance ◽

Average Daily Gain ◽

Plasma Concentrations ◽

Daily Intake ◽

Basal Diet ◽

Aminobutyric Acid ◽

Feed Consumption ◽

Weaned Pigs ◽

Plasma Hormones ◽

Performance Behavior

Li, Y. H., Li, F., Liu, M., Yin, J. J., Cheng, B. J., Shi, B. M. and Shan, A. S. 2015. Effect of γ-aminobutyric acid on growth performance, behavior and plasma hormones in weaned pigs. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 95: 165–171. The study was conducted the effects of dietary γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA, 0 and 30 mg kg−1) on average daily intake, growth performance, behavior and plasma hormone levels in weaned pigs. A total of 96 28-d-old healthy weaned male pigs (Duroc×Landrace×Yorkshire) with similar weight were randomly assigned into two groups. Six units were included in each treatment, with eight pigs in each unit. The trial lasted 35 d. Four pigs were exchanged between every two pens in the same treatment on day 28. No difference was observed on average daily feed intake, average daily gain and feed-to-gain ratio between the pigs fed 30 mg kg−1 GABA diets and the pigs fed basal diet, respectively. Longer feed consumption time and lower biting incidences were observed in pigs fed GABA, compared with those fed basal diet, respectively. Plasma growth hormone concentration was significantly increased and the plasma concentrations of adrenocorticotrophic hormone and cortisol were lower in weaned pigs in the GABA supplementation group on day 35. Dietary GABA significantly increased the plasma neuropeptide Y concentration on day 14 and day 35. It is indicated that dietary GABA reduced aggressive behavior and regulated endocrine hormones in weaned pigs, ultimately reducing the negative influences of stress (weaning and mixing) on the pigs.

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INFLUENCE OF HIGH-PROTEIN FEED ADDITIVE ON THE PRODUCTIVITY OF THE MEAT BULL-CALVES

Adaptive Fodder Production ◽

10.33814/afp-2222-5366-2019-3-6-11 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2019 (3) ◽

pp. 6-11

Author(s):

Батырхан Абилов ◽

Batyrkhan Abilov ◽

Лариса Пашкова ◽

Larisa Pashkova

Keyword(s):

Hematological Parameters ◽

Physiological State ◽

Average Daily Gain ◽

Live Weight ◽

Feed Additive ◽

North Caucasus ◽

Agricultural Enterprise ◽

Bull Calves ◽

Economic Indices ◽

High Level

The article presents the data obtained as a result of carrying by employees of the Research Institute of sheep and goat breeding, a branch of the FSBSI "North Caucasus FARC", the scientific and economic experience to study the efficiency of a new fodder additive "Organic" on the productive and physiological indices of bull-calves during the completion of growing in the conditions of the farm "Pata" agricultural enterprise in the Karachay-Cherkessia Republic. The statement of the experience and all researches were carried out according to generally accepted methods. In the course of the experiment, the following indices were studied: the chemical compound of forages, the dynamics of a live weight gain in the experimental stock, hematological parameters, control slaughter data, economic indices. Completed researches have shown positive result from the use of the fodder additive "Organic" in bull-calves diets: an increase in the average daily gain of live weight by 25%, a slaughter yield by 1% and a high level of profitability – 27%. Thus, the additional introduction of "Organic" in a diet of young horned cattle in the 2nd experimental group promoted more intensive metabolism, stabilization of a physiological state, increase in productivity and, as a consequence, profitability of beef production. Researches in this direction reveal the latent fodder reserves promoting increase in the productivity of agricultural animals.

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Effects of Fumonisin-Contaminated Corn on Growth Performance of 9 to 28 kg Nursery Pigs

Toxins ◽

10.3390/toxins12090604 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (9) ◽

pp. 604

Author(s):

Zhong-Xing Rao ◽

Mike D. Tokach ◽

Jason C. Woodworth ◽

Joel M. DeRouchey ◽

Robert D. Goodband ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Growth Performance ◽

Linear Response ◽

Animal Feed ◽

Average Daily Gain ◽

Fumonisin B1 ◽

Nursery Pigs ◽

Feed Production ◽

Dietary Treatments ◽

Daily Gain ◽

Effect Of Feeding

Fumonisin contamination in corn is an emerging issue in animal feed production. Fumonisin disrupts the metabolism of sphingolipids and reduces growth performance. This experiment was conducted to determine the effect of feeding fumonisin-contaminated corn on growth performance and sphinganine (SA) to sphingosine (SO) ratios of 9 to 28 kg pigs. A total of 350 pigs, were used with 5 pigs/pen and 14 pens/treatment. Dietary treatments contained fumonisin-contaminated corn (50 mg/kg of fumonisin B1 + B2) blended with low fumonisin corn (10 mg/kg of fumonisin B1 + B2) to provide dietary fumonisin concentrations of 7.2, 14.7, 21.9, 32.7, and 35.1 mg/kg. From day 0 to 28, increasing fumonisin concentration decreased (linear, p < 0.001) average daily gain, average daily feed intake (linear, p = 0.055), and gain:feed ratio (linear, p = 0.016). Although these response criteria tested linear, the greatest reduction in performance was in pigs fed with 32.7 and 35.1 mg/kg of fumonisin (B1 + B2). Increasing fumonisin concentration increased the serum SA:SO ratio (linear, p < 0.001) on day 14 and 28. In summary, for 9 to 28 kg nursery pigs, increasing fumonisin linearly decreased average daily gain and gain:feed ratio. However, despite the linear response, diets containing up to 21.9 mg/kg of fumonisin did not have as dramatic a decrease in growth performance as those fed more than 32.7 mg/kg. Further research is warranted to determine the effect of fumonisin concentrations between 21.9 and 32.7 mg/kg.

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