• 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.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.65 no.5
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• pp.1053-1064
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• 2023

Melatonin, which is produced from tryptophan, exerts various biological functions, including the regulation of circadian rhythm, sedative agents, and antioxidant ability. Therefore, we conducted two experiments with early-weaned rats and pigs to investigate the antioxidant and sedative effects of melatonin. In the rat experiment, a total of 42 rats (21 days old) were used, and the antioxidant capacity was determined. Next, we used 120 early-weaned piglets (21 days old) to conduct a 5-week experiment to evaluate the reductive effect of melatonin on energy-wasting movement, including roaming and fight states. Dietary melatonin supplementation significantly improved growth in both rats and pigs compared to the control groups. Additionally, rats fed a melatonin-supplemented diet showed advanced antioxidant capacity with a decrease in hepatic malondialdehyde concentration compared to rats fed a basal diet. Moreover, dietary melatonin ingestion increased resting and feeding behaviors and reduced roaming and fight behaviors during Days 8-21 compared to the control diet group. Collectively, early weaned animals given dietary melatonin supplementation showed improved growth through upregulation of hepatic antioxidant capacity and minimization of energy-wasting behavior, including roaming and fight states, after pigs' social hierarchy establishment.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.224-230
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• 2001

This study was conducted to evaluate the extruding effects of corn and wheat on growth performance and fecal digestibility of amino acids in early-weaned pigs. Ground corn and wheat by a hammer mill (3 mm screen in diameter) were extruded at $130{\pm}2^{\circ}C$ with a moist-type extruder ($Matador^{(R)}$). Treatments were: 1) 3 mm ground corn, 2) extruded corn, 3) 3 mm ground wheat, and 4) extruded wheat. A total of 160 pigs (14 d of age and $4.3{\pm}0.74kg$ BW) were allotted with the dietary treatments for a 21-d feeding trial. All diets were mash and contained 30% corn or wheat products. For a digestibility trial, 16 pigs (14-d old and $4.2{\pm}0.32kg$ BW) were employed in individual metabolic crates. There were no differences (p>0.15) in growth performance between corn-fed and wheat-fed groups. Feeding pigs diets containing extruded corn or wheat did not affect ADG (p>0.15) and ADFI (p>0.15), but it improved feed/gain (p<0.01). Also, feeding pigs diets containing extruded corn or wheat had lower true fecal digestibilities of arginine, histidine, isoleucine, lysine and valine (p<.007) in the pigs. In conclusion, our results suggest that extruding corn and wheat had no benefit on the growth of early-weaned pigs.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.511-515
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• 2000

Early weaning is a means of breaking the disease cycle from sow to piglet as well as capitalising on the enormous growth potential of the pig. However, the transition from milk to dry diets results in a growth check. Feeding of supplemental milk, fermented to reduce pH and enterotoxigenic bactetial proliferation, may be a means of gradually weaning pigs on to solid feed. This study involved 216 pigs weaned from the sow at 12 days of age, allocated to groups of 6 males and 6 females per weaner pen and allowed ad libitum access to a pelleted diet. In addition, half the pigs were given supplemental fermented skim milk for the first 8 days after weaning. Feeding supplemental fermented milk increased feed intake (104 vs. 157 g DM/d, p=0.011), average daily gain (-3 vs. 112 g/d, p<0.001) and feed conversion efficiency (0.01 vs. 0.81, p=0.003) over the first 8 days after weaning. The improvements observed in the supplemented pigs continued to be augmented such that, by 42 days of age, the pigs that had received supplemental fermented milk were heavier (9.6 vs. 11.5 kg, p=0.003) than their unsupplemented counterparts. Feeding fermented supplemental milk to early-weaned pigs can improve growth performance in the immediate and subsequent post-weaning period.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.567-573
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• 2008

This experiment examined the effect of dietary spray-dried bovine colostrum on intestinal histology and organ weights in early-weaned pigs. In a randomised complete block design, twelve 14-day-old weaner pigs were offered a diet containing either 5% spray-dried bovine colostrum or no colostrum (control). Diets were formulated to contain 14.8 MJ/kg DE, 1.26% available lysine and to meet or exceed requirements for other nutrients. Piglets were offered the diets for a period of 14 days. No effect of diet on growth rate or feed intake was observed (p>0.10). Small intestine weight was reduced by 12% in piglets consuming dietary bovine colostrum (p< 0.05). Villous height and crypt depth were increased and decreased, respectively, in the proximal jejunum, mid jejunum and distal ileum of pigs consuming dietary bovine colostrum (p<0.05). Mid-jejunal lamina propria $CD4^+$ and $CD8^+$ T lymphocyte density was increased by 28 and 37%, respectively, in piglets consuming dietary bovine colostrum (p<0.05). Diet did not affect thickness of tunica muscularis externa or tunica submucosa (p>0.10). Collectively, these results suggest a positive effect of dietary bovine colostrum on intestinal morphology and immune status in early-weaned pigs.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.777-785
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• 2010

The effect of two doses of different sources of zinc, inorganic (zinc oxide) or chelated (zinc glutamate chelate), on morphology and turn-over of the small intestine was assessed in early-weaned pigs orally challenged with enterotoxigenic E. coli K88 (ETEC). Sixty pigs weaned at 21 days were assigned to one of the following 5 diets: control (C); C+Zinc oxide (ZnO), either a 200 or a 2,500 mg Zn/kg dose; or C+zinc chelate with glutamic acid (Glu-Zn), either a 200 or a 2,500 mg Zn/kg dose. On d 2, the pigs were orally inoculated with 1.5 ml of a $10^{10}$ CFU/ml E. coli K88ac O148 suspension. Zinc supplements did not improve the performance of the pigs, but on d 5 faecal excretion of ETEC was reduced, and this was mainly due to high zinc doses (p<0.05). The villous height in the duodenum was improved by the zinc supplements (p<0.01) whatever the source and the level, whereas no effect was seen in the other two tracts of small intestine. The diet did not affect apoptosis and mitosis counts, while ETEC-susceptible pigs had more mitotic cells in the villi than non-susceptible pigs, particularly in the jejunum (p<0.01). The duodenum had fewer mitotic cells in the villi (p<0.05) and in the crypts (p<0.01) and more apoptotic cells in the villi. High dietary doses of ZnO or Zn-Glutamate improve villous height of the duodenum, but not of the jejunum and the ileum, and do not affect the epithelial proliferative activity and apoptotic index of intestinal mucosa of early-weaned pigs orally challenged with ETEC.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.908-913
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• 1999

This experiment was conducted in three trials to evaluate optimal ambient temperature for a novel milk replacer feeding system designed for early-weaned pigs, compared to commercial dry diets fed within a conventional hot nursery. A total of 165 PIC genotype pigs were weaned at $13.89{\pm}0.7$ days of age and allotted to one of two dietary treatments in three trials based on weight and litter origin. Each trial consisted of pigs fed dry diets (DD) and pigs fed milk replacer (MR) which was offered in one of 3 different ambient temperatures. Pigs fed milk replacer were housed in a specialized nursery building in which one half of each pen contained an enclosed hover that was thermostatically maintained at $32^{\circ}C$ while the exterior ambient temperature (where milk was fed) was set at either 17 (trial 1), 24 (trial 2) or $32^{\circ}C$ (trial 3). Pigs fed dry diets with the conventional nursery were maintained at $30^{\circ}C$ for each trial. From d 21 to d 49, all pigs were fed DD within a standardized hot nursery environment. During the first week (d 14-21), pigs fed MR showed increased ADG from 214% to 228% over control pigs fed DD (p<0.001), regardless of ambient temperature. As ambient temperature was increased from 17 to 24 to $32^{\circ}C$, ADG of MR-fed pigs was increased by 214%, 220% and 228% over those of pigs fed DD, respectively. ADFIs of MR-fed pigs at $17^{\circ}C$, $24^{\circ}C$, and $32^{\circ}C$ compared with pigs fed DD were increased by 108%, 139% and 164% from d 14 to d 21, respectively. Fed efficiency (G/F) of MR-fed pigs at $17^{\circ}C$, $24^{\circ}C$, and $32^{\circ}C$ compared with pigs fed DD were 199%, 162% and 139% of those of pigs fed DD, respectively. As ambient temperature increased, diarrhea scores showed a slight tendency to increase. The advantage of MR feeding was greater when the ambient temperature was higher, but G/F was impaired with increased ambient temperature. We conclude that ambient temperature within the specialized nursery influenced behavior, MR feed intake, and probably piglet energy expenditure. There were no differences between MR-fed and DD-fed pigs for ADG, ADFI and G/F in the subsequent growth period (d 21 to d 49, p>0.05). Maximal advantage of MR feeding was obtained at the intermediate ($24^{\circ}C$) ambient temperature during the overall period (p<0.05). Results from this experiment indicate that a milk replacer feeding system utilized in the early postweaning period can maximize pig growth performance, and that ADG, ADFI and G/F were affected by different ambient temperatures within MR-fed pigs. The high or low temperatures could not support the maximal growth of pigs fed MR.

• 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.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.17 no.8
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• pp.1139-1144
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• 2004

In Exp. 1, a total of 36 pigs (6.55$\pm$0.10 kg average initial body weight and 21 d average age) were used in a 14 d growth study to determine the effects of replacing spray-dried plasma protein (SDPP) with spray-dried egg protein containing specific egg yolk antibody (SDEP) on growth performance and nutrient digestibility in weaned pigs. The pigs were blocked by weight and assigned to treatments based on sex. There were three pigs per pen and four pens per treatment. Dietary treatments were 0, 3, or 6% SDEP and contained 6, 3, or 0% SDPP, respectively. Through the entire experimental period, average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), and gain/feed tended to decrease as the concentration of SDEP increased in the diets. However, there were no significant differences among the treatments (p>0.05). As the addition of SDEP in the diets increased, apparent digestibilities of dry matter (DM) and nitrogen (N) were decreased without significant (p>0.05). For Exp. 2, 36 pigs (2.63$\pm$0.04 kg average initial body weight and 10 d average age) were used in a 14 d growth study to determine the effects of antibiotic replacement with SDEP on growth performance and nutrient digestibility in early-weaned pigs. The pigs were blocked by weight and assigned to treatments based on sex. There were three pigs per pen and four pens per treatment. Dietary treatments included 1) ANTIBIOTIC (corn-dried whey-soybean meal based diet+0.08% antibiotics, 4 mg of tiamuline hydrogen fumarate; 10 mg of sulfadimidine per kg of complete diet), 2) SDEP0.1 (corndried whey-SBM based diet+0.1% SDEP), and 3) SDEP0.2 (corn-dried whey-SBM based diet+0.2% SDEP). ADG and gain/feed of pigs fed the SDEP0.2 diet were higher than for pigs fed the ANTIBIOTIC diet without significant (p>0.05). Pigs fed the diet with SDEP0.2 tended to have increased apparent digestibilities of DM and N compared to pigs fed the ANTIBIOTIC diet without significant (p>0.05). In conclusion, the dietary SDEP seemed to be partial replacing the SDPP portion of high nutrient dense diet for weaned pigs. Also, dietary SDEP seemed to be approximately 0.2% or more when the pigs fed the antibiotic-free diet for early-weaned pigs.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.12
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• pp.1738-1742
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• 2000

A study was conducted to determine the ileal digestibility (ID) of amino acids and feeding values of spray dried plasma protein (SDPP) and spray dried porcine intestine hydrolysate (SDPI) in early-weaned pigs. Twelve pigs aged 18 days old (Landrace${\times}$Yorkshire${\times}$Duroc; $5.83{\pm}0.51kg$ BW) were cannulated in the terminal ileum for determination of ID of amino acids. Ninety pigs ($6.28{\pm}0.1kg$, 18 days old) were also employed for a feeding trial during phase I period. Treatments were: 1) 6% SDPP, 2) 6% SDPI, and 3) 3% SDPP+3% SDPI. The apparent and true ID values of the essential amino acids except leucine, methionine and valine were lower (p<0.01) in SDPI than in SDPP. The average apparent ID of essential amino acids in SDPP and SDPI were 75.63 and 71.30%, and the average true ID of essential amino acids 84.83 and 80.51%, respectively. The ADG and feed conversion ratio in piglets fed the 6% SDPP diet were better (p<0.01) than in those fed the 6% SDPI diet. When 3% of SDPP was replaced by SDPI, however, the growth rate and efficiency of pigs were comparable to those in pigs fed 6% SDPP. In conclusion, SDPP can be partially replaced by SDPI without any detrimental effect on growth performance in early-weaned pigs.