• Title/Summary/Keyword: Pens

Search Result 507, Processing Time 0.02 seconds

Interaction effects of pen environment and sex on behavior, skin lesions and physiology of Windsnyer pigs

  • Mkwanazi, Mbusiseni Vusumuzi;Kanengoni, Arnold Tapera;Chimonyo, Michael
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
    • /
    • v.32 no.3
    • /
    • pp.452-458
    • /
    • 2019
  • Objective: The study was carried to determine the interaction effects of pen enrichment and sex on behavioral activities, skin lesions and physiology of Windsnyer pigs. Methods: Forty-eight growing Windsnyer pigs of both sex, with an average initial body weight of 21.6 (${\pm}9.01$) kg were used. Four pigs were randomly assigned to either enriched or barren pens at a stocking density of $0.35m^2/pig$. Enriched pens contained 2 L bottles filled with stones and suspended at head level on ropes stretching across the pens. In addition, two plastic balls (90 mm in diameter) and 500 mL bottles (235 mm long) were placed on the floor of each enriched pen. Results: Pigs in barren environments had higher heart rates (p<0.001) than those in enriched pens. There was an interaction of pen environment and sex on rectal temperature (p<0.001). Females in enriched pens had higher rectal temperatures (p<0.05) than females in barren pens. There was no interaction of pen environment and sex on time spent eating and drinking (p>0.05). Time spent bullying was influenced (p<0.05) by pen environment and sex. Female pigs in barren environment spent more time on bullying than females in enriched pens. There was an interaction of pen environment and sex on time spent lying down and walking (p<0.05). Female pigs in enriched pens spent more time lying down than females in barren pens. Males in barren pens spent more time walking than males in enriched pens while no effect of pen environment was observed in females. There was an interaction of pen environment and sex on the number of skin lesions in the head, neck and shoulder region and other parts of the body (p<0.05). Conclusion: It was concluded that pen enrichment reduced the number of skin lesions and anti-social behaviors, especially for female pigs. There is a need, therefore of housing indigenous pigs under confinement.

Effects of Housing Systems on Physiological and Immunological Parameters in Laying Hens

  • Kang, Sung-Young;Ko, Young-Hyun;Moon, Yang-Soo;Sohn, Sea-Hwan;Jang, In-Surk
    • Journal of Animal Science and Technology
    • /
    • v.55 no.2
    • /
    • pp.131-139
    • /
    • 2013
  • The aim of this study was to assess the effects of housing systems on physiological and immunological responses as stress indicators in laying hens. A total of 500 White Leghorn aged 16 weeks were allotted into ten conventional cages (10 birds/cage and 810 $cm^2$/bird) and four floor pens (100 birds/pen and 2,800 $cm^2$/bird) for 24 weeks. The hens housed in conventional cages with higher stocking density resulted in a significantly (P<0.05) lower BW compared with those housed in floor pens with lower stocking density without affecting the relative weights of immune organs between housing conditions. In plasma biochemical values, cholesterol and corticosterone were significantly (P<0.05) lower in the hens housed in floor pens compared with those housed in conventional cages. In pro-inflammatory cytokines, hepatic interleukin (IL)-10 and interferon-gamma (IFN-${\gamma}$) levels were significantly (P<0.05) higher in the hens housed in conventional cages compared with those kept in floor pens. Splenic and thymic IFN-${\gamma}$ expression was significantly (P<0.05) up-regulated in the hens kept in conventional cages compared with those kept in floor pens without affecting IL-1, IL-10, lipopolysaccharide- induced tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ factor (LITAF) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). In the bursa of Fabricius, IL-10 and iNOS expression of the hens housed in conventional cages were significantly (P<0.05) higher compared with those of the hens housed in floor pens. In conclusion, layers housed in conventional cages enhanced plasma cholesterol, corticosterone and some pro-inflammatory cytokines in the immune organs compared with those in floor pens.

Effect of Percutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation on the Spinal Neuron Excitability in STZ-induced Diabetic Rats. (피하신경전기자극이 STZ-유도 당뇨 쥐의 척수신경원 흥분성에 미치는 효과)

  • Kim, Yang-Ho;Jeong, Jin-Gyu;Kim, Tae-Youl
    • Journal of the Korean Academy of Clinical Electrophysiology
    • /
    • v.2 no.2
    • /
    • pp.13-23
    • /
    • 2004
  • This study aimed at examining the effects of percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation(PENS) applied to different parts of the streptozotocin(STZ) induced diabetic rats on the change of glucose level and spinal neuron excitability. A total of twenty-eight SD rats, divided into four groups, were used as experiment animal. Experiment group I, the normal control group, was composed of normal rats without diabetes induction. Experiment group was composed II of the rats without any treatment after experimental diabetes induction. Experiment group III was composed of the rats with 2 Hz and $200\;{\mu}s$ of PENS to the acupuncture points related with diabetes for 20 minutes after diabetes induction. Experiment group IV was composed of the rats with 2 Hz and $200\;{\mu}s$ of PENS to the parts unrelated with diabetes for 20 minutes after diabetes induction. The results can be summarized as follow: As for glucose level, the group I showed no change within normal range, and the group III showed significant increase, compared with other groups (p<0.05). As for the change of H latency, M and H amplitude, the group III showed significant differences in decrease of latency and amplitude (p<0.05). As for Hmax/Mmax ratio, the normal and other groups showed no significant differences in decrease of amplitude. It can be concluded from the above results that PENS to the acupuncture points of the STZ-induced diabetic rats was effective for spinal neurone excitability, in particular, for those of the group with PENS to the acupuncture points. This study was conducted in the period of acute diabetes induction, and therefore, further study should be conducted in the period of chronic diabetes to research both acute and chronic diabetes.

  • PDF

Preliminary survey of swine internal parasites at the sawdust fermentation floor system (발효톱밥돈사에 대한 돼지 내부기생충 조사)

  • Jang, Du-hwan;Noh, Jae-wuk;Kang, Du-weon
    • Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
    • /
    • v.31 no.4
    • /
    • pp.509-513
    • /
    • 1991
  • Preliminary survey on the prevalence of swine internal parasites was carried out at 91 pens of 4 piggeries being operated by the sawdust fermentation floor system in Kyunggi province. To investigate the effects of viability of eggs., larva and cysts, temperatures at the underlayer of the sawdust floor and rooms of pens were taken three times a day for 8 days. In a pig farm which has been operated by the sawdust fermentation floor system for G years, eggs and larva of Ascaris suum, Trichuris suis, Oesophagostomum sp., Hyostrongylus sp. and Strongyloides ransomi were detected from 42(70.0%) among 60 pens. Cysts and oocysts of coccidia, Balantidium coli, Entamoeba sp. were also detected from 50(83.3%) among 60 pens. In three pig farms which have been operated by the sawdust fermentation floor system for one year, eggs and larva of nematoda were not detected at all, and the contamination rates of protozoan cysts and oocysts was relatively low situation. The change of the temperature in the pig room was variable according to outside condition, whereas that in underfloor was consistently stable between $28^{\circ}C$ to $30^{\circ}C$ which was strictly suitable for the development of eggs, larva and cysts.

  • PDF

A Study on the Ergonomic features and Their Improvements in Pen Design (필기구 디자인의 인간공학적 제요소와 개선에 관한 연구)

  • 이재환
    • Archives of design research
    • /
    • v.13 no.3
    • /
    • pp.253-260
    • /
    • 2000
  • Writing instruments or pens have many features not commonly found in other products in terms of their structure and characteristics of use. That is, different pens are usually composed of almost identical parts and/or structure. The fact they work always grabbed in hands considered, the ergonomic design of pens is essential. Reports indicate consumers evaluate pens in writing comfort above all other factors when they select pens. Among various factors related to writing comfort, it shouldspecifically be the ergonomic improvements that design can effectively contribute to. Studies on the pen-grabbing comfort or on approaches based on the understanding of human-work relationships generally lack when compared with fashion-conscious aesthetic approaches to pen design. This paper, therefore, aims to reestablish the ergonomic design criteria including the necessities of specifications required to provide indispensable data for the pen design processes. Consequently, it should produce basic set of information for systematic approach to pen design and development, which is commonly called'concurrent engineering'. Also a cost-effective solution for product diversification strategy could be attributed to a modular system database based on the result of this attempt.

  • PDF

Comparison of Production Performance and Stress Response of White Leghorns Kept in Conventional Cages and Floor Pens (백색레그혼 종에 있어 케이지 사육과 평사 사육 간의 생산능력과 스트레스 반응 정도 비교)

  • Choi, Eun Sik;Cho, Eun Jung;Jeong, Hyeon Cheol;Kim, Bo Kyung;Sohn, Sea Hwan
    • Korean Journal of Poultry Science
    • /
    • v.47 no.3
    • /
    • pp.189-197
    • /
    • 2020
  • This study was conducted to compare the production performance and stress response of chickens kept in the conventional cages and floor pens. 491 female White Leghorns were used in this study, and their production characteristics and stress response indicators were analyzed from 34 to 43 weeks of age. The results showed that there was no significant difference in survival rate, hen-day egg production, and body weight between the chickens kept in the conventional cages and those kept in the floor pens. The chickens kept in the conventional cages had a significantly higher egg weight and egg quality compared with those kept in the floor pens (P<0.01). The amount of telomeric DNA in lymphocytes was significantly higher in the chickens kept in floor pens than in those kept in conventional cages (P<0.05). The heterophil-lymphocyte ratio, HSP-90β gene expression level, and DNA damage rate significantly increased in chickens kept in the conventional cages, as compared to the chickens kept in floor pens (P<0.01). In conclusion, there seems to be no difference in the production performance between chickens kept in conventional cages and those kept in floor pens. Furthermore, chickens kept in conventional cages had higher stress response values than those kept in floor pens for all stress response indicators. Therefore, conventional cage types are considered to be a more stressful environment for chickens than floor pens, regardless of the production performance of the chickens.

Effects of Dietary Canola Oil on Growth, Feed Efficiency, and Fatty Acid Profile of Bacon in Finishing Pigs and of Longissimus Muscle in Fattening Horses

  • Joo, Eun-Sook;Yang, Young-Hoon;Lee, Seung-Chul;Lee, Chong-Eon;Cheoung, Chang-Cho;Kim, Kyu-Il
    • Nutritional Sciences
    • /
    • v.9 no.2
    • /
    • pp.92-96
    • /
    • 2006
  • Studies were carried out to determine the effect of feeding diet containing 5% canola oil on growth, feed efficiency, and fatty acid profile of bacon in finishing pigs and of longissimus muscle in horses fattening for meat production. In experiment 1, twenty cross-bred barrows and twenty cross-bred gilts (average weight, 80 kg) were blocked by sex and weight, and five barrows or five gilts were allotted to one of eight pens $(6.25m^2/pen)$, respectively. Four pens (two with barrows and two with gilts) randomly selected were assigned to a control diet containing 5% tallow and the remaining four pens to a diet containing 5% canola oil. The average daily weight gain, daily feed intake and feed efficiency over a 6-wk feeding period were not different (p>0.05) between the two diets, nor was backfat thickness. Fatty acid profile in bacon fat showed that the 0-3 fatty acid ($\alpha-linolenic$ acid) content in pigs fed diet containing 5% canola oil was approximately three times (P<0.01) as much as in pigs fed tallow. In experiment 2, thirty-two Jeju horses (average $weight{\pm}SE,\;244{\pm}5kg$) were blocked by sex and weight, and two horses of the same sex and similar body weight were allotted to one $(15m^2/pen)$ of eight pens. Eight pens (four with males and four with females) selected randomly were assigned to a control diet containing 5% tallow and the remaining eight pens to a diet containing 5% canola oil. The average daily weight gain, daily feed intake and feed efficiency for concentrates without roughages over a 5-month feeding period were not different (P>0.05) between the two diet groups. Fatty acid profile in the muscle fat showed that the 0-3 fatty acid (a-linolenic acid) content in horses fed diet containing 5% canola oil was approximately two times (P<0.01) that in horses fed tallow. The increased (P<0.01) 0-3 fatty acid content in pigs and horses fed canola oil decreased the ratio of n-6 to n-3 fatty acids compared to the control, indicating a significant improvement in pork and horsemeat fatty acid profile for health benefit. Our study demonstrated that feeding diet containing 5% canola oil may help produce pork and horsemeat with more health benefit, increasing their $\alpha-linolenic$ acid content without deleterious effects on growth of pigs and horses.

Improvement of PENS on Peripheral Nerve Conduction Function in STZ-Induced Diabetic Rats (당뇨유발백서에서 피하신경전기자극의 말초신경기능 개선효과)

  • Kim, Yang-Ho;Chang, Mee-Kyung;Shin, Min-Chul
    • The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
    • /
    • v.18 no.4
    • /
    • pp.19-26
    • /
    • 2006
  • Purpose: This study aimed the effects of percutaneous electric nerve stimulation (PENS) applied to different parts of the streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats on the change of glucose and nerve. Methods: rats (ten weeks old) were selected as the subjects; the normal group was five rats, and the diabetes induction group II, III and IV were five rats, respectively, which were randomly sampled from the twenty-five streptozotocin-administered rats with more than $240\;d{\ell}/m{\ell}$ of blood sugar. For PENS, electric current with 2 Hz of stimulation frequency and $200\;{\mu}s$ of pulse duration was applied to the subjects for fifteen minutes a day, six days a week, for three weeks. Calculation of glucose and weight, and nerve conduction test were conducted forty-eight hours and three weeks after streptozotocin administration, respectively. Results: As for change of glucose and weight, the group III with stimulation to the acupoints and the group IV with stimulation to non-acupoints showed significant differences from the control group II (p<0.05). As for MNCV (motor nerve conduction velocity), the group III with stimulation to the acupoints showed significant differences from the group IV with stimulation to non-acupoints and the control group II (p<0.05). Conclusion: PENS had the effects of inhibiting increase of glucose, change of weight and decrease of nerve conductive function between the distal and proximal ends of the peripheral nerve in the STZ-induced diabetic rats.

  • PDF

The Effect of Automatic Environmental Control by Image Analysis System on the Performance of Pigs in Different Seasons

  • Chang, D.I.;Park, C.S.;Lee, H.S.;Lee, B.D.;Chang, H.H.
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
    • /
    • v.13 no.5
    • /
    • pp.681-685
    • /
    • 2000
  • A computer software was developed in our laboratory to automatically control the pigs environment by the image analysis system (IAS), which monitors and analyzes the pig's behavior and feeds the results back to the computer hardware. Three feeding trials were conducted with growing pigs ($L{\times}Y$) to test the effectiveness of the IAS under various seasons. In all three trials, the open-sided conventional pens with half-slatted floor were used as controls; for the IAS treatment, fully-slatted floors were used in the windowless pens. Experiment 1 was conducted in the winter for 30 d with 24 growing pigs. There were two treatments (Conventional vs. IAS), and three pens (replicates) per treatment. During the growing period, the feed efficiency was significantly (p<0.05) improved by the IAS. In addition, the pigs reared under the IAS during the growing period displayed better growth rate during the finishing period than did the pigs reared under the conventional conditions. Experiment 2 was conducted in the summer for 30 d with 24 growing pigs. The experimental design was the same as Experiment 1. During the finishing period, all the pigs were kept in conventional open-sided pens until their market weights to evaluate their carcass characteristics. During the growing period, the growth rate and feed efficiency of the pigs in the IAS was better than those of the control pigs. In addition, various carcass characteristics were significantly improved by the IAS rearing during the growing period. Experiment 3 was conducted with 30 growing pigs for 30 d in the spring. The experimental design was the same as Experiment 1. No difference was found in growing performance between the control and IAS pigs. It could be concluded that the IAS is effective in providing optimum conditions for the growing pigs in summer and winter seasons. In addition, providing an optimum environment during the growing period results in improved growth rate, feed efficiency, and carcass qualities for the finishing pigs.

Effects of Trace Mineral Supplementation and Source, 30 Days Post-weaning and 28 Days Post Receiving, on Performance and Health of Feeder Cattle

  • Dorton, K.L.;Engle, T.E.;Enns, R.M.
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
    • /
    • v.19 no.10
    • /
    • pp.1450-1454
    • /
    • 2006
  • Three hundred and seventy-five steers (approximately 7 mo of age and $239.0{\pm}10.4kg$) were utilized to determine the effects of trace mineral (TM) supplementation and source on performance during the on-farm backgrounding and feedlot receiving phases of beef cattle production. At their respective ranches, steers were stratified by body weight into six groups. Groups were then assigned to one of six pens and pens were randomly assigned to treatments. Treatments consisted of: 1) control (no supplemental Cu, Zn, Mn, and Co), 2) inorganic trace mineral ($CuSO_4$, $ZnSO_4$, $MnSO_4$, and $CoCO_3$), and 3) organic trace mineral (iso-amounts of organic Cu, Zn, Mn, and Co). Mineral treatments were fed in alfalfa pellets formulated to supply 360 mg of Zn, 200 mg of Mn, 125 mg of Cu, and 12.5 mg of Co per head per day from either organic or inorganic trace mineral sources. Control steers received alfalfa pellets with no additional Cu, Zn, Mn, or Co. Steers were allowed free access to harvested alfalfa-grass hay throughout the 30-d on-farm backgrounding phase. On day 30 post-weaning, steers were weighed and transported to the feedlot. Steers were blocked by treatment within ranch, stratified by initial body weight, and randomly assigned to one of 36 pens (9-12 head per pen; 12 pens per treatment). Steers remained on the same on-farm backgrounding trace mineral treatments, however, trace mineral treatments were included in the total mixed growing ration. Steers were fed a corn silage-based growing diet throughout the 28 d feedlot receiving period. There was no effect of TM supplementation on performance of steers during the on-farm backgrounding phase. By the end of the 28-d feedlot receiving phase, ADG was similar between control and trace mineral supplemented steers. Steers supplemented with organic TM had greater (p<0.05) ADG than steers supplemented with inorganic TM by the end of the 28-d feedlot receiving phase. Morbidity and mortality rates were similar across treatments.