• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제12권6호
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• pp.956-965
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• 1999

Genetic selection and sophisticated management technology have produced modern sows which excel in litter size and milk production. Recent research has identified nutritional innovations which may enhance productivity of the high producing sow. Selected research in three areas which have the potential to enhance reproductive performance are summarized in this report. First, preliminary evidence indicates that organic chromium may enhance litter size and conception rate. Secondly, high producing sows, particularly primiparous sows, required higher protein/lysine in late gestation and or lactation to optimize weaning weight and subsequent litter size. Valine and isoleucine, but not leucine, have been shown to enhance milk production. Phased feeding programs with diet cost partitioned toward gilts and away form parity 3 to 8 sows have been suggested as a means of improving reproductive performance in young sows. Lastly, recent research with sufficient sow numbers to document the effect of dietary fiber on reproductive performance has shown that sows fed fiber farrowed and weaned more pigs.

• 농업과학연구
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• 제51권1호
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• pp.41-51
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• 2024

This study explored the effect of increased feed intake during the late gestation on the reproductive performance of sows, and fecal score in sows and piglets. A total of 21 crossbred [Landrace × Yorkshire] multiparous sows were randomly distributed into three treatments with seven replicates per treatment. Treatments: CON, 2.4 kg/day; TRT1, 3.2 kg/day; TRT2 , 3.6 kg/day. Body weight and body condition score of sow in different stages were not altered (p > 0.05) due to extra feed in late gestation. A linearly higher (p < 0.05) difference in backfat thickness during farrowing was found in this study. Average daily feed intake was increased (p < 0.05) linearly with extra feed in this experiment. The weaning body weight of piglets was increased (p < 0.05) with extra feed in the sow. The fecal score of sows and their piglets was similar (p > 0.05) in different levels of feed intake. In conclusion, extra feed to gestation sow showed a beneficial effect on improving the weaning piglet's body weight. Although there is a small improvement in the body weight of weaning pigs of sow fed 3.6 kg feed/day in the late gestation period, it is unlikely to be profitable enough to justify the additional waste of feed.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제23권2호
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• pp.226-233
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• 2010

Different dietary cereal sources and fat types in the lactation diet were evaluated to investigate their effects on reproductive performance, milk composition, blood metabolites and hormones in multiparous sows. Twenty-four sows were randomly assigned to one of four treatments according to a 2${\times}$2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Each treatment had 6 replicates comprising 1 sow. Two cereal (corn or wheat) and two fat (tallow or soybean oil) sources were used to prepare iso-caloric and iso-nitrogenous diets. Sows fed corn-based diets lost less body weight (p = 0.003) and backfat thickness (p = 0.034), consumed more feed (p = 0.032) and had shorter wean-to-estrus interval (p = 0.016) than sows fed wheat-based diets. Fewer piglets and lower body weight of piglets (p<0.05) at weaning were noted in sows fed wheat-based diets than in sows fed corn-based diets. However, no significant effects (p>0.05) of dietary fat source and its interaction with dietary cereal source on sow body condition and reproductive performance were observed during lactation. Feeding of a corn-based diet improved (p<0.05) sow milk total solid, protein and fat, increased blood urea nitrogen (p = 0.032) and triglyceride (p = 0.018), and decreased blood creatinine (p = 0.011) concentration at weaning when compared with sows fed wheatbased diets. Sows fed corn-based diets had higher concentration of insulin (p = 0.048) and LH (p<0.05) at weaning than sows fed wheatbased diets. The results indicate that feeding corn-based diets to lactating sows improved sow body condition and reproductive performance compared with wheat-based diets regardless of fat sources.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제13권1호
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• pp.6-9
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• 2000

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of lower numbers of sperm $(3{\times}10^9)$ per dose liquid semen and type of semen used in artificial insemination (AI) on sow reproductive performance in subtropical area. Semen was supplied by two commercial AI centers. A total of 671 female pigs from seven farms were inseminated with either $3{\times}10^9$ or $5{\times}10^9$ sperm per dose. Two types of semen were used: heterospermic semen from two boars of the same breed and homospermic semen from a single boar. After insemination, conception rate, farrowing rate, total litter size, and number of dead piglets were recorded. The analysis of variance indicated that there was no significant effect of interactions between pig farm, type of semen, or number of sperm on any of the traits measured. There were significant differences in conception rate, farrowing rate, and total litter size among pig farms (p<0.05). The effect of number of sperm per dose liquid semen ($3{\times}10^9$ or $5{\times}10^9$) was not significant. Sows inseminated with homospermic semen showed significantly higher conception and farrowing rates but significantly lower total litter size (p<0.05). In conclusion, the number of sperm per dose liquid semen for AI could be lowered to $3{\times}10^9 $ without affecting reproductive performance in subtropical areas like Taiwan.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제18권2호
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• pp.249-254
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• 2005

The objective of this study was to investigate effects of dietary level of CLA and the duration of feeding CLAcontaining diets on reproductive performance in sows and piglet growth rate. Tallow (3% in gestation diet and 5% in lactation diet, respectively) was incorporated as a fat source in control diet, and each 50% (dietary CLA level of 0.75% in gestation diet, and 1.50% in lactation diet, respectively) or 100% (dietary CLA level of 1.50% in gestation diet, and 2.50% in lactation diet, respectively) of tallow was replaced by a commercial CLA preparation containing 50% CLA isomers. Diets containing CLA were fed either from d 15 premating to weaning or d 74 post-mating to weaning. The level of dietary CLA and feeding duration did not affect litter size. High dietary level of CLA, however, decreased piglet weights at birth (p<0.01) and tended to decrease backfat thickness of sows at weaning. Longterm feeding of CLA-containing diets decreased piglet weights at weaning (p<0.05) and backfat thickness of sows at weaning (p<0.05). CLA supplemented in sow diet was transferred to fetus and piglets during pregnancy and nursing period, respectively. CLA contents of femoral muscle of piglets were 2.08 to 2.57 mg per g of fat at birth, and 2.36 to 4.47 mg at 10 days of age in CLA groups, while CLA was not detected in the control group. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of CLA tended to lower backfat thickness of sow and piglets' weight at birth or weaning, but did not affect total litter size. Dietary CLA was transferred efficiently during prenatal and postnatal periods of time through the placenta and milk, respectively.

• 대한수의학회지
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• 제58권2호
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• pp.73-79
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• 2018

Outbreaks of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) in vaccinated sow herds from occurrence to stabilization were monitored and analyzed in terms of serology and reproductive performance. Three different conventional pig farms experienced severe reproductive failures with the introduction of a type 1 PRRSV. These farms had adopted mass vaccination of sows using a type 2 PRRSV modified live vaccine (MLV). Therefore, to control the type 1 PRRSV, an alternative vaccination program utilizing both type 1 and type 2 MLV was undertaken. Following whole herd vaccinations with both types of MLV, successful stabilization of PRRS outbreaks was identified based on serological data (no viremia and downward trends in ELISA antibody titers in both sows and suckling piglets) and recovery of reproductive performance. Additionally, through comparison of the reproductive parameters between outbreak and non-outbreak periods, it was identified that PRRSV significantly affected the farrowing rate and the number of suckling piglets per litter at all three pig farms. Comparison of reproductive parameters between periods when the different vaccination strategies were applied revealed that the number of piglets born in total and born dead per litter were significantly increased after the introduction of the type 1 PRRS MLV.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제16권4호
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• pp.489-493
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• 2003

Reproductive traits of sows are determined chiefly by the genetic background of the dam herself. Whether the breed of the serviced boars also contributes is not yet clear. A total of 8,946 litters of Landrace (L) sows from 68 farms were examined. Of these, 876, 1,260, and 6,810 litters were produced from natural mating with L, Yorkshire (Y), and Duroc (D) breeds, respectively. The birth litter size (BLS), weaning litter size (WLS), live born piglets (LBP), and survival rate % (SR), of every litter were recorded. A general linear-model procedure was followed to estimate the effects of boars' breed (B), parity (P) and B${\times}$P interaction on the reproductive traits of the sows. Results show that BLS, WLS, and LBP were all significantly (p<0.001) affected by B and P. SR% was significantly influenced by B but not by P. L sows crossbred with Y or purebred with L produced litters with higher BLS, WLS, and LBP values than those bred with D. Pure L breeding yielded litters with lower SR% than did crossbreeding with D, while the difference between SR% due to LY and that due to LD crossbreeding was not significant. The interaction of B with P was significant with respect to BLS, WLS, and LBP (p<0.001), but not SR%. No significant B effect on reproductive traits was measured in sows at their first parity; but at latter parities, LL or LY produced litters with similarly high BLS, WLS and LBP, which values were all significantly greater than those of LD litters. The breed of boar evidently affected the subsequent reproductive performance of L sows and this effect may be further manipulated by the parity effect. Breed differences in semen quality and the success of fetus development with different interactions of the genetic background with the uterus function of the sow that may contribute to these effects are discussed.

• 농업과학연구
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• 제43권5호
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• pp.794-801
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• 2016

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of supplementation Oreganum aetheroleum essential oil on reproductive performance in sows and growth performance of their offspring of weaning pig. 12 sows ($Landrace{\times}Yorkshire$) were randomly assigned within parities to 1 of 3 dietary treatments to give 4 replicates per treatment. Dietary treatments were as follows: 1) CON (basal diet) 2) ANT (basal diet + Efrotomycin 0.08%) and 3) ORE (basal diet + Oreganum aetheroleum essential oil 0.05%), EXP. 1, diets were fed from d 107 of gestation to weanling. EXP. 2, diets were fed from after weaning to 3 weeks. In the Exp.1, no significant difference (p > 0.05) was observed in sow's average parity, sow backfat thickness, the number of piglets, feed intake of sows, the average of piglet weight, and piglet survival ratio between CON, ANT, and ORE treatments. Besides, in the Exp. 2, the inclusion of efrotomycin and Oreganum aetheroleum essential oil in the diets significantly (p < 0.05) increased final body weight, ADG, ADFI, and G/F in weanling pigs. In addition, weanling pigs fed ANT and ORE diets led to decrease the number of weanling pigs with diarrhea as well as fecal score. In conclusion, supplementation of efrotomycin and Oreganum aetheroleum essential oil enhanced growth performance, and decreased the number of weanling pigs with diarrhea and fecal score. However, no significant effect on grow performance was observed in sow and piglet.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제24권8호
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• pp.1142-1147
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• 2011

Lysine intake during gestation has a major impact on subsequent reproductive performance. The objective of this experiment was to determine the effect of lysine intake from mid-gestation until farrowing on the reproductive performance of multiparous sows. On day 30 of gestation, 200 Landrace${\times}$Large White sows were randomly assigned to one of four groups based on body weight and parity (n = 50). The gestation diets contained 0.46, 0.56, 0.65 or 0.74% lysine. Increasing dietary lysine concentration improved sow body condition at farrowing and increased litter weights (p<0.05). Dietary lysine level also had a significant effect on the dry matter (p<0.05) and protein content (p<0.05) of colostrum. Increased lysine intake increased serum insulin concentration (p<0.05) and there was a trend towards increased serum prolactin content (linear, p = 0.07). However, increased lysine tended to decrease blood urea N (quadratic, p = 0.05). These results suggest that higher lysine levels (0.65-0.75%) than those recommended by the National Research Council improved reproductive performance for multiparous gestating sows and this increase may be partially mediated through blood metabolites or metabolic hormone levels.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제23권8호
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• pp.1080-1088
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• 2010

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary energy levels of gestating gilts on physiological parameters and reproductive performance for primiparous sows. A total of 40 F1 gilts (Large White${\times}$Landrace) were allocated to 4 treatments using a completely randomized design (CRD). Four different experimental diets contained 3,165, 3,265 3,365 and 3,465 kcal of ME/kg and each diet was provided to gilts at 2.0 kg/d during gestation. Consequently, energy intake of each treatment of gestating gilts was 6,330, 6,530, 6,730 and 6,930 kcal ME/kg, respectively. During the whole gestation period, body weight, fat mass gain and backfat thickness of gilts were increased in proportion to dietary energy levels (p<0.01). However, estimated protein mass gain of gilts was not affected by dietary energy level (p>0.10). At farrowing, the total number of pigs born per litter did not show any significant difference among treatments. However, the number of pigs born alive per litter in treatment 6,730 kcal ME/d was significantly higher than that of other treatments (p<0.05). Moreover, litter weight at birth was improved as dietary energy level was increased (p<0.05). Feed intake of sows during lactation tended to decrease as dietary energy level of gestation was increased, but litter weight gain was not affected by dietary treatment during the gestation period. Fat content in colostrum was higher as dietary energy level was increased during gestation. The concentration of blood estradiol-$17{\beta}$ was increased and was higher at the first trimester of gestation in 6,730 kcal ME/d treatment compared to other treatments. These results suggested that increased dietary energy level during gestation resulted in higher body weight and backfat thickness of sows. In addition, reproductive performance of the sow, such as litter weight at farrowing and the number of pigs born alive, was improved when 6,730 kcal of ME/d treatment diet was provided. Consequently, the NRC (1998) recommendation of energy for gestating gilts (6,015 to 6,150 kcal of ME/d) should be reevaluated to maximize reproductive performance because recent high-producing sows require much more energy to produce a large litter size and heavier piglets from the first parity.