• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.139-146
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• 2009

This study was carried out to investigate the reproductive and weaned performances in sow farms, which located in Boryeong city, Chungnam. Data surveyed a total of 10,394 litters of sow recorded from April, 2007 to March, 2008 were collected and analyzed. The results obtained were as follows; 1. The average of number of sow and farrowing rate were 314.10 sows and 78.77%, respectively. And then, there was not significant difference among seasons in number of sows, but significant difference among season was found in farrowing rate (p<0.05). 2. The average of litter size at farrowing and at initial sucking were 11.04 and 10.22 pigs, respectively. The significant differences were not all found in litter size among seasons. 3. The number of pigs, age and growth rate at weaning were 9.23 pigs, 25.77 days and 91.48%, respectively. The significant differences among seasons were not found in number of pigs and age at weaning. However, there was significant difference in growth rate at weaning (P<0.05). 4. The average of farrowing rate of sows per year, pigs from sow per year (PSY), and body weight at marketing were 2.25 times, 20.75 pigs, and 110.46 kg, respectively. The significant differences among seasons were not found in farrowing rate per year and weight at marketing, but that was found only in PSY (p<0.05), respectively.

• Journal of Practical Agriculture & Fisheries Research
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.131-140
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• 2013

Offspring of 14 sows were used to evaluate the effect of yogurt substituted for creep feed on growth performance, diarrhea score and blood profiles. The piglets of sows were randomly allocated into 1 of 2 treatments (1 treatment separated piglets of 7 sows). The dietary treatments were as followed: CF, creep feed; YG, yogurt. The creep feed and yogurt diets were given from 3 d after piglets were born to the day of weaning (21 d after piglets were born). The body weight and feed consumption were weighed and recorded at d 0, 7, 14, and 21 after piglets were born for calculating average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI). At the weaning day, two piglets were randomly chosen from each pen and bled via jugular venipuncture to obtain blood samples for WBC and IgG measurement. All data were subjected to the GLM procedures of SAS (2002) as a randomized complete block design, with pen as the experimental unit. Differences among dietary treatments were separated by Duncan's multiple range test, and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. No significant difference (P > 0.05) were observed in number of born piglets, weaning pigs, survival rate, body weight of piglets at d 0, 7, 14, and 21, ADG and ADFI. At d 21, piglets fed with creep feed had a higher (P < 0.05) IgG compared with piglets fed with yogurt. No significant difference (P > 0.05) was observed in WBC among treatments at d 21. In conclusion, yogurt substituted for creep feed had no adverse effect on growth performance in lactating piglets.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.198-203
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• 2008

This study was conducted to compare the effects of feeding high protein and low energy milk replacer (HPR; CP 25%, ME 3.6 Mcal/kg DM) with low protein and high energy milk replacer (HPR; CP 21%, ME 4.2 Mcal/kg DM) on feed consumption, body weight (BW) gain, health and selected blood metabolites in Holstein calves during the pre-weaning period. At each feeding, each milk replacer (MR) was prepared by mixing 0.125 kg of dry MR in 1L of warm ($60^{\circ}C$) water. The calves were fed either HPR (n = 10) or HER (n = 10) using mobile plastic bottles fitted with soft rubber nipples. All calves received 1.8L diluted MR at each feeding 3 times daily during the first 4 weeks of age; feeding frequency was reduced to 2 times daily for the next 2 weeks of age and then to once daily during the last week of the experiment. Jugular blood was sampled in calves at day 7, 14, 21, 35 and 49 of age to enumerate selected metabolites. Daily MR, starter and hay intake during the pre-weaning period were similar in calves fed HPR and HER. Consumption of starter, MGH and total DM steadily increased with the age of calves. Final BW, daily BW gain and feed efficiency of calves were not affected by treatments. Serum glucose, cholesterol, creatinine were decreased (p<0.05) and blood urea N was increased (p<0.05) in calves fed HER or HPR as they grew older. Serum glucose, total protein and albumin concentrations in calves were not affected by treatments. Serum GPT and GOT concentrations were higher (p<0.05) in calves on HPR than on HER. Scouring score, days scoured, respiratory score, rectal temperature and general appearance were similar in calves fed HPR and HER. Poor general appearance (dullness and droopy ears) of calves fed either HPR or HER reflected nutritional insufficiency and stress. In conclusion, energy and protein concentrations in MR did not affect feed intake and BW gain in Holstein calves during the pre-weaning period. Poor general appearance and lower BW gain of calves compared to those reported in the literature for milk fed calves prompt a demand for further research to improve the daily nutrient supply to MR-fed calves.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.33 no.10
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• pp.1617-1623
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• 2020

Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary probiotic blend and liquid feed program at different nutritional densities on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, fecal score of weaning piglets. Methods: A total of 120 weaning pigs with an initial body weight of 7.05±0.93 kg per pig (21 days of age) were randomly allocated into 1 of the following 8 dietary treatments (3 replicates per treatment with 5 pigs per replicate) in a 2×2×2 factorial arrangement (nutrition levels: apparent metabolic energy [AME] = 3,500 kcal/kg, crude protein [CP] = 20% vs AME = 3,400 kcal/kg, CP = 19.42%; feed types:dry vs wet; probiotics levels: 0 mg/kg vs 300 mg/kg). Results: During d 5 to d 15, greater average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) (p<0.05) were observed in probiotics treatments. During d 15 to d 25, gain:feed (G:F) ratio (p<0.05) were significantly improved in probiotics, wet feed and high nutrition diet. Moreover, two interactions i) between nutrition levels and feed types, and ii) between nutrition levels and probiotics were found in G:F ratio. Furthermore, there was a significant positive interaction on G:F among those 3 factors (p<0.05). Overall, increasing ADG, ADFI, and G:F ratio were detected in probiotics treatment significantly (p<0.05). Besides, an obvious reduction on fecal score was observed in probiotics treatment from d 0 to d 5 (p<0.05). There was an interactive effect on fecal score between feed types and nutrition concentrations from d 5 to d 25 (p<0.05). Conclusion: These results indicated that probiotics supplementation could benefit growth performance and reduce the frequency of watery feces. Besides, wet feed program (feed:water = 1:1.25) could improve the G:F. The effect of liquid feed or probiotic could be influenced by dietary nutrition density in weaned piglets. An increased value of G:F was obtained when wet feeding a high nutrition diet (100 kcal higher than NRC 2012 recommendations) was supplemented with probiotics for 15 to 25 days.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.340-350
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• 2007

The objective of this study was to determine whether peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ${\gamma}$(PPAR${\gamma}$ is involved in the regulation of weaning to estrus of primiparous sows. Twelve sows composed of 6 groups of 2 full-sibs in a similar age (325.2 d), body weight (BW; 152.4 kg) and backfat thickness (BFT; 27.0 mm) at start of lactation, were allocated to accept 31 MJ (restricted group, R-group) or 53 MJ (control group, C-group) DE/d treatment, respectively. The experimental results indicated that the low energy intake resulted in excessive losses of BW and BFT during lactation in R-group sows, which may be related to decrease of serum 15-deoxy-${\Delta}^{12,14}$-prostaglandin $J_2$ (15d-$PGJ_2$), a ligand of PPAR${\gamma}$ The obvious peak and the frequency of LH, FSH and estradiol ($E_2$) were only observed in C-group sows. Except for $E_2$ at d 1 and 2, serum FSH, LH and $E_2$ concentrations in R-group were lower than those in C-group sows after weaning. However, the serum progesterone ($P_4$) level in R-group sows was always more than that in C-group. The expression abundances of PPAR${\gamma}$and GnRH receptor (GnRH-R) in pituitary, FSH receptor (FSH-R), LH receptor (LH-R), estrogen receptor (ES-R) and aromatase in ovary of anestrous sows were lower than those of estrous sows. Neither the BFT nor the BW was associated with the mRNA abundance of PPAR${\gamma}$in hypothalamus during lactation. Expressions of PPAR${\gamma}$in pituitary and ovary were affected evidently by the BFT changes and only by the loss of BW of sows during and after lactation. Furthermore, PPAR${\gamma}$mRNA level in ovary was significantly related to the expression abundances of GnRH-R, FSH-R, ES-R and aromatase, and GnRH-R was obviously associated with PPAR${\gamma}$expression in pituitary. However, PPAR${\gamma}$expression in hypothalamus likely has no effects on these genes expression and no obvious difference for all sows. Not serum $E_2$ or $P_4$ alone but the ratios of $E_2$ to $P_4$ and 15d-$PGJ_2$ to $P_4$, and serum FSH and LH were evidently related to PPAR${\gamma}$expression in pituitary and ovary. It is concluded that PPAR${\gamma}$is associated with body conditions, reproduction hormones and their receptor expression, which affected the functions of pituitary and ovary and ultimately the estrus after weaning of primiparous sows.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.9
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• pp.255-261
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• 2019

This trial was conducted to determine the optimal supplementation level of Hermetia illucens (HI) on the growth performance, the apparent total tract retention of nutrients and the economic efficiency in weaning pigs. A total of 192 weaned pigs ($Landrace{\times}Yorkshire{\times}Duroc$; $6.51{\pm}0.15kg$) were randomly allotted to 4 treatments and 6 replicates on the basis of their initial body weight. The dietary treatments included a corn-soybean meal based diet supplemented with 0, 1, 2 or 3% HI. There were no significantly effects between the treatments in phases I, II and overall. But average daily gain was significant and linearly increased when HI was added to the diet in the overall group. Although digestibility of dry matter (DM) was increased by adding HI, digestibility responses were not observed by supplying HI in phase I. Also, all the parameters of economic efficiency were not significantly different according to the level of HI. The results showed that HI had beneficial effects on growth performance and digestibility of dry matter. However, there were no effects on economic efficiency by using HI in weaning pig diets.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.54 no.5
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• pp.355-361
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• 2012

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of concentrate feeding on rumen papillae development in suckling Hanwoo calves before weaning (60 days of age). Twenty-four Hanwoo calves (12 heifers and 12 bulls) at six days of age were randomly assigned to one of three dietary treatments [hay and two levels (low and high) of concentrate feeding] and given each diet with free access to their dams for suckling until 60 days of age. At 60 days of age, two calves from each treatment were sacrificed and used for post-mortem examination of rumen papillae development. Feed intake between 31 and 60 days of age was significantly higher (P<0.05) for the high concentrate treatment (380.2 g/d) than for other treatments (58.3 and 76.9 g/d for hay and low concentrate treatments, respectively). Although feed intake showed a large difference between the low and high concentrate treatments, body weights at birth and 60 days of age were similar between the two treatments, suggesting that calves in the low concentrate feeding suckled more milk from their dams than those in the high concentrate feeding. The ratio of reticulo-rumen weight to body weight at 60 days of age was significantly increased (P<0.05) in the high concentrate (1.39%), compared with those in the hay (0.85%) and low concentrate (1.06%) treatments. Furthermore, the high concentrate feeding significantly increased both rumen papillae length and width, compared with the hay and low concentrate feeding group. This was also detected clearly by visual observation. The blood concentration of ${\beta}$-hydroxybutyrate was significantly higher for the high concentrate (176.4 ${\mu}mol/L$) than for other treatments (58.9 and 59.2 ${\mu}mol/L$ for the hay and the low concentrate group, respectively). In conclusion, the results of the present study showed that, to achieve a large development of rumen papillae before weaning (60 days of age) in suckling Hanwoo calves, the amount of concentrate intake should be important. And also the results implied that hay might not be included in the diet for suckling Hanwoo calves before weaning (60 days of age).

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.333-339
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• 2011

The present study was performed to investigate the effects of pre- and post-weaning feeding programs on growth of pigs. A total of 24 litters (avg. 10.6 piglets/litter) born from multiparous (Yorkshire ${\times}$ Landrace) dams ${\times}$ Duroc sires were provided with neither creep feed (CF) nor milk replacer ("CON"), 200 gm CF/litter/d from the 15th day of lactation ("MIN"), or CF and milk replacer ad libitum for 7 h during the daytime from the 7th day ("MAX") through weaning at d 21 of age. Sixty-eight weanling pigs selected randomly from each of CON and MIN were provided with phases 1, 2 and 3 nursery diets for 7, 14, and 13 days, respectively, in two pens; an equal number of piglets from MAX received the same diets for 6, 10, and 18 days, respectively. Subsequently, all pigs were fed grower 1 and 2 diets sequentially up to d 95 and 135, respectively. The entire pre- and post-weaning feeding trial was repeated three times under a split-plot design of experiment. Initial and final weights and ADG of the suckling pigs did not differ between MAX/MIN and CON. However, final wt of MAX adjusted for initial wt, which was 0.17-kg less in MAX than in CON, was greater than that of CON by 0.31kg, whereas the difference between MIN and CON in final wt barely changed after the adjustment. Growth of the animals during the nursery and growing phases was not affected by the feeding program, whereas d 55 and 135 BW, as well as d 6 BW, were highly correlated with weaning weight (r=0.81, 0.57, and 0.76; P<0.001, <0.05, and <0.001, respectively). In conclusion, results suggest that provision of creep feed and milk replacer from early lactation may be effective for increasing weight gain of light piglets, but that limited provision of creep feed during late lactation or extension of the duration of phases 1 and 2 vs. 3 nursery diets for several days is unlikely to influence the growth of pigs during the corresponding and subsequent periods.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.32 no.8
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• pp.1137-1144
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• 2019

Objective: This experiment was designed to evaluate the effects of Agave tequilana inulin and Lactobacillus casei (L. casei) on growth performace, hematological variables, serum metabolites, and total coliforms in nursing lambs. Methods: The experimental design was completely randomized; treatments were T1, control (pre-starter concentrate, PC), T2: T1+2% inulin, and T3: T1+2% inulin+L. casei; treatments were compared with Tukey test ($p{\leq}0.05$); and 45 new born $Kathadin{\times}Dorset lambs$ ($4.8{\pm}0.8kg$ birth weight) were the experimental units (15 per treatment). The variables were daily weight gain (DWG), dry matter intake and diarrheas incidence (%) during 56 d. Twenty-four hours after birth and at the end of the experiment, blood samples were collected to evaluate hematological variables and serum metabolites. Besides, the populations of total coliforms and lactobacilli were estimated in fecal samples. Results: Addition of agave inulin and L. casei increased ($p{\leq}0.05$) DWG 356, 384, and 415 g/d, weaning weight 24.92, 26.18, and 28.07 kg, as well as lactobacilli population 5.79, 6.32, and $6.48Log_{10}cfu/g$, for T1, T2, and T3, respectively. Lambs fed L. casei had decreased ($p{\leq}0.05$) populations of total coliforms (T1 = 6.18, T2 = 5.77, and $T3=5.07Log_{10}cfu/g$), diarrheas incidence (T1 = 11.67%, T2 = 8.33%, and T3 = 5.0%), and serum cholesterol concentration (11% in T2 and 13% in T3, compared to control). Conclusion: The combination of Agave tequilana inulin and L. casei increases weight gain and improves intestinal health by reducing coliforms and diarrheas incidence in $Katahdin{\times}Dorset$ lambs during the pre-weaning period.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.332-338
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• 1999

This study was carried out to investigate weight gain and prevention of diarrhea in suckling calves which were injected with recombinant bovine somatopropin (rBST). A total of 101 breeding cows were assigned to the six groups according to the administered dosage and injected time, respectively. Groups T-1, T-3, T-4 and T-6 were injected starting 1 week before calving and groups T-2 and T-5 were injected on the calving day. The six groups were injected five times at two week intervals. Groups T-1 and T-2 were injected with 250mg composite rBST, Group T-3 was injected with 375 mg composite rBST. Groups T-4 and T-5 were injected with 500mg composite rBST, And group T-6 was injected with 500mg rBST-S. The control group was not injected with BST. The groups injected with 500 mg BrST had a lower rate of morbidity from diarrhea than the control group or the groups injected with 250 mg rBST (T-1 and T-2). Weight gain was higher in group T-4 than in the control group or groups T-1 and T-2. In Korean Native Cattle, the total weight gain was greater in group T-4 than in the control group (p<0.05). In crossbred cows, total weight gain was the highest in group T-4, and the total weight gain rate was greater than in group T-4 and the control group (p<0.05). The results of the hematological values showed that injections of rBST did not affect the level of the RBC, TP and BUN in the breeding cows at 9 weeks after postpartum or the neonatal calves. The results of this study indicate that injecting breeding cows with 500 mg rBST before calving would be effective in the preventing of diarrhea and in increasing weight gain of calves from birth to weaning.