Search Results (229)

Vitamin D and its metabolite 25-hydroxyvitamin D₃ (25-OH-D₃) are central to calcium homeostasis, maternal skeletal integrity, and sow reproductive efficiency. This study compared vitamin D₃ with an equivalent supranutritional dose of chemically or microbially produced 25-OH-D₃ from day 90 of gestation to weaning. A total of 100 Large White × Landrace sows were assigned to five treatments (n = 20): a basal control (25 µg/kg vitamin D₃), a VD₃ group (basal + 50 µg/kg vitamin D₃), and three 25-OH-D₃ groups (basal + 50 µg/kg 25-OH-D₃; QV1–QV3). Reproductive traits, colostrum composition, serum vitamin D-related indices, antioxidant and cytokine profiles, pre-weaning piglet growth, femoral mineral concentration, intestinal morphology, and barrier-related gene expression were assessed. Compared with the control, QV2 increased litter weight gain from birth to day 14 by 9.8%, piglet serum 25-OH-D₃ at weaning by 33.2%, and femoral calcium concentration by 14.4% (p < 0.05); litter and average piglet weights at weaning were unchanged. Maternal 25-OH-D₃ supplementation also altered the overall redox profile and several circulating inflammatory cytokines, increased jejunal and ileal villus height in the QV2 and QV3 groups, and upregulated selected tight-junction-related genes, including occludin and ZO-1, in a source- and intestinal-segment-dependent manner (p < 0.05). Responses were source-dependent, and QV2 showed the strongest effects for selected endpoints; the data do not support class-wide superiority of biosynthesized preparations. Full article

Heat stress (HS) suppresses voluntary feed intake in lactating sows, yet individual-level characterization of indoor and outdoor Temperature–Humidity Index (THI) linked to feed intake is rare in Mediterranean commercial settings. This prospective observational study enrolled 272 F1-crossbred sows (parities 1–7) farrowing from May–October 2025 at a commercial Greek farm. Outdoor THI was computed from 8760 hourly records and indoor THI from calibrated dataloggers; individual daily lactation feed intake (days 1–30) was recorded via RFID transponder-feeders. Building cooling (ΔTHI = 3.7–14.3) attenuated but did not eliminate mild-to-moderate indoor stress from June–September. Only parity and stillbirth count were Bonferroni-significant correlates of feed intake (parity: β = +0.142, p = 0.002). A sow-day Gradient Boosting model, evaluated by grouped cross-validation to prevent within-sow leakage, achieved CV-R² = 0.406 ± 0.045, providing a validated, herd-tested framework for parity-stratified feeding management, pending external validation across farms, genetics, and climates. Full article

The placement of lactating sows in farrowing crates restricts movement and may limit the expression of species-specific behaviour. This study investigated physiological and behavioural responses of sows in loose-housed farrowing systems with temporary confinement. Seventy-one Landrace sows were temporarily confined in farrowing crates from entry into the farrowing unit until day 4 postpartum (p.p.), after which the crates were opened to allow greater freedom of movement. Saliva samples were collected twice daily on days 3, 5, 9, and 10 p.p. The Towel Test (TT) was performed on days 4 and 10 p.p. to assess behavioural responses to a novel stimulus. Cortisol concentrations differed significantly between sampling days, with higher concentrations on day 5 p.p. compared with days 3, 9, and 10 p.p. As this increase occurred after crate opening and declined thereafter, it suggests a transient physiological response to the change in housing conditions. Primiparous sows showed higher cortisol concentrations than multiparous sows. Behavioural responses in the TT were not significantly associated with cortisol concentrations, although higher TT scores were accompanied by numerically higher cortisol concentrations. These findings indicate that salivary cortisol is sensitive to short-term management-related changes, whereas behavioural responses provide additional information on individual variation. Combining physiological and behavioural indicators may improve welfare assessment in loose-farrowing systems. Full article

Heat stress remains a significant issue in pig production, particularly in Mediterranean regions, due to the link between climate change and rising temperatures. This study evaluated the effects of heat stress on physiology, oxidative status, animal welfare, histopathological changes, and production in a commercial farrow-to-finish pig farm during the warm season of 2025. Environmental conditions, physiological parameters, welfare, and oxidative stress biomarkers were monitored throughout the study period, while continuous neck skin surface temperature monitoring in lactating sows was carried out using Bluetooth sensor technology. Heat stress was evident over an extended period, as indicated by increased temperature in lactating sows, compromised welfare, oxidative stress, reduced antioxidant capacity, poor reproductive and productive performance, decreased daily growth rate, and higher mortality-related indices. Histopathological examination also revealed multisystemic lesions, including fibrinous microthrombi in renal vessels, hepatocellular degeneration, perivascular oedema with vascular wall thickening in the skin, and lymphocyte depletion in splenic germinal centres. These findings are consistent with endothelial dysfunction, ischaemic tissue damage, and stress-induced immunomodulation. In conclusion, heat stress causes multi-dimensional biological and productive alterations in pigs under intensive farming systems, involving thermoregulatory, oxidative, welfare, reproductive, and histopathological impairments, which support the implementation of integrated precision livestock farming monitoring approaches. Full article

This study evaluated the effects of dietary S-abscisic acid (S-ABA) supplementation on reproductive performance and piglet growth in multiparous sows under commercial farming conditions. A total of 65 Landrace × Yorkshire multiparous sows were allocated to one of three dietary treatments: a basal diet (control); a basal diet supplemented with 1 ppm S-ABA; or a basal diet supplemented with 10 ppm S-ABA. The experimental period was set from weaning through the subsequent weaning (approximately 147 days), encompassing the non-pregnant, gestation, and lactation phases. Reproductive performance parameters, including the number of piglets born, the number of piglets weaned, and piglet body weight at birth and at weaning, were recorded, in addition to general health observations of sows and piglets. 1 ppm S-ABA supplementation significantly increased the number of piglets born compared to control (p < 0.05). Both 1 ppm and 10 ppm S-ABA supplementation resulted in a significantly higher number of piglets weaned (p < 0.05) and average piglet weaning weight (p < 0.01) compared with control, with no apparent differences in measured piglet survival outcomes among treatment groups. No additional benefits were observed when the supplementation level was increased from 1 ppm to 10 ppm. These findings suggest that dietary S-ABA supplementation at low inclusion levels may positively influence sow reproductive performance and piglet growth under practical feeding conditions. Full article

This experiment aimed to explore the effects of different doses of compound probiotics (a 1:1:1 mixture of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Bacillus subtilis) added to the diet on pregnant sows and weaned piglets. The experiment was carried out in two stages. Experiment with pregnant sows: thirty-six second-parity Large White sows at 80 d of late gestation were randomly divided into a control group, experimental group I, and experimental group II. The control group was fed a basal diet, while experimental groups I and II were fed the basal diet supplemented with 2 g/kg and 3 g/kg of compound probiotics, respectively. The pre-experiment lasted 7 d, and the formal experiment continued until the end of lactation. The results showed that the numbers of live piglets per litter, healthy piglets per litter, litter birth weight and litter weaning weight in the experimental groups were significantly higher than those in the control group (p < 0.05). Colostrum IgG concentration in experimental group I was significantly higher than that in the control group and experimental group II (p < 0.05). Compound probiotics significantly increased colostrum immunoglobulin levels (p < 0.05). The concentrations of ammonia, carbon dioxide and PM2.5 in the barns of the experimental groups all showed a decreasing trend. Experiment with weaned piglets: a total of 160 Landrace × Yorkshire crossbred weaned piglets at 30 d of age with an initial body weight of (8.01 ± 0.13) kg were randomly assigned to four groups. The control group was fed a basal diet, while the treatment groups were supplemented with 2, 3, and 4 g/kg of compound probiotics, respectively. The results indicated that average daily gain and average daily feed intake in experimental group III were significantly higher than those in the control group, while the feed-to-gain ratio and diarrhea rate were significantly lower (p < 0.05). The apparent digestibility of crude fiber was significantly higher than that in the control group (p < 0.05), and serum IgA was significantly higher than in the other groups (p < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary supplementation with 2 g/kg compound probiotics for sows in late gestation showed the optimal effect, improving reproductive performance, colostrum immune indices and reducing harmful gases in the barn. For weaned piglets, supplementation with 4 g/kg compound probiotics improved growth performance, nutrient digestibility and serum immune indices. Full article

Under intensive farming conditions, a decline in feed intake after weaning in suckling piglets often results in reduced body weight or diarrhea. We hypothesized that a sow–piglet co-feeding strategy during the suckling period—in which piglets participate in the sow’s feeding process and consume both lactating sow feed and creep feed—could alleviate certain aspects of weaning stress. To test this hypothesis, 102 newborn piglets (Large White × Duroc × Min Pig) were selected and divided into a co-feeding group (CF) and a non-co-feeding group (NCF), based on whether they had access to the sow’s feed during lactation. The study investigated the effects of the two feeding strategies on piglet growth performance, diarrhea incidence, behavior, and post-weaning immune status, intestinal morphology, and antioxidant capacity. The results showed that the CF group had significantly higher body weight at the end of the nursery period (p < 0.05) and a significantly lower post-weaning observed fecal staining rate (p < 0.05). At 16–17 days post-weaning, piglets in the CF group exhibited a significant increase in feeding behavior (p < 0.05). Compared with the NCF group, the CF group showed highly significant reductions in serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) (p < 0.01), as well as significantly increased intestinal superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities (p < 0.05) and significantly reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) content (p < 0.05). In terms of intestinal morphology, the CF group had a highly significant increase in the villus-to-crypt ratio in the jejunum (p < 0.01) and a highly significant reduction in crypt depth (p < 0.05), while villus length did not differ significantly between groups (p > 0.05). Overall, in the present study, sow–piglet co-feeding during the suckling period effectively alleviated weaning stress and reduced the incidence of diarrhea. These beneficial effects appear to be associated with reduced inflammatory responses, enhanced antioxidant capacity, and improved intestinal morphology. It should be noted that the relatively late weaning age used in this study likely facilitated the piglets’ ability to efficiently utilize solid feed and derive benefits from the co-feeding strategy. Therefore, caution should be exercised when extrapolating these findings to earlier weaning ages, at which the digestive tract is less mature. Full article

Under intensive farming systems, weaned piglets often face welfare challenges including food neophobia, reduced feed intake, and diarrhea. To address these issues, this study leverages the sow’s natural feeding behavior to guide piglets, enhancing their ability to learn to eat solid feed during lactation and improving digestive function. A total of 12 sows and 99 piglets were assigned to two groups: a Sow-Learning group (SL, n = 6), where piglets observed and learned feeding behavior from sows, and a Separate-Feeding group (SF, n = 6), where sows and piglets fed independently. Results showed that the SL group’s feed intake at 36–39 days of age was significantly higher than that of the SF group (p < 0.05). For weaned piglets, the diarrhea rate of the SL group was significantly lower than that of the SF group (p < 0.05). The SL group’s manipulation behavior (towards feed) during suckling and weaning was significantly higher than that of the SF group (p < 0.05). Compared with the SF group, weaned piglets in the SL group demonstrated stronger immune capacity, longer jejunal villi, a higher villus-to-crypt ratio, shallower crypt depth, and greater antioxidant capacity (p < 0.05). In summary, learning feeding behavior from sows improved piglet welfare and promoted jejunal development. Full article

Accidental crushing by sows is the primary cause of pre-weaning piglet mortality in intensive production, often due to the spatiotemporal lag of manual inspection. While Internet of Things (IoT) solutions exist, they frequently face challenges such as vision occlusion, high hardware costs, and latency. To address these, this study developed a low-cost multi-modal edge computing system based on TinyML. Using an ESP32-S3 microcontroller, the system employs a “Motion-Gated Acoustic Detection” strategy, activating a lightweight 1D-CNN model to identify piglet screams only when an IMU detects high-risk postural transitions of the sow. Results show the quantized model (5.1 KB) achieves 95.56% accuracy and 2 ms inference latency. The total end-to-end response latency is within 179 ms, ensuring intervention within the early “golden rescue window.” The low-power design enables the battery life to cover the entire lactation period. Field tests demonstrated that the system intercepted identified crushing risks within the monitored cohort, supporting its potential for significantly improving piglet survival probability. This research overcomes the limitations of single-modal monitoring and provides a scalable, cost-effective engineering intervention for enhancing animal welfare and achieving intelligent, unattended supervision in precision livestock farming. Full article

Oxidative stress contributes to reproductive disorders, immune dysfunction, and reduced productivity in livestock during periods of high metabolic demand and environmental challenge. Selenium supports antioxidant defense systems because it is incorporated as selenocysteine into selenoproteins, including glutathione peroxidases and thioredoxin reductases that detoxify peroxides and sustain redox balance. The review summarizes selenium occurrence and chemical forms in feeds, as well as its absorption, transportation, and storage. The review also outlines the major features of selenoprotein biosynthesis and its prioritized allocation, with an emphasis on cattle, pigs, sheep, and goats. Evidence from multiple sources indicates that selenium status and supplementation interacts with antioxidant capacity, immune competence, thyroid hormone metabolism, reproductive performance, and the transfer of selenium to milk and offspring. In ruminants, rumen microbial transformations can reduce the bioavailability of inorganic selenium salts, and organic sources, such as selenium-enriched yeast, hydroxy-selenomethionine, and selenitetriglycerides, often increase blood and milk selenium more effectively. In pigs, organic selenium is commonly associated with enhanced antioxidant and immune indices in sows and piglets during late gestation, lactation, and weaning, whereas effects on growth performance are inconsistent. The review emphasizes the narrow margin between adequacy and excess and outlines practical considerations for supplementation and monitoring, alongside research needs for emerging selenium forms and functional biomarkers. Full article

The study aimed to determine the effect of newly developed multi-strain synbiotics on the hygienic quality of feed for pigs and pork edible raw materials originating from animals supplemented with synbiotics. The trial was conducted on 54 feed samples and 54 pigs. Animals were divided into six groups corresponding to three synbiotic preparations (A, B, C), two positive controls with probiotics (D, E), and a negative control (K) with no feed additive. The supplementation of the sow’s basal diet with the feed additive started 10 days before farrowing and continued for 38 days, covering the lactation period. The diet of piglets from groups A-E was supplemented with the feed additive starting from two weeks of age until slaughter at 24 weeks of age. Feed and animal raw materials were tested for the presence of Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp., L. monocytogenes, Clostridium spp., C. perfringens, C. botulinum, and the count of AMB, TPC, fungi, ASFB, C. perfringens, Enterobacteriaceae family, E. coli, presumptive B. cereus, CoPS, HS, LAB, yeast probiotic strains, and Enterococcus spp. Statistically significant differences were found between individual groups in the count of C. perfringens, AMB, TPC, Enterococcus spp., and LAB in all feeds tested. Moreover, synbiotics A, B, and C lowered the count of AMB, TPC, and LAB, and synbiotics A and C decreased Enterobacteriaceae family contamination in both total raw materials as well as raw materials of fatteners. The higher effectiveness of synbiotics was associated with a higher number of probiotic strains in one preparation. Our study found that dietary supplementation of synbiotics alters the occurrence of C. perfringens in feed and enhances the hygienic quality of edible pork raw materials. Full article

This study evaluated the effects of the dietary administration of a glycosylated form of active vitamin D (calcitriol, 1,25(OH)₂D₃) combined with ursolic acid (UA) and oleanolic acid (OA) triterpenes on sow health and productivity. Twenty-four third-parity Landrace × Large White sows were allocated at day 108 of gestation into three groups: a control group receiving 1800 IU/kg of vitamin D₃, and two treatment groups receiving the control diet supplemented with either 0.64 µg/kg (ACTD1) or 0.96 µg/kg (ACTD2) of glycosylated 1,25(OH)₂D₃ plus 140 or 210 µg/kg of UA + OA (4:1 ratio), respectively. Diets were administered from late gestation through the end of lactation. Farrowing duration, sow body weight, backfat thickness, and litter growth were recorded. Blood samples collected at key physiological stages were analyzed for pro-inflammatory cytokines, mineral homeostasis, endocrine markers, and serum proteome. Farrowing time was reduced in both treatment groups compared with the control (p < 0.05). Treated sows exhibited lower backfat thickness at the end of lactation and improved litter weights at farrowing, after cross-fostering, and at weaning (p < 0.05). Plasma pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1α, and IL-1β) were reduced at the end of lactation in ACTD1 and ACTD2 sows, with TNF-α and IL-1β already decreased after farrowing (p < 0.05). Treated sows also displayed decreased plasma parathormone concentrations at the end of lactation, along with increased circulating 1,25(OH)₂D₃ and calcium concentrations after farrowing and at lactation end (p < 0.05), while plasma phosphate levels remained unchanged. Proteomic analysis supported the systemic availability of the supplemented compounds and their involvement in metabolic and inflammatory pathways rather than calcium transport or vitamin D binding mechanisms. Overall, this nutritional strategy influenced the immune modulation while maintaining mineral homeostasis via modest endocrine adaptations. Larger-scale trials are warranted to confirm these results and to evaluate their practical applicability under commercial production conditions. Full article

Gilts have a lower capacity for voluntary feed intake and body reserves than multiparous sows, which limits their ability to cope with the needs of gestation and lactation. In this study, a nutritional supplement was formulated to support gilts during the peripartum period. Both control (C, n = 64) and treatment (T, n = 63) groups received standard commercial diets. Group T received 300gr of supplement per gilt and day for the last 35 days of gestation until the fifth day of lactation. This supplement contained calcium (Ca; 4.1%), sodium (Na; 4.0%), lysine (Lys; 1.96%), methionine (Met; 1.32%), vitamin B₁₂ (0.3 mg/kg), choline chloride (600 mg/kg), betaine (475 mg/kg), and L-carnitine (500 mg/kg). Supplementation significantly reduced (p < 0.050) stillbirth rate, neonatal diarrhea, postpartum hypophagia, and both β-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) and creatinine (CREA) concentrations (effect sizes: 0.240–0.993). Also, supplementation significantly increased (p < 0.050) piglet weight at birth and at 15 days of lactation and maternal backfat thickness at 26 days of lactation (effect sizes: 0.491–0.719). The concentrations of BHBA and CREA showed significant and negative associations with several productive parameters (p < 0.05); the strength of the associations was low–medium. Targeted peripartum supplementation represents a feasible nutritional strategy for commercial herds characterized by large litter sizes and limited voluntary feed intake capacity. Full article

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) levels and FME (flavor and multiple enzymes) on the reproductive performance, nutrient digestion, and metabolism, immunity, and antioxidant capacity of sows and piglets. Forty primiparous sows [Duroc × (Landrace × York)] were randomly assigned from day 107 of gestation to day 7 post-weaning to one of four dietary treatments, low PUFA (4.6% tallow, LP), high PUFA (4.6% fish oil, HP), and LP and HP, each supplemented with 600 mg/kg FME (LP + FME, HP + FME). Results showed that dietary HP + FME supplementation significantly alleviated sow backfat loss during lactation (p < 0.05). Dietary FME supplementation significantly increased milk lactose and solids-non-fat (p < 0.05) on day 15. Meanwhile, milk protein and true protein contents were significantly lower in the LP treatment than in the LP + FME and HP treatments. The apparent total-tract digestibility (ATTD) of ash and phosphorus was improved (p < 0.05) by both HP diets and FME supplementation. The ATTD of energy and dry matter was significantly higher in LP + FME treatment than in LP and HP + FME treatments (p < 0.05). HP diets increased serum malondialdehyde (MDA, p < 0.01), total superoxide dismutase (p < 0.05) in sows, and increased serum MDA and decreased hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) contents in piglets (p < 0.05). Dietary FME supplementation decreased serum H₂O₂ contents and increased serum catalase activity of sows and/or piglets (p < 0.05). The serum immune markers, lipid, and protein metabolites of sows and piglets were altered (p < 0.05 or p < 0.10) by HP diets and/or FME supplementation. In conclusion, dietary fish oil (4.6% of diet replacing tallow) and FME (600 mg/kg) supplementation improved lactating performance by improving nutrient digestibility, body reserve mobilization, antioxidant capacity, and health state of sows and piglets. Full article

Bump feeding is a nutritional management strategy in swine production that involves increasing feed allowance and/or dietary nutrient density during the final weeks of gestation, usually from day 90 to farrowing, to support rapid fetal growth and prepare sows for lactation. This strategy is widely applied to improve piglet birth weight, neonatal viability, and subsequent reproductive performance. This review synthesizes current evidence on the effects of increased maternal feed intake during late gestation on sow body condition and feeding-related behavioral responses, and farrowing outcomes. Available studies suggest that increasing feed allowance during late gestation can influence litter characteristics, piglet survival at birth, and sow energy reserves, as reflected by changes in backfat thickness (BFT) and body condition score (BCS). The nutritional composition of bump-feeding diets, including dietary energy and amino acid balance, is critically evaluated in relation to pregnancy maintenance, farrowing duration, and early lactation performance. In addition, the roles of parity and feeding behavior during late gestation are examined, with particular emphasis on their associations with sow activity patterns, restlessness around parturition, and farrowing efficiency. Despite these reported effects, findings across studies remain inconsistent, particularly regarding the balance between improved reproductive outcomes and the risk of excessive fat deposition in sows. This review highlights key knowledge gaps and underscores the need for optimized, parity-specific bump-feeding strategies that integrate nutritional management with feeding behavior to enhance farrowing performance, piglet survival, sow welfare, and economic sustainability in modern pig production. Full article