Search Results (57)

Homeopathy is widely used as a complementary therapy, but its effects on the behavior of production animals remain underexplored. This study evaluated the influence of a homeopathic complex on the behavior of castrated male and female piglets in the nursery phase. The experiment lasted 35 days and involved 105 animals. Piglets were allotted to five treatments in a completely randomized block design with seven replicates using three piglets per experimental unit. Tested treatments were: negative control—basal diet without additives; basal diets with 4.5, 6.0, 7.5, and 9.0 kg/ton of the homeopathic complex in the feed. Behavioral tests included open field (OF), novel object (NO), sociability, discriminative learning, judgment bias, and reactivity during weighing (RDW). Vocalizations were lower in females than males during the OF test (p = 0.016). In the RDW test, a trend was identified (p = 0.076): as the level of the homeopathic complex increased, escape attempts decreased in females and increased in males (sex × treatment interaction). Females also showed greater resistance to movement (p = 0.018). Our study suggests that the homeopathic complex does not impact the behavior of castrated male and female nursery piglets. The findings further illustrate that the sex of the animals affects their behavior, with females displaying higher levels of inactivity compared to castrated male piglets. Full article

This study aims to investigate the effects of dietary proanthocyanidins (PACs) on growth performance, intestinal inflammation and barrier function, and bile acid metabolism-related genes in weaned piglets challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). A total of 18 21-day-old castrated piglets (7.16 ± 1.66 kg) were randomly assigned to three groups: (1) CON (a basal diet), (2) LPS (a basal diet + LPS), (3) LPS + PAC (a basal diet + LPS + 250 mg/kg PAC), with each group consisting of six replicates of 1 piglet per treatment. The study lasted for 21 days. On the 14th and 21st days of the experiment, piglets in the LPS and LPS + PAC groups received an intraperitoneal injection of 100 µg/kg body weight of LPS, while the piglets in the CON group received an injection of 0.9% normal saline solution. The LPS + PAC group exhibited a significantly higher average daily gain (ADG) than the LPS group (p < 0.05). LPS stimulation resulted in a decreased (p < 0.05) villus height of the jejunum and ileum and an increased number of goblet cells. These effects were alleviated (p < 0.05) in the LPS + PAC group. The LPS + PAC group decreased the level of TNF-α and D-lactate in serum and the gene expression of IL-6 and IL-1β in the ileal tissue, compared with the LPS group, while increasing the gene expression of Occludin and ZO-1 in the ileal tissue (p < 0.05). LPS stimulation down-regulated the expression of genes regulating bile acid synthesis and transport, including hepatic CYP7A1 and ileum ASBT, whereas dietary PAC had no significant effect on the expression of these genes (p > 0.05). Nevertheless, supplementation with PAC significantly increased the expression levels of GLP-2R, GCG, and TGR5 in the ileum of piglets (p < 0.05). Additionally, piglets in the LPS + PAC group exhibited a significant increase in the level of glucagon-like peptide 2 (GLP-2) compared with the LPS group (p < 0.05). PAC generally improves the ADG, intestinal morphology, and intestinal barrier function of piglets by activating TGR5 to stimulate the intestinal secretion of GLP-2. Full article

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of lactic acid and glyceryl lactate on growth performance, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal health in piglets. This study included 240 castrated male piglets (initial body weight: 7.50 ± 0.54 kg) assigned to four groups: CON (basal diet), LA (basal diet + 0.5% lactic acid), GL (basal diet + 0.5% glyceryl lactate), and LG (basal diet + 0.5% lactic acid + 0.5% glyceryl lactate). Each group had six replicates of 10 piglets. The trial lasted 28 days. Compared with the control group, the GL and LG groups showed enhanced growth performance and reduced diarrhea rate in piglets. The LA and LG groups showed decreased intestinal chyme pH and increased digestive enzyme activities. Moreover, the GL and LG groups displayed elevated jejunal mRNA levels of the tight junction protein occludin and mucin MUC2, enhanced expression levels of Nrf2 signaling pathway genes, increased activities of the antioxidant enzymes GPX and CAT, and reduced MDA content. Acidifier supplementation also modulated cecal bacterial abundance and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) content. Genera such as Faecalibaculum, Nocardiopsis, Collinsella, CAG269, Allobaculum, and Enterococcus were affected. In conclusion, glyceryl lactate and its combination with lactic acid improved piglet growth performance by enhancing intestinal barrier function, antioxidant capacity, microbial community structure, and SCFA production. Full article

Background/Objectives: Vaccination is a strategy in pig farming for the control of several pathogens, but commercial vaccines may have detrimental side effects. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of commercial vaccines on the control of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2), Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (Mhp), and Lawsonia intracellularis (L. intracellularis) and their potential side effects on welfare, behavior, acute inflammation biomarkers (C-reactive protein and haptoglobin), and the performance of piglets during the nursery phase. Methods: A total of 240 piglets, both female and castrated males, with an average weight of 6.3 ± 0.9 kg were subjected to four treatments: T1-FLEXcombo^® (Ingelvac^®CircoFLEX and Ingelvac^®MycoFLEX) + Enterisol^® Ileitis; T2-FLEXCombo^® + Porcilis^® Ileitis; T3-Porcilis^® PCV M HYO + Porcilis^® Ileitis; and T4-FLEXCombo^® + 0.9% saline solution. This study measured therapeutic interventions, body condition score, behavioral changes, rectal temperature, and inflammation biomarkers post-vaccination. Results: The T3 group required more therapeutic interventions and exhibited a 23.1% higher incidence of thin body condition (p < 0.05) and 10 times more animals with depressed behavior than T1 (p < 0.05). The piglets vaccinated for L. intracellularis (T2 and T3) had rectal temperatures exceeding 39.7 °C post-vaccination, significantly higher than in T1 (p < 0.05). The T1 animals showed five times more positive behavior traits 24 h after vaccination (p < 0.05). Touch response was 29% lower in the T2 and T3 groups, and the lying down behavior was higher in these groups compared to T1. Additionally, 41.7% of the T3 animals exhibited a sitting posture 48 h after vaccination. Higher serum C-reactive protein and haptoglobin levels were observed in T3 (p < 0.05) at 24 and 48 h post-vaccination. Feed intake was higher in T1 compared to T3 between 29 and 35 days of age. It is important to note that this study did not measure immune responses to the pathogens and did not include challenge tests, and therefore, it does not assess which vaccine is superior in pathogen control. Conclusions: The vaccine programs resulted in similar zootechnical performance. However, T1, T2, and T4 showed better effects on piglet welfare and behavior compared to T3. Full article

Pig producers in Europe adopt different production methods for male pig fattening. More than half of the animals are surgically castrated. The different interpretations of animal welfare in different countries lead to market differentiation and economically different production conditions, which do not restrict trade, but economically lead to drastic competitive changes for local producers. While the Netherlands has already implemented surgical castration for the export market, using CO₂ narcosis (NL), Denmark and Germany are each introducing their strategies with local anesthesia (DK) and isoflurane anesthesia (DE), respectively. Using typical pig farms from the agri benchmark Pig Network, the additional costs and economic impacts of animal welfare regulations are calculated. In Germany, isoflurane anesthesia increases costs by EUR 28.54 to EUR 49.86 per sow, or EUR 1.93 to EUR 3.81 per male piglet. This corresponds to a cost increase of around 5% per piglet. In Denmark, the costs of local anesthesia with procaine increase more moderately by EUR 3.55 to EUR 5.05 per sow, or around EUR 0.30 per male piglet. The cost increase here is less than 1% per piglet. The additional costs are leading to a loss of competitiveness for Denmark and Germany compared to the Netherlands. However, Germany is also losing profit significantly compared to Denmark. This study highlights that animal welfare regulations can negatively impact the competitiveness of the pig sector. It emphasizes the need for countries to implement such regulations carefully, ensuring that they do not lead to the loss of production or international competitiveness. A balanced approach that supports both animal welfare and economic sustainability is essential. Full article

Weaning stress can trigger diarrhea, cause intestinal damage, and disrupt the intestinal flora of piglets, ultimately resulting in retarded growth or even the death of the animals. Traditional Chinese medicine residues encompass numerous bioactive compounds and essential nutrients; however, their efficient utilization remains a challenge. Consequently, our study sought to explore the impact of traditional Chinese medicine residues, specifically Isatidis Root residue (IRR), on the growth performance, intestinal function, and occurrence of weaning diarrhea in newly weaned piglets. Forty healthy, castrated Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire males, weaned at 21 days old and exhibiting similar body conditions, were randomly allocated into five groups, with eight piglets in each group. The results indicated that the dietary inclusion of IRR at concentrations ranging from 0.5% to 4.0% notably decreased the incidence of diarrhea in weaned piglets compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Serum LDL-C and globulin (GLB) contents were reduced in response to dietary IRR concentrations (0.5% to 4.0%), while serum albumin (ALB) and albumin/globulin (A/G) contents were enhanced (p < 0.05). Dietary 0.5%, 1.0%, and 2.0% IRR resulted in significant increases in villus height (VH) and villus height/crypt depth (V/C) ratios in the jejunum, V/C ratios in the ileum, and the number of villi goblet cells both in the jejunum and ileum. IRR also led to a significant decrease in the crypt depth (CD) of the jejunum and ileum (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the expression of IL-6 in the jejunum was significantly increased in IRR-fed piglets (0.5% to 4.0%) (p < 0.05). IRR demonstrated inhibitory effects on harmful bacteria in the gastrointestinal microbiome, including Campylobacter, Actinobacillus minor, and Ralstonia pickettii, indicating its broad-spectrum bacteriostatic properties. In conclusion, dietary IRR alleviated diarrhea in weaned piglets and improved gut function and microbial compositions. Full article

This study investigated the effects of incorporating fermented feed into the post-weaning piglet diet, with a focus on its impact on the growth, health, serum markers, immune function, diarrhea rate, and microbial community of post-weaning piglets. Forty-two post-weaning piglets (Duroc × [Landrace × Yorkshire], castrated male), with good health and similar weight (11.40 ± 1.36 kg) at 40 days of age, were randomly assigned to two groups. Throughout the trial, one group received a standard diet (control group) while the other one was given a diet supplemented with fermented feed (experimental group), respectively. The findings revealed that compared to the control group, the post-weaning piglets fed with fermented feed showed increased daily weight gain. The fermented feed also led to an increase in the height of villi in the duodenum or jejunum of post-weaning piglets (p < 0.05), accompanied by an improved ratio of villus height to crypt depth in the experimental group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the fermented feed enhanced the richness and diversity of the intestinal microbial community in post-weaning piglets (p < 0.05), particularly increasing the relative abundance of Lactobacillaceae and Bifidobacteriaceae. These findings demonstrate that incorporating the fermented feed into the diet can reduce the diarrhea rate, improve growth performance, enhance immune function, and promote intestinal development in post-weaning piglets. Full article

The aim of this study was to test the intranasal administration of different anaesthetics in piglets less than seven days of age undergoing castration for their suitability for providing good-quality sedation and short induction and recovery time with minimal stress. Azaperone alone at a high (5 mg/kg), medium (3 mg/kg) and low dosage (2 mg/kg) and in two combinations with either alfaxalone or midazolam were applied intramuscularly (i.m.) or intranasally (i.n.) to 120 healthy piglets. Compared to intramuscular application, intranasal application showed longer induction times, shorter recovery times and higher scores for defence and vocalisation. In conclusion, the intranasal protocols did not meet the requirements in all groups and their use can therefore not be recommended. A rapid induction phase and good quality of sedation could not be guaranteed. Full article

(1) Background: It has been well established that castration and tail docking are both painful during and following the procedure, yet there are limited convenient and effective products to address both short-term and long-term pain. Lidocam Topical Gel (LTG) (4% lidocaine and 0.3% meloxicam) was developed to address industry needs for an effective and safe product to address animal welfare concerns regarding castration and tail docking in piglets. (2) Methods: Study 1: Male piglets aged 4–8 days of age were treated with LTG (n = 30) or a control gel (n = 30). Approximately 30 min after application of the gel, the piglets were surgically castrated and tail docked. The efficacy of pain control during the surgical procedures and post-procedure (24 h) pain and inflammation control were evaluated using both behavioral and physiological measurements. Study 2: Meloxicam residue depletion following LTG treatment was followed for 28 days. Study 3: Clinical and pathological safety were evaluated in five groups of eight piglets receiving LTG with: (1) no treatment, (2) nominal topical dose, (3) two times the nominal topical dose, (4) three times the nominal topical dose, and 5) one times the nominal topical dose and 2 mL of LTG by oral gavage daily for 3 days. (3) Results: LTG-treated piglets had a significant reduction in electrocutaneous stimulation response before the procedures and 4 and 24 h post-procedures. Stress vocalization intensity and duration were less in piglets receiving LTG during the surgical procedures. Plasma cortisol and substance P were significantly lower in LTG-treated piglets 3 h after castration and tail docking. The weight and average daily gain were significantly increased in piglets receiving LTG. LTG did not interfere with wound healing or cause irritation at the application sites. There were no abnormal clinical or pathological findings associated with the use of LTG at three times the nominal dose given daily for three days. As meloxicam persisted in the application site tissue, a slaughter withdrawal time of 24 days was determined. (4) Conclusions: When applied to the skin 30 min before castration and tail docking, LTG is effective in surgical pain control and provides post-surgical pain control for up to 24 h. LTG is safe for use in piglets and provides an acceptable withdrawal time for commercial use. LTG is a potentially effective product for commercial use for piglet castration and tail docking. Full article

The objective of this study was to evaluate the inclusion of the autolyzed yeast (AY) Saccharomyces cerevisiae with or without an immunomodulator (1,3/1,6 β-glucans) as a total/partial substitute for blood plasma (BP) in the diet of post-weaning piglets; zootechnical performance, intestinal health and microbiota, immune responses and energy metabolism were assessed. A total of 240 castrated male and female piglets, with a mean age of 22 days and mean initial weight of 5.24 ± 0.82 kg, were randomly divided into blocks of four treatments with 12 replicates. The dietary inclusions were blood plasma (BP), autolyzed yeast (AY), autolyzed yeast + immunomodulator (AYI) and 50% BP and 50% AY (BPAY). In pre-initial phase II (29–35 days), piglets fed AY showed better feed conversion (FCR = 1.358) than the piglets in the BP (1.484), AYI (1.379) and BPAY (1.442) groups, i.e., 8.49% (0.126), 1.52% (0.021) and 4.50% (0.084), respectively (p = 0.0293). In the total period (21–42 days), better FCR was observed in the AYI (1.458) group, i.e., 4.64% (0.071), 1.15% (0.017) and 4.58% (0.070), than in the BP (1.529), AY (1.475) and BPAY (1.528) groups, respectively (p = 0.0150). In piglets fed AY (n = 3) and BPAY (n = 2), there was a reduction in the number of medications, i.e., 82.35% (−14n) and 88.23% (−15n), respectively (p = 0.0001), compared with that in the BP group (n = 17). In the AY group (73.83 mg/dL), AYI group (69.92 mg/dL), and BPAY group (69.58 mg/dL), piglets exhibited increases in triglyceride levels of 79.32%, 69.83%, and 69.00%, respectively, in comparison to those in the BP group, which had triglyceride levels of 41.17 mg/dL (p = 0.0400). The beta-hydroxybutyrate concentration in the AY group (79.96 ng/μL) was lower by 31.95%, 22.64%, and 5.89% compared to the BP group (117.50 ng/μL), AYI group (103.36 ng/μL), and BPAY group (84.67 ng/μL), respectively (p = 0.0072). In the AYI group, there was modulation of the microbiota, with an increase in the relative abundance of bacteria of the genera Lactobacillus, Collinsella and Bulleidia. AY, associated or not associated with an immunomodulator, is a potential substitute for BP in diets for piglets in the nursery phase, with positive effects on immune, metabolic, and intestinal microbial performance. Full article

This study characterizes the growth of weaned Large White × Landrace hybrid piglets from 6 to 20 kg live body weight (BW) under real farm conditions. Batches of 50 castrated male pigs and 50 gilts were weighed repeatedly over two 6-week breeding cycles. The data was fitted to various linear (quadratic and exponential) and nonlinear (Gompertz, Richards, logistic, Von-Bertalanffy) mixed models to find the best-performing model. During the postweaning phase, animal growth was modelled, and the effect of sex on growth was determined by incorporating the variable, sex, into the mixed models and using t-tests for paired samples. The average BW at weaning was 6.86 kg, and the average BW by the end of the cycle was 19.46 kg, with an average daily gain (ADG) of 0.324 kg/day. Over the study period, the variable, sex, did not show a significant effect (p < 0.05) on piglet growth. The nonlinear mixed models performed better than the linear mixed models, with the Gompertz (RMSE = 0.296) and Von-Bertalanffy (RMSE = 0.288) curves as the best-performing models. When fitted to the Gompertz curve, the data showed a maximum ADG of 0.508 kg/day on day 27 postweaning. Accordingly, nonlinear mixed models can provide useful information to farmers about the evolution of weaned piglet growth and can be used for the early detection of growth anomalies. Full article

In order to study the effects of dietary folic acid (FA) supplementation on growth performance and immune status in weanling piglets, a single factorial randomized block design trial was conducted with six diets supplemented with FA at 0, 0.30, 3.00, 6.00, 9.00 or 15.00 mg/kg. A total of 108 crossbred (Landrace × Yorkshire) castrated weanling piglets (at 21 d of age) were allocated by body weight into 36 feeding cages (3 piglets/cage), which were allotted randomly into six dietary groups (six cages/group). Piglets were fed ad libitum for 24 days. Blood samples were collected on the 24th day. The growth performance and immune parameters were measured. Results showed that FA supplementation increased the serum FA level of weaned piglets (p < 0.01) and tended to increase the body weight (BW) at 45 d of age (p < 0.1) and the average daily gain (ADG) from 29 d to 45 d of age (p < 0.1). FA addition improved the feed efficiency (G/F) from 21 to 45 d of age (p < 0.01) with supplementary FA levels of 0.3, 3.0, and 9.0 mg/kg compared with the control group with no FA supplementation. FA supplementation showed a trend (p < 0.1) to increase the peripheral blood CD3⁺CD8⁺ lymphocyte subpopulation and a tendency (p < 0.1) to decrease the CD3⁺CD4⁺/CD3⁺CD8⁺ ratio; in particular FA supplementation of 0.3 and 3.0 mg/kg showed significant differences in comparison to the non-supplemented control group. Moreover, FA addition increased the serum interferon-γ (IFN-γ) level (p < 0.05) and tended to reduce the ratio of tumor necrosis factor-α to interleukin-4 (TNF-α/IL-4, p < 0.1) and immunoglobulin G (IgG, p < 0.1) in serum, but had no significant effect on serum IL-4, TNF-α, and nitric oxide. In conclusion, FA supplementation up to 3 mg/kg to the diet showed a tendency to improve immune function, while FA supplementation of up to 9 mg/kg improved feed efficiency, which resulted in a trend for higher growth in weaned piglets between 7 to 11 kg BW. Full article

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different levels (15% and 20% w.w⁻¹) of bakery meal (BM) inclusion on growth performance, welfare and behavior indicators in post-weaning piglets. Sixty post-weaning castrated male piglets were selected and divided in 3 feeding treatments: standard post-weaning diet with no BM added (CON), standard post-weaning diet with 15% w.w⁻¹ BM added (BM 15) and standard post-weaning diet with 20% w.w⁻¹ BM added (BM 20). Body weight (BW), average daily gain (ADG), feed intake (FI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were recorded individually on a weekly basis. Additionally, welfare, quality behavior indicators, wounds and tail-biting incidence were assessed. The supplementation with BM in piglets’ diet had a significant impact on ADG and FCR during certain periods of the trial. BM 15 piglets showed higher ADG and lower FCR in the last week of the experiment compared to CON piglets (1278.57 ± 7.14 g vs. 905.00 ± 47.86 g and 1.69 ± 0.04 g vs. 2.35 ± 0.08 g, respectively). Overall, BM inclusion had no significant effect on performance, quality behavior characteristics and welfare (p > 0.05). The inclusion of BM at either 15% or 20% w.w⁻¹ illustrated no detrimental effects on the overall growth parameters, welfare and behavior indicators for post-weaned piglets. Full article

This study aimed to explore the effects of the incremental injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on liver histopathology, inflammation, oxidative status, and mitochondrial function in piglets. Forty healthy Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire castrated boars (21 ± 2 days old, weight 6.84 ± 0.11 kg) were randomly assigned to five groups (n = 8) and then slaughtered on days 0 (group 0, without LPS injection), 1 (group 1), 5 (group 5), 9 (group 9), and 15 (group 15) of LPS injection, respectively. The results showed that, compared to the piglets without LPS injection, LPS injection caused liver injury in the early phase, as manifested by the increased activities of serum liver injury-related parameters (aspartate amino transferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, cholinesterase, and total bile acid) on day 1, and impaired liver morphology (disordered hepatic cell cord arrangement, dissolved and vacuolized hepatocytes, karyopycnosis, and inflammatory cell infiltration and congestion) on days 1 and 5. Meanwhile, LPS injection caused liver inflammation, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction on days 1 and 5, as reflected by the upregulated mRNA expression of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB; increased MPO and MDA content; and impaired mitochondrial morphology. However, these parameters were ameliorated in the later phase (days 9~15). Taken together, our data indicate that the incremental injection of the LPS-induced liver injury of piglets could be self-repaired. Full article

Surgical castration of piglets is generally recognized as a painful procedure, but there is currently no gold standard for the assessment of pain behavior in piglets. However, pain assessment is essential for evaluating the effectiveness of local anesthetics. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of four local anesthetics in terms of pain relief during and after surgical castration in three sequential study parts. To do so, we filmed 178 piglets before the applied procedures, after injection of the local anesthetic, and up to 24 h after castration (five observation times in total) in an observation arena and compared their behavior before and after castration and between treatments and control groups. The results showed significant differences in the behavior of the piglets before and after castration and between the sham-castrated control group and the control group castrated without anesthesia. The different local anesthesia treatment groups showed diverging differences to the control groups. The most frequently shown pain-associated behaviors of the piglets were changes in tail position and hunched back posture. We observed a reduction but no complete elimination of the expressed pain-associated behaviors after local anesthesia. Several behavioral changes—such as changes in tail position, hunched back posture or tail wagging—persisted until the day after castration. Owing to the limited duration of the effects of the local anesthetics, local anesthesia did not influence long-term pain. Full article