Effects of feeder design and changing source of water to a location separate from the wet-dry feeder at 4 or 8 weeks before harvest on growth, feeding behavior, and carcass characteristics of finishing pigs.

Our objectives were to compare a conventional dry (5-space, 152.4-cm-wide) and a wet-dry (double-sided, each side = 38.1-cm-wide single space) feeder and to determine if changing the source of water to a location separate from a wet-dry feeder would result in improved G:F and carcass characteristics. Water supply to the wet-dry feeder was shut off and the cup waterer was turned on in 8 pens at 8 (d 69) or 4 (d 97) wk prior to harvest. For the remaining 8 wet-dry feeder pens, the feeder provided the sole water source for the entire experiment. A total of 1,296 pigs (PIC, 337 × 1050; initially 19.4 kg BW) were used, with 27 pigs/pen (14 barrows and 13 gilts) and 24 pens/feeder design. From d 0 to 69, pigs fed with the wet-dry feeder had increased (P < 0.05) ADG, ADFI, G:F, and d 69 BW compared with those using the conventional dry feeder. Overall (d 0 to 124), pigs using fed with the water source in the wet-dry feeder the entire time had greater (P < 0.05) ADG, ADFI, final BW, and HCW the other treatments. The overall G:F was not different (P > 0.05) among pigs fed with the different feeder treatments. Pigs fed with the wet-dry feeder where water source was changed at 4 wk before harvest had greater (P < 0.05) ADG than pigs that used a conventional dry feeder. Pigs where the water source was changed at 4 wk had greater (P < 0.05) ADFI than those were the water source was changed 8 wk prior to harvest, and for pigs fed with the conventional dry feeder ADFI was intermediate. Back fat depth of pigs where the water source was changed at 8 wk before harvest was reduced (P < 0.05) compared with all other treatments and LM depth was greater (P < 0.05) than that of pigs using a conventional dry feeder and where the water source was changed at 4 week before harvest. Pigs fed using the wet-dry feeder visited the feeder less frequently (P < 0.05) and spent less total time at the feeder (P < 0.05) than those fed with the conventional dry feeder. The differences in feeding patterns remained even after the access to water was removed from the wet-dry feeder, with no change in the amount of aggressive behavior observed at the feeder. Pigs fed with a wet-dry feeder had an increased growth rate compared with those fed with a conventional dry feeder. Although measures of carcass leanness were improved by changing the location of the water, removing the water from the feeder also eliminated any net improvement in BW from using a wet-dry feeder.

Effect of oral meloxicam on health and performance of beef steers relative to bulls castrated on arrival at the feedlot.

Castration in weaned calves is stressful and affects profitability by reducing ADG and increasing susceptibility to disease. This study evaluated the effect of meloxicam, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), on performance and health of calves received as steers compared with bull calves surgically castrated on arrival at the feedlot. British × Continental bulls (n = 145) and steers (n = 113; BW = 193 to 285 kg) were transported for 12 h in 3 truckloads (d 0), weighed, and randomly assigned to receive either lactose placebo (CONT; 1 mg/kg) or meloxicam (MEL; 1 mg/kg) suspended in water and administered per os, 24 h before castration. On d 1, bulls were surgically castrated (CAST) and steers were processed without castration (STR). Combinations of CONT/MEL and CAST/STR were allocated to 24 pens (6 pens per treatment) of 8 to 14 calves each. Pen was the experimental unit. Plasma meloxicam concentrations at the time of castration (d 1) were determined by HPLC-mass spectroscopy. Pen-level ADG, DMI, and G:F were estimated using BW obtained on d 0, 14, and 28 and weigh-back of feed. Individual animals were classified as sick based on a depression score of ≥2 on a 5-point scale and a rectal temperature of ≥39.8°C. On d 0, 1, and 14, calf chute temperament was evaluated using a 4-point scale. Data were analyzed using generalized linear mixed models and survival curve analyses. Castration reduced pen ADG (P < 0.001) and G:F (P < 0.001) from d 1 to 14, yet no effects (P > 0.45) were apparent by d 28. For all treatment groups, DMI increased with days on feed (P < 0.0001) but was less in CAST compared with STR calves (P < 0.016) throughout the study. From d 15 to 28, ADG increased (P = 0.0011) in CAST but not STR calves, and G:F decreased (P = 0.0004) in STR but not CAST calves. In CAST calves only, MEL treatment reduced the pen-level first pull rate (P = 0.04) and reduced bovine respiratory disease morbidity rate (P = 0.03). The frequency of chute escape behavior was greater on arrival and at castration in CAST vs. STR calves (P < 0.01) but not significantly different at d 14 (P = 0.22). Mean MEL concentrations at castration were no different between treated STR and CAST calves (P = 0.70). Meloxicam administration before castration in postweaning calves reduced the incidence of respiratory disease at the feedlot. These findings have implications for developing NSAID protocols for use in calves at castration with respect to addressing animal health and welfare concerns.

The effects of pre-slaughter pig management from the farm to the processing plant on pork quality.

Two experiments (Exp.1, n=80; Exp.2, n=144) were conducted to determine the effects of pre-slaughter pig management on pork quality by monitoring blood lactate concentration ([LAC]) during marketing. [LAC] was measured at: (1) baseline at farm, (2) post-loading on truck, (3) pre-unloading after transport, (4) post-unloading at plant, (5) post-lairage, (6) post-movement to stun, and (7) exsanguination. Pearson correlations were used to determine relationships between [LAC] and meat quality. Higher [LAC] post-loading or a greater change in [LAC] during loading resulted in increased 24h pH (P=0.002, P=0.0006, Exp.1; P=0.0001, P=0.01, Exp.2, respectively), decreased L* (P=0.03, P=0.04; P=0.001, P=0.01) and decreased drip loss (P=0.02, P=0.12; P=0.002, P=0.01). Even though improved handling during loading is important to animal well-being, it will not necessarily translate into improved pork quality.

Persistence of blood changes associated with alteration of the dietary electrolyte balance in commercial pigs after feed withdrawal, transportation, and lairage, and the effects on performance and carcass quality.

Increasing dietary electrolyte balance (dEB) has previously been shown to reduce the incidence of nonambulatory and noninjured swine, improve meat quality, and reduce the incidence of gastric ulcers. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of dEB under commercial conditions. Due to the variability in feed withdrawal, transport, and lairage conditions in the swine industry, it was necessary to determine first the persistence of blood changes during the marketing process after alteration of dEB. Sixteen pens of 8 crossbred barrows were assigned to a low (121 mEq/kg) or high (375 mEq/kg) dEB diet, calculated as Na(+) + K(+) - Cl(-), to determine the persistence of blood changes associated with the alteration of dEB. Diets were formulated to meet or exceed NRC (1998) requirements for energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals. Dietary treatments were provided for ad libitum intake for 3 d before slaughter. Before transport, animals were fasted in the barn for approximately 10 h. After fasting, animals were shipped to the packing plant, rested for 8 h, and subsequently slaughtered. Initial and final BW of the animals were obtained. Blood was sampled at baseline (2 d before administration of diets), before feed withdrawal (0 h), after feed withdrawal (10 h), and at exsanguination (20 h). Consumption of the high dEB diet for 3 d resulted in an increase in blood TCO(2) (P = 0.001), HCO(3)(-) (P = 0.001), and base excess (P = 0.0003) and a decrease in Cl(-) (P = 0.0002) and anion gap (P = 0.01). These differences, however, were not maintained for any of the blood components after the 10-h feed withdrawal (P > 0.22). Increasing dEB had no adverse effects (P > 0.18) on growth performance, meat quality, or carcass yield and did not decrease pars esophageal ulcer scores. This study demonstrated that the effect of dEB on blood components was not maintained after a 10-h feed withdrawal. Therefore, it is likely that the ability of the animal to withstand any increased metabolic acid load associated with the stress of transport was lost after feed withdrawal. Further research is needed to determine the effects of dEB alteration in animals that have not been fasted before shipment and using diets with a larger difference in dEB.

Use of exsanguination blood lactate to assess the quality of pre-slaughter pig handling.

The objective of these studies (Exp.1, n=76; Exp.2, n=140) was to characterize the relationship of pre-slaughter animal-handling events to exsanguination blood lactate concentration ([LAC]) in a commercial pork processing plant. Pearson correlations indicated relationships (P<0.05) between [LAC] and the number of times a pig jammed, backed up and reared (Exp.1), and [LAC] was correlated (P<0.05) with electric prod use and vocalization in response to prod use in the crowd pen, as well as jamming in the single-file chute (Exp. 2). Single degree of freedom contrasts indicated that pigs experiencing one or more events (i.e., jamming, rearing and/or backing up) while moving through a single-file chute had greater (P<0.03) [LAC] than pigs that did not experience these events in both experiments, whereas pigs prodded in the crowd pen had greater (P=0.03) [LAC] than pigs that were not prodded (Exp. 2). This study provides data demonstrating that specific pre-slaughter animal-handling events are related to post-slaughter [LAC] in a commercial setting.

The relationship between exsanguination blood lactate concentration and carcass quality in slaughter pigs.

A group of 128 cross-bred barrows were used to determine the relationship between exsanguination blood lactate concentration ([LAC]) and carcass quality following commercial marketing conditions. After 10h of feed withdrawal, pigs were loaded on a truck with a hydraulically lifted second deck and transported approximately 1h to the slaughter facility. Pigs were rested for 8h and stunned with carbon dioxide. Blood lactate concentration was measured on exsanguination blood. Fourteen pork quality measurements were obtained following normal post-mortem processing. Pearson correlations were used to determine the relationships between [LAC] and the meat quality parameters. Exsanguination blood lactate concentration ranged from 4 to 19.7 mM. Higher lactate was associated with lower 60 min pH (P=0.0004) and higher drip loss (P=0.02). These results suggest that under low-stress loading and standard marketing conditions, exsanguination [LAC] is predictive of the rate of early post-mortem metabolism.

Income and race differences in children's health in the mid-1960s.

This article explores income and race differences in eight measures of the health of children ages 6 through 11 as assessed in the early 1960s. It is shown that both income and race differences in health are much less pronounced than they are in infant mortality and birth weight data. Significant differences are found in the health status of black and white children and of children from high- and low-income families, but these are primarily differences with respect to parent-reported (rather than physician-reported) health criteria and they by no means overwhelmingly favor the white or high-income children. These findings underscore the importance of treating children's health status as multidimensional. In addition, these findings will serve as a bench mark for studies of children's health using data for a more recent period.

Familial hypogammaglobulinemia with variable serum immunoglobulins. Concordance with lymphocyte ecto-5'-nucleotidase deficiency.

Four male subjects from two generations of a black family were found to have variable expression of hypogammaglobulinemia (IgG, IgM, and IgA deficiency in two, IgA deficiency in one, and IgM and IgA deficiency in another) and also to be moderately deficient in the lymphocyte plasma membrane enzyme, 5'-nucleotidase. The inheritance pattern of the immune abnormality is compatible with X linkage. The affected patients had normal numbers of complement receptor-bearing lymphocytes, variably depressed proportions of IgM- and IgD-bearing lymphocytes, and impaired ability to synthesize antibody after specific antigenic stimulation. In this family, the 5'-nucleotidase deficiency and the pattern of inheritance suggest that the different types of hypogammaglobulinemia may represent a variable expression of a common underlying genetic abnormality.