Effects of evaporative cooling systems on the performance of lactating sows in a tropical climate.

This study evaluated litter performance, behavioral and physiological parameters, and milk characteristics of sows submitted to different thermal environments. Fifty sows were distributed in a completely randomized design with two treatments: an evaporative cooling system (ECS) and a conventional system (CS). Sow and its litter were characterized as an experimental unit. The animals were weighed at equalization and weaning. Feed intake, milk production, and bromatological characteristics of milk were measured; the sows respiratory rate, rectal, and surface temperature were monitored. Litter uniformity was determined at equalization and weaning. Behaviors of the sows and litters were monitored for 24 h on the 7th and 15th day of lactation. Temperature and relative humidity inside the maternity was 25.00 to 28.00 °C and 26.00 to 32.55 °C and 30.00 to 70.00% and 70.00 to 88.00%, respectively, considering ECS and CS. Nutritional quality of the milk remained stable during lactation in both systems evaluated. ECS improved the average weight of the piglets, weaning weight, and daily milk production by 0.038, 0.699, and 2.31 kg/day, respectively. Sows housed in the ECS had a reduction in physiological parameters and, increase in inactive alert behavior (1.79 percentage points) and breastfeeding behavior. Piglets showed a decrease of 2.43% in the range of feedings at night and 0.15% during the day. ECS provided better comfort to the sows at the expense of the CS and, consequently, better litter performance.

Benzoic Acid Combined with Essential Oils Can Be an Alternative to the Use of Antibiotic Growth Promoters for Piglets Challenged with E. coli F4.

Benzoic acid (BA) and essential oils (EOs) (thymol, 2-methoxyphenol, eugenol, piperine, and curcumin) are being studied to minimize the impairment of gastrointestinal functions in weanling piglets. This study evaluates the effects of combining BA and EO on the performance and intestinal health of piglets challenged with E. coli F4 (1 mL, 106 CFU/mL). In total, 270 weaned piglets were used in a randomized block design with six treatments: positive control, with 40 mg/kg colistin (PC); negative control, without the growth promoter (NC); negative control +5 g/kg benzoic acid (BA); negative control +2 g/kg combination of BA+EO (BA+EO2); negative control +3 g/kg combination of BA+EO (BA+EO3); negative control +4 g/kg combination of BA+EO (BA+EO4). BA+EO3 presented a greater average daily gain (ADG) (p = 0.0013) and better feed-to-gain ratio (p = 0.0138), compared to NC, from 21 to 35 days age. For the total period, BA, BA+EO3, and BA+EO4 were similar to PC and superior to NC for ADG (p = 0.0002) and final body weight (BW) (p = 0.0002). No difference (p > 0.05) was verified for diarrhea, microbial population, production of volatile fatty acids, pH, weight of organs, cellular proliferation, and cholecystokinin count. NC and BA+EO4 resulted in a higher villus height in the jejunum (p = 0.0120) compared to BA+EO3. The use of BA or the combination of BA and EO at 3 g/kg provides improved performance, aside from being an economically viable alternative to replace colistin.

L-arginine supplementation during the final third of gestation improves litter uniformity and physical characteristics of neonatal piglet thermoregulation.

The study assessed the effects of dietary L-arginine supplementation from days 85 to 115 of gestation on sow performance, litter quality, piglet physiology and survival variables in the first 24 hr of life. Twenty multiparous sows, with a history of hyperprolificacy (more than 14 piglets per litter), were used. A completely randomized experimental design was used, consisting of two treatments: feed supplemented or not with 1% L-arginine from days 85 to 115 of gestation. The experimental unit consisted of the sow and its respective litter, using 10 replicates per treatment. The sows were distributed into the treatments based on body condition and parity. Supplementation with L-arginine reduced the within-litter standard deviation and the within-litter coefficient of variation of piglet weight at 24 hr by 54 g and 4.14 percentage points respectively (p = .029; p = .035). Supplementation with 1.0% L-arginine decreased the percentages of piglets weighing less than 800 g by 5.60 and 5.08 points at birth and at 24 hr of life respectively. Piglets from sows supplemented with L-arginine had higher (p = .088) average rectal temperatures at birth and lower (p = .030) rectal temperature at 24 hr of life in comparison with control piglets. No significant differences in placental weight or estimated colostrum production and intake were observed in the first 24 hr of life. At 24 hr of life, piglets weighing less than 1,000 g and from supplemented sows had lower (p = .048) surface/mass ratios and higher body mass index (p = .070). Piglets from supplemented sows and who weighed 1601 to 1,800 g had lower body mass index and ponderal index (p = .002; p = .003). Supplementation with L-arginine during the final third of gestation reduces the incidence of unviable piglets (<800 g) and improved litter uniformity and piglets' body conformation within the first 24 hr of life.

Variability of piglet birth weights: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

The objective of the study was to evaluate the effects of litter size and supplementation of functional amino acids on the piglet birth weight variability through of a systematic review and meta-analysis. PubMed, ISI Web of Science, Science Direct, Scopus and SciELO are the main used databases and were searched in January 2019 by using the following keywords and their combinations: within-litter birth, weight variability, piglets, litter size, sow, amino acids, gestation, uniformity, CV and/or SD. Of the 64 pre-selected articles, only articles presenting the coefficients of variation and/or standard deviations according to the litter size and different levels of amino acid supplementation in the sow diets during gestation were selected. The average birth weights of total and live piglets were 43% lower in litters from sows with high prolificacy than those from sows with low prolificacy. The weight variability was affected by high prolificacy sows, with increases of 4.04% and 4.54% in the coefficients of variation of total and born alive piglets respectively (p = .074; p = .009). The standard deviation increased by 180 g in born alive piglets to high prolificacy sows. The coefficients of variation of total and live piglets born from high prolificacy sows showed an increase of 4.04% and 4.54% respectively (p = .07; p < .05). There was a tendency for reduced weight variability with amino acids supplementation when considering the standard deviation of total born (p = .072). However, reproductive performance was not significantly influenced (p > .05). In conclusion, the average litter weight and the number of piglets born influence weight variability. Amino acids supplementation may reduce the birth weight variability between piglets. However, this effect depends on the amino acid used, the levels of supplementation and on other factors not completely addressed in this study. Thus, more research is necessary to fully elucidate this topic.

Evaporative cooling system for gestating and lactating sows: a systematic review / Sistema de resfriamento evaporativo para porcas gestantes e lactantes: uma revisão sistemática

ABSTRACT: Climatic characteristics of the production sites of pigs influence the yield of the system, with breeding sows being a category extremely sensitive to high temperatures, especially when their upper critical temperature is reached. This review evaluated the effects of the evaporative cooling system on environmental, physiological and performance parameters in breeding sows. By means of this review, a bibliographic search was performed using the following keywords: sow; swine; gilt and pig combined individually with the expression 'evaporative cooling'. A total of 11 papers met the prerequisites determined to compose the systematic review and the studies involved gestating and lactating sows maintained in environments that presented ambient temperatures between 21.5 and 34.8 °C and relative humidity between 32.2 and 84.2%. The evaporative cooling system was used in order to cool the macro or micro environment. It can be concluded that the use of evaporative cooling system promotes increase in feed intake per lactating sow, decrease in weight loss in lactation, increase of weight of piglets at weaning, temperature reduction of the barns and decrease of the respiratory rate of the sows. For gestating sows, no changes in reproductive performance were reported.

RESUMO: As características climáticas dos locais de produção de suínos influenciam na produtividade do sistema, sendo as fêmeas em reprodução uma categoria extremamente sensível a elevadas temperaturas, principalmente, quando é atingida sua temperatura critica superior. Por meio desta revisão, avaliou-se os efeitos do sistema de resfriamento evaporativo sobre parâmetros ambientais, fisiológicos e de desempenho em fêmeas suínas em reprodução. Uma pesquisa bibliográfica foi realizada utilizando as palavras-chave: sow; swine; gilt e pig combinadas individualmente com a expressão 'evaporative cooling'. Um total de 11 artigos atendeu aos pré-requisitos determinados para compor a revisão sistemática, sendo que os estudos envolveram fêmeas gestantes e lactantes mantidas em ambientes que apresentaram temperaturas entre 21,5 e 34,8 °C, e umidade relativa entre 32,2 e 84,2%. O sistema de resfriamento evaporativo foi usado de forma a resfriar o macro ou micro ambiente. Pode-se concluir que o uso do sistema de resfriamento evaporativo promove aumento do consumo de ração para porcas em lactação, diminuição da perda de peso na lactação, aumento do peso dos leitões ao desmame, redução da temperatura dos galpões e diminuição da frequência respiratória das porcas. Para porcas gestantes, não foram encontradas alterações no desempenho reprodutivo.

Heat negatively affects lactating swine: A meta-analysis.

A meta-analysis was carried out to evaluate the effect of heat on the performance of lactating sows and their litters. The database containing information on the effects heat stress has on the productive and reproductive performance of lactating sows was composed by 20 articles published in international journals from 2000 to 2016, totalizing 2222 lactating sows. The duration of lactation was corrected to 21d. In the studies analyzed, the most representative variables were piglet weight at 21 days (kg) and litter weight at 21 days (kg). Daily ambient temperature (T°C) ranged from 15.0° to 32.0 °C. Rectal temperature and respiratory rate were higher in lactating sows maintained in hot conditions compared to those maintained in the thermal comfort range. The nutrient intake by the lactating sows was inversely proportional to the ambient temperature. The piglets weaned of lactating sows were kept in thermal comfort 90.84 heavier percentage point after 21 days of the piglets of lactating sows kept in heat stress environment. Piglet weight gain exhibited a high and negative correlation with ambient temperature. At 1 °C above the thermal comfort range (from 15° to 25°C) leads to a decrease in food intake (kg/d) and milk yield (kg/d), which represents a high and negative correlation with at room temperature, that is, as the ambient temperature increases, there is less consumption of nutrients, resulting in reduced milk production (less mobilization of nutrients to the mammary gland). Increased respiratory rate is an efficient parameter for evaluating the intensity of heat stress in lactating sows.

Avaliação do comportamento de ovinos Santa Inês em sistema silvipastoril no norte fluminense / Evaluation of the behaviour of Santa Inês sheep in a silvopastoral system in the north of Rio de Janeiro state

Um estudo foi desenvolvido em Quissamã, RJ utilizando-se 20 ovelhas da raça Santa Inês com idade média de dois anos objetivando-se avaliar o comportamento dos animais em dois sistemas de criação. Os animais foram mantidos em piquetes com pastagem de capim-quicuio, sendo dez ovelhas alojadas em piquete sem sombreamento e outras 10 alojadas em piquete, com consórcio de pastagem e o cultivo de coco (Cocus nucifera). Durante o período de 10 dias consecutivos, os animais tiveram seus respectivos comportamentos observados de acordo com o tempo despendido com as atividades de alimentação, ruminação e ócio, aferidos de dez em dez minutos das 9:00 às 17:00 horas, período em que permaneciam a pasto. Os animais expostos ao sol despenderam menor tempo diário pastejando, aumentando atividade de ruminação e ócio, mantendo essas atividades menos constantes quando comparadas aos animais mantidos à sombra. O consórcio da cultura de coco com a pastagem influenciou positivamente o comportamento dos animais.

A study was developed in Quissamã, RJ, Brazil, with twenty two-year-old sheep of the Santa Inês with the objective of evaluating the animals' behavior in two raising system. The animals were maintained in two pickets with "capim-quicuio" pasture. The animals were separated in two groups, ten of which without shade and the other ten in a picket with a consortium of pasture and a coconut cultivation (Cocus nucifera). During a period of ten consecutive days, the animals had their behavior evaluated according to the time spent on feeding, rumination and resting time, checked every ten minutes, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The animals exposed to sunlight spent less time grazing, increased rumination time and resting time, and these activities were less stable when compared to the sheep under shade. Coconut cultivation, therefore, had a positive impact on the behavior of the animals.

Balanço eletrolítico para suínos machos castrados em crescimento mantidos em ambiente de alta temperatura / Electrolyte balance of growing males castrated swines in a high temperature environment

Avaliou-se o efeito do balanço eletrolítico (BE) em rações com diferentes níveis de eletrólitos para suínos na fase de crescimento criados em alta temperatura. Foram utilizados 200 suínos machos castrados, com peso inicial de 25,3±1,3 kg e final de 68,8±3,4 kg, distribuídos em delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado com cinco tratamentos e quatro repetições com dez animais por unidade experimental, para a fase de crescimento T1(testemunha) ração sem suplementação de eletrólitos 191 mEq/kg; T2 (NaHCO3) ração suplementada bicarbonato de sódio (NaHCO3) 250 mEq/kg; T3 (NaHCO3+KCl) ração suplementada NaHCO3 e cloreto de potássio (KCl) 250 mEq/kg; T4 (NaHCO3) ração suplementada NaHCO3 300 mEq/kg; e T5 (NaHCO3+KCl) ração suplementada com NaHCO3 e KCl 300 mEq/kg. As variáveis avaliadas foram consumo de ração, ganho de peso, consumo de nitrogênio, consumo de lisina, eficiência de utilização de nitrogênio para ganho, eficiência de utilização de lisina para ganho, conversão alimentar e os parâmetros fisiológicos, frequência respiratória e temperatura retal. Foi coletado sangue para mensurar as concentrações sorológicas de Na, Cl e K. A temperatura média foi 29,65±3,80º C com UR do ar 69,6±10,4 por cento, Temperatura do Globo Negro de 31,95±1,98º C e Índice de Temperatura do Globo Úmido em 80,51±2,44. Os níveis de BE reduziram (P<0,05) consumo de ração e melhoram o consumo de nitrogênio. Os demais parâmetros de desempenho avaliados não foram afetados pelos diferentes balanços eletrolíticos (P>0,05). A correção do BE não influenciou o desempenho dos suínos.

The effect of electrolyte balance (EB) in diets with different levels of electrolytes for growing swine under high environmental temperature was evaluated. Two hundred castrated pigs with initial weight of 25.3±1.3 kg and final weight of 68.8±3.4 kg were allotted in a completely randomized experimental design with five treatments and four replicates with 10 pigs per experimental unit, for the growing phase T1 (control) diet without electrolyte 191 mEq/kg; T2 (NaHCO3) diet supplemented with sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) 250 mEq/kg; T3 (NaHCO3+KCl) diet supplemented with (NaHCO3) and potassium chloride (KCl) 250 mEq/kg; T4 (NaHCO3) diet supplemented with (NaHCO3) 300 mEq/kg; T5 (NaHCO3+KCl) diet supplemented with NaHCO3 and (KCl) 300 mEq/kg. The performance parameters evaluated were: feed intake, daily gain, nitrogen intake, lysine intake, efficiency of nitrogen use for weight gain, efficiency of lysine use for weight gain and the gain-to-feed ratio and the physiological parameters, respiratory frequency and rectal temperature. Blood was colleted to measure serum concentration of Na, Cl and K. The average temperature was 29.65±3.80º C with relative humidity of 69.6±10.4 percent, Black Globe Temperature of 31.95±1.98º C and temperature index calculated of 80.51±2.44. The levels of EB decreased (P<0.05) the feed intake and improved nitrogen intake. The other performance parameters evaluated were not influenced by the treatment (P>0.05). The correction of EB did not influence the growth of the swine.

Comportamento e parâmetros fisiológicos de leitões nas primeiras 24 horas de vida / Valuation of behavior and physiologic parameters of the first 24 hours of sucking pigs life

Um experimento foi conduzido no setor de Suinocultura da Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense, com o objetivo de avaliar o comportamento e parâmetros fisiológicos de leitões nas primeiras 24 horas de vida. Foram utilizados 82 leitões de genética comercial para crescimento rápido, sendo realizadas observações a cada cinco minutos do comportamento dos animais. Foram mensuradas as temperaturas retal e de superfície, além da freqüência respiratória em intervalo de uma hora. Os resultados obtidos com o estudo comportamental demonstraram que os leitões passam mais da metade (53,8 por cento) do seu primeiro dia de vida dormindo dedicando somente 31,2 por cento à ingestão de leite. A temperatura retal dos leitões recém nascidos e a temperatura superficial da pele aumentaram (P<0,05) após nove horas de vida. Entretanto, a temperatura superficial no pernil não foi influenciada (P>0,05) nas primeiras 24 horas de vida. A freqüência respiratória não foi influenciada (P>0,05). Leitões recém-nascidos com genética para alta deposição de tecido magro apresentam reação ao ambiente logo nas primeiras horas de vida. A elevação das temperaturas retal e superficial dos animais evidenciaram tentativa de controle termorregulatório a partir da nona hora de vida.

An experiment was carried out in the swine sector of North Fluminense State University to evaluate the behavior and physiological parameters of piglets in the first 24 hours of life. A total of 82 growing piglets from commercial genetic lines were used. Observations of individual piglet behavior were made each five minutes. Rectal and superficial temperature of the piglets were evaluated. Moreover, respiratory frequency was observed each one-hour interval. Results showed that piglets take a little more than half of their first day of life time sleeping (53,8 percent) and only 31,2 percent sucking. Rectal and superficial temperature increased after nine hours of life. However, superficial temperature of ham and respiratory frequency were not influenced. Newborn piglets from commercial genetic lines showed reaction to environment in the first hour of life. Moreover, the increase in rectal and superficial temperature evidenced attempt to maintain thermoregulatory control after nine hours of life.