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Introduction Historically, the impact of foreign animal diseases (FADs) on global livestock production and economics has been devastating [1]. In 1997, Taiwan and the Netherlands experienced outbreaks of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Classical Swine Fever (CSF), respectively [2, 3]. In Taiwan, the estimated cost of the FMD outbreak was $379 million, due to the slaughter of over 4 million pigs, approximately 40% of the country’s pig population at the time [2, 4]. In...
Introduction The pig industry has advanced in the development of precocious genetic lines with better production traits and the weaning of piglets at younger ages (7 - 21 days) (Touchette et al., 2002; Gómez, 2006). As a result, piglets are lighter at weaning and have a less developed digestive system, which makes them more susceptible to digestive problems (Reis et al., 2007a). Early weaning results in a short period of fasting right after weaning, and the...
Effective since July 1, 2020, China fully implemented the antibiotics-ban regulation, that is, in commercial feed, it is no longer allowed to add antibiotics for the purpose such as disease prevention and growth promotion. Feed production...
Introduction Obtaining satisfactory production rates as well as welfare of pigs depends on adequate energy and nutrient supply, and among these nutrients phosphorus has deserved special attention. Phosphorus is a critical element for body protein accretion because of its involvement in the energy metabolism, synthesis of nucleic acids, and structure of cell membranes. Muscle tissue contains great amounts of phosphorus compared to fat (Stahly et al., 2000). As a...
Introduction In the pork industry, the trend towards producing lean carcasses is still occurring, concurrently with a demand from certain specific markets for pork products with high intramuscular fat (IMF) in an attempt to ensure palatability. A positive effect of IMF content on the eating quality of pork has been reported by a number of authors (Castell, 1994; Fernandes et al., 1999; Brewer et al., 2001)....
The 50-year historical review of soybean meal (SBM ) published in Feedstuffs in 1970 by Dr. J.W. Hayward highlighted many of the pertinent advancements concerned with animal nutrition, product development and promotional aspects of U.S. SBM. In fact, 1920 marked not only the beginning of the industrial production of soybean oil and SBM in the U.S., but also the year that the American Soybean Assn. was founded (Hymowitz, 1990). The use of SBM at the time this 50-year review was published was...
1. Introduction Phosphorus (P) is an irreplaceable macroelement that regulates the metabolic and physiological functions of a living organism. It is known to take part in skeletal mineralization, as well as the formation of cell membranes, nucleic acids, and adenosine triphosphate [1]. Plants store P mainly in the form of phytate, which is not completely digestible by monogastric animals. Therefore, unabsorbed P is excreted into the environment where it is considered to be...
1. Introduction Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is an important cause of foodborne illness in many countries of the world [1]. STEC infections often cause hemorrhagic colitis and subsequent hemolytic–uremic syndrome (HUS) [2,3]. E. coli O157:H7 was the first STEC serotype recognized to cause sporadic cases and outbreaks of these illnesses [4–6]. Subsequently, non-O157 STEC were recognized as important causes of hemorrhagic colitis and HUS [7]. In the...
1. Introduction The commercial US swine industry transitioned to stall farrowing in the 1960s as an effort to reduce pre-weaning piglet mortality [1]. Farrowing in stalls remains the most common indoor system in the US, making this an important area of research [2]. Compared to loose housing systems (pens), farrowing stalls have been shown to lower pre-weaning mortality (PWM) [3]. However, the national average PWM was 17.8% in 2017, demonstrating that the modern...
1. Introduction Early-life nutrition profoundly influences the developing neonate, with some effects that are long-lasting and irreversible, as is the case for iron. Iron is an essential micronutrient for many biological processes, yet iron deficiency is considered the most prevalent micronutrient deficiency worldwide [1]. Though iron deficiency affects individuals of all age groups, women of childbearing age and children from birth to five years of age are at increased risk for...
1. Introduction
The new millennium brought a worldwide growing interest for animal welfare [1]. The livestock sector reacted by developing recommendations relevant to the wellbeing of farm animals, consequently encouraging producers to adopt and implement them. Additionally, consumer demand for better production practices contributed to the development of responsible production systems in which animal welfare principles are incorporated into daily management...
INTRODUCTION The post-weaning period may be considered critical for piglets, once they are submitted to several stress situations (SOBESTIANSKY et al., 2001) such as environmental changes (new facilities and/ or environmental temperatures), removal from the sow, replacement of liquid with solid diets, and social tensions arising from getting animal grouped back after being separated (FERREIRA et al., 2001). Thus, aiming to minimize the stress which is observed in this initial...
Introduction The optimal concentration of nutrients required by growing pigs generally decreases over the growing-finishing period with a phase feeding program used as an attempt to meet the needs of the pigs over the changing requirements. Thus, in commercial production, phase feeding is thought to improve economics and reduce nitrogen excretion by more closely meeting the pig’s nutrient requirements compared to feeding fewer phases. However, in practice, it is...
1. Introduction African swine fever (ASF), a fatal disease in domestic pigs and wild boar, has become a serious economic threat to the pig farming sector with global ramifications, more than ever underlined by the recent spread to China, Mongolia and Southeast Asia [1]. It is causing tremendous losses in the industrial pig sector but also affecting livelihood of small-scale pig holders in rural areas. In 1921, the disease was first described in Africa, where the disease...
Mark Lyte (Iowa State University) discussed microbial communities and the role of nutrition, during AMENA 2019 in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico....